Belfast–Derry railway line

Belfast to Derry line
NI Railways Class 3000 at Castlerock.
Overview
Type	Commuter rail, Regional rail and Heavy rail
System	NI Railways
Status	Operational
Locale	Northern Ireland
Termini	Belfast Great Victoria Street Londonderry (Waterside)
Stations	15
Services	1
Operation
Operator(s)	NI Railways
Rolling stock	Class 3000 "C3K"
Technical
No. of tracks	One-Two
Track gauge	Irish gauge 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Electrification	Un-electrified

Belfast to Derry Line

Legend Londonderry Waterside Culmore Eglinton Faughanvale Carrichue Ballykelly Limavady Jnct Bellarena Magilligan Umbra Downhill Castlerock Barmouth Coleraine-Portrush line Coleraine Macfin Ballymoney Dunloy Killagan Glarryford Cullybackey Ballymena Andraid Kellswater Antrim Lisburn-Antrim line (Disused) Muckamore Dunadry Templepatrick Ballyrobert Mossley West Belfast-Larne line Bleach Green Whiteabbey Yorkgate Belfast-Bangor line Belfast Central Botanic City Hospital Belfast-Newry line Belfast-Dublin Main line Belfast Great Victoria Street

The Belfast–Derry railway line (known as the Derry Line or Londonderry Line) runs from Belfast to Derry in Northern Ireland. This line is composed of mainly single track from just below Mossley West station up to Londonderry Station with passing points at Antrim, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Castlerock.

Services

On the weekday timetable (Monday - Friday) services run every two hours between Great Victoria Street and Londonderry Waterside during off peak hours. During Peak Hours there are extra services which start or end at either Portrush or Ballymena. The Saturday timetable is slightly reduced but services still operate every two hours. On Sundays there are 5 trains in each direction.

Although Whiteabbey station lies on this line there are only two weekday morning inbound services from Portrush stopping there. There are no other services calling at Whiteabbey as it is served by Larne line services.

Before 2001 when the Bleach Green line reopened services used to operate via Crumlin, Glenavy, Ballinderry and Lisburn. The reopening of the Bleach Green line had resulted in shorter journeys between Belfast and Derry. Up until 2003 there was a skeleton service on the Lisburn-Antrim line but afterwards the line and its stations were closed down and the route is only used for driver training and emergency diversions.

Future

In August 2011 it was planned that services on the Coleraine to Derry section were going to be reduced to five weekday services in each direction in order to carry out safety improvement works in 2012. A refurbishment of the line was due to commence in April 2012 but the £75 million was not available. This however lead to opposition from supporters of the section as they feared that the line would be permanently closed down.

In Early October 2011 after years of frustration Department for Regional Development minister Danny Kennedy relocated funding from the A5 dualling project to the railway upgrade project allowing a 3 phase upgrade to begin in July 2012.

Phase 1 will see the line close for 9 months to completely relay two sections (Coleraine to Castlerock and Eglington to Derry) of the route and extend the life of the remaining part by re-railing from jointed track to CWR, elimination of wet spots and essential bridge repairs. The line will reopen in time for the City of Culture year allowing 8 return services on the line per day.

Phase 2 will begin in 2014/15 comprising the addition of a passing loop and resignalling the route. Phase 2 will see the signal cabins in Castlerock and Derry close down centralising the signalling from Coleraine and deliver an hourly service from Derry to Belfast.

Phase 3 will include the complete relay between Castlerock and Eglington in 2021 delivering a half hourly service.

Other future plans for the Derry line include the reinstatement of the double line from Antrim to Ballymena and the doubling of the track from Monkstown to Templepatrick.

External links

• NIR Timetables