J5081 : Car park, Dufferin Avenue, Bangor (1)

taken 10 years ago, near to Bangor, Co Down, Northern Ireland

Car park, Dufferin Avenue, Bangor (1)
Car park, Dufferin Avenue, Bangor (1)
See J5081 : Park and ride car park, Bangor. Originally free and busy, the public car park at Dufferin Avenue (officially Dufferin Square) was converted to “pay and display” in 2013. Drivers seemed to shun it after introduction of the charge. It became free again – in the words of an official announcement (December 2013) “I am aware there is a significant, and growing, demand for Park and Ride facilities in Bangor and that the current Park and Ride site on Abbey Street is operating at capacity. I am also aware this growing demand has led to difficulties regarding parking around train halts along the railway line between Bangor and Belfast. I have subsequently concluded that the conversion of the existing Dufferin Avenue car park to a Park & Ride facility represents the best, and most immediate, solution.” See also J5081 : Car park, Dufferin Avenue, Bangor (2). The railway/bus station J5081 : Bangor Bus and Rail Centre is at top left.
The Belfast – Bangor railway line

The Belfast & County Down Railway (BCDR) opened its railway line from Belfast (Queen’s Quay) to Holywood on 2 August 1845. This line was extended to the seaside resort of Bangor by the Belfast Holywood & Bangor Railway (BHBR), which opened on 18 May 1865. The BCDR absorbed the BHBR in 1884.

While double-track throughout, the BCDR always regarded its Bangor line as a branch off the main line to Newcastle. However, creation of the nationalised Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) in 1948 changed matters somewhat as only the Belfast – Bangor line survived the mass closures implemented by the UTA in 1950. The old BCDR Bangor line received a further blow in 1965 when it was isolated from the rest of the Irish railway system by closure of the Belfast Central Railway line from Ballymacarrett Junction (east of Queen’s Quay station) to Central Junction, just west of the former GNR(I) Great Victoria Street station (see: LinkExternal link ). However, on a positive note, introduction of UTA built MED railcars gave Belfast – Bangor the distinction of being the first main railway line in the British Isles to be operated solely by diesel traction.

In 1976, the Belfast Central Railway reopened as part of a project to replace both the GNR(I) Great Victoria Street station and the BCDR Queen’s Quay with a “central” station situated in east Belfast. Today (2013), Belfast – Bangor is an important part of the Northern Ireland Railways’ system, with services to Bangor originating from Portadown or the reinstated Great Victoria Street station. While diesel locomotives may occasionally visit with engineer’s trains, all passenger services are in the hands of Spanish built 3000 or 4000 class railcars.

For photographs of the former line to Newcastle, please see: LinkExternal link . For photographs at Queen's Quay station and Central Services Depot, please go to: LinkExternal link

Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Albert Bridge and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
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J5081, 1044 images   (more nearby search)
Photographer
Date Taken
Wednesday, 5 March, 2014   (more nearby)
Submitted
Wednesday, 5 March, 2014
Geographical Context
Roads, Road transport  Railways 
Railway (from Tags)
Northern Ireland Railways 
Subject Location
Irish: geotagged! J 501 815 [100m precision]
WGS84: 54:39.5818N 5:40.4284W
Camera Location
Irish: geotagged! J 501 815
View Direction
East-southeast (about 112 degrees)
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Other Tags
Bangor (Co Down)  Translink  Car Park  Park and Ride 

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Image classification(about): Geograph
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