J3373 : Great Victoria Street station, Belfast (7)

taken 15 years ago, near to Belfast, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland

Great Victoria Street station, Belfast (7)
Great Victoria Street station, Belfast (7)
See J3373 : Great Victoria Street station, Belfast (6). Today’s basic station is a far cry from the old GNR(I) J3373 : Gt Victoria Street station, Belfast (2) one with its maintenance facilities, signal cabin, reservoir and oily sidings. The 11.15 Portadown – Bangor is departing from platform 2. Continue to J3373 : Gt Victoria Street station, Belfast (8).
Great Victoria Street railway station – Belfast

The Ulster Railway Company opened its railway line from Belfast (Glengall Place) to Lisburn in 1839. Designed by John Godwin, the imposing Great Victoria Street station opened in 1849 – Glengall Place and Glengall Street having been renamed at some stage in a fit of patriotic fervour. After the Ulster Railway became part of the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) empire in 1876, some alterations were made to the terminal building including construction of an imposing porte-cochère. Many, including Sir John Betjeman, regarded the building as one of the finest examples of Victorian railway station architecture to be found in the British Isles.

At its height in the years before World War 1, trains left Great Victoria Street for Londonderry (Foyle Road), Enniskillen, Cavan, Bundoran, Warrenpoint, Newcastle, Antrim and Dublin. However, by 1965, services operated only to Lisburn, Portadown and Dublin.

A substantial part of the building was demolished in 1968 to make way for the Europa Hotel. What survived, including the platforms and railway related structures, disappeared following closure of the station on 24 April 1976. Subsequently, the Europa bus station and “skyscraper” office blocks were constructed on the site.

Fortunately, the hideous transport policies of the 1960s and 1970s were eventually recognised as utter folly. Despite initial opposition from Government and another transport provider, Northern Ireland Railways persisted with its plans for reinstatement of a railway line to Great Victoria Street. Designed by Robinson & McIlwain, a new Great Victoria Street station opened for business on 30 September 1995.

This Shared Description covers the area from Central Junction to Great Victoria Street station. For views on the Belfast Central lines, see: LinkExternal link

Proposed Belfast transport hub

The following is a part quotation from a Department for Regional Development press release issued on 1 July 2014: “Kennedy appoints design team for development of Belfast Transport Hub . . . . The new design team and architects who comprise of Arup, Lead Architect Hiro Aso and John McAslan and Partners have an extensive portfolio in the development and delivery of modern and highly efficient transports infrastructure facilities including Kings Cross Station in London. . . . . The Hub is set to be located on the 20 acre site of the existing Europa Buscentre and Great Victoria Street Train Station. Already around 7 million passengers use these facilities each year and as more people choose to use the bus and train this is estimated to increase to around 13 million passengers by 2030. . . . . The Department in partnership with Translink and the Strategic Investment Board has been working to develop the feasibility of the new Transport Hub and the appointment of the design team takes the project to the next phase”.
Demolition of the former Grosvenor Road railway goods sheds started during March 2016.
The following is a part quotation from a Translink press release issued on 1 November 2016 announcing a public consultation for the proposed combined bus and railway stations “Public Consultation - deadline for feedback: Friday 2 December 2016 Translink wants to be Your First Choice for Travel in Northern Ireland and deliver a public transport service that we can all be proud of. That's why we're committed to delivering the Belfast Hub; a world class multi-modal transport interchange acting as a high quality gateway for Belfast and beyond.”

The project received the following planning permission (29 March 2019) “LA04/2017/1388/F New integrated public transport interchange comprising; station concourse, 26 bus stands, 8 railway platforms, bus maintenance and parking, track and signalling enhancements, bus access bridge, cycle and taxi provision, car parking, new public square, public realm improvements, highway improvements, infrastructure improvements, temporary structures for bus operations during construction and temporary site construction compounds. Lands: To The East Of The Westlink (A12); South Of (Nos.127-9) And Including Grosvenor Road; At Intersection Of Grosvenor Road And Stanley Street; At The Intersection Of Durham Street And Grosvenor Road; At The Intersection Of Fisherwick Place And Howard Street; At Great Victoria Street (between Nos. 1-3 To 27-45); At Glengall Street (between Nos. 3-21); At The Junction Of Hope Street, Bruce Street And Great Victoria Street; At The Junction Of Durham Street, Linfield Road, Sandy Row And Hope Street; At Sandy Row From 2 Hurst Park To 85-87 Sandy Row, Gilpins Site; To North Of Former Whitehall Tobacco Works At Linfield Road, Weavers Court Business Park/ Linfield Industrial Estate, Blythefield Primary School And Charter Youth Club; At Weavers Court Business Park And Railway Track Lands Surrounding Arellian Nursery And Bounded By Utility Street/Bentham Drive/Egmot Gardens/ Felt Street (to North); Prince Andrew Park And Abingdon Drive (to South); Beit Street, Roosevelt Rise,Roosevelt Square”. This is understood to include removal of the Boyne Bridge.

I have no connection with the project. I cannot enter into correspondence.

Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Albert Bridge and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
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J3373, 2776 images   (more nearby search)
Photographer
Date Taken
Monday, 14 September, 2009   (more nearby)
Submitted
Monday, 14 September, 2009
Category
Railway station   (more nearby)
Subject Location
Irish: geotagged! J 331 736 [100m precision]
WGS84: 54:35.5975N 5:56.4851W
Camera Location
Irish: geotagged! J 334 737
View Direction
West-southwest (about 247 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Geograph
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