J3373 : Trains, Belfast

taken 3 years ago, near to Belfast, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland

This is 1 of 2 images, with title starting with Trains in this square
Trains, Belfast
Trains, Belfast
Trains at Great Victoria Street Railway Station in Belfast.
The train on the right is about to depart as the 1610 service to Derry~Londonderry. It consists of NIR/Translink's new C4K six-car "walkthrough" set 4019 - LinkExternal link . The recent purchase of new carriages has allowed this - much more convenient than the previous option of joining two three-car sets together such as in C8532 : Six-car set, Coleraine.

The rolling stock has improved considerably since the 1970's J3373 : 80-class & MED - Great Victoria Street station, Belfast.
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

Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Rossographer and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
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J3373, 2828 images   (more nearby search)
Photographer
Date Taken
Monday, 24 January, 2022   (more nearby)
Submitted
Tuesday, 25 January, 2022
Geographical Context
City, Town centre  Railways 
Place (from Tags)
Belfast 
Railway (from Tags)
Northern Ireland Railways 
Primary Subject of Photo
Railway Station 
Subject Location
Irish: geotagged! J 332 737 [100m precision]
WGS84: 54:35.6381N 5:56.3345W
Camera Location
Irish: geotagged! J 332 736
View Direction
East-northeast (about 67 degrees)
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Image Type (about): geograph 
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