J3574 : MED at the site of Ballymacarrett Junction - 1976 - (2)

taken 49 years ago, near to Belfast, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland

MED at the site of Ballymacarrett Junction - 1976 - (2)
MED at the site of Ballymacarrett Junction - 1976 - (2)
Ballymacarrett Junction was also the point where the Belfast Central railway joined the Belfast & Co. Down Railway line to Bangor, although this junction was sited to the west of the Sydenham Fly-Over and closer to Queen's Quay station (see: J3574 : MED at the site of Ballymacarrett Junction - 1976 - (1) ). The Belfast Central closed in 1965, but reopened in 1976 as part of a project to create a central station for Belfast. Seen passing under a footbridge which gave access to the Harland & Wolff shipyard, this Ulster Transport Authority built MED set is passing workmen engaged in relaying the former Belfast Central line.
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 The Carlisle Kid and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
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J3574, 533 images   (more nearby search)
Photographer
Date Taken
Saturday, 10 April, 1976   (more nearby)
Submitted
Monday, 18 November, 2013
Geographical Context
Historic sites and artefacts  Business, Retail, Services  City, Town centre  Railways 
Subject Location
Irish: geotagged! J 353 746 [100m precision]
WGS84: 54:36.1270N 5:54.3505W
Camera Location
Irish: geotagged! J 353 746
View Direction
North-northeast (about 22 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Geograph
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