Templepatrick railway station
54°42′06″N 6°05′31″W / 54.701753°N 6.091848°W
Templepatrick | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Location | County Antrim |
| Owned by | Northern Ireland Railways |
| Managed by | Belfast and Northern Counties Railway |
| Line(s) | Belfast and Ballymena Railway |
| Platforms | 1 |
| Key dates | |
| 11 April 1848 | Station opens as flag halt |
| 9 September 1961 | Station closes |
| 17 June 1980 | Station reopens |
| 21 February 1981 | Station closes |
Templepatrick railway station served the village of Templepatrick in County Antrim on the Belfast-Derry railway line.
History
The station was opened in 1848 as part of the Belfast & Ballymena Railway, which would ultimately become part of the Northern Counties Committee group of lines owned by the LMS. Following the nationalisation of the railways, traffic on the line was reduced until eventually the route between Belfast and Londonderry was diverted via the Lisburn-Antrim railway line, with the stations on the old route, including Templepatrick, closed. Templepatrick was closed in 1981.[1]
Future
In 1994, Northern Ireland Railways gained funding approval for the restoration of the Bleach Green section of the Derry line, which would allow more direct services into the centre of Belfast. As part of this project, NIR planned to recommission two new stations, Mossley West and Templepatrick.[2] Mossley West opened in 2001, but as yet there has been no movement in a new station for Templepatrick. However, Translink, the public company responsible for public transport in Northern Ireland, has proposed to build a major transport interchange, featuring both a bus and railway station beside the M2 at Templepatrick. This would then potentially serve as a park and ride for towns and villages in the area of South Antrim.[3]
References
- ^ Templepatrick station - railbrit.co.uk
- ^ Antrim - Bleach Green: Rebirth of a Railway Line; Engineering Archived 28 March 2005 at the Wayback Machine - Translink
- ^ Ford welcomes rail progress at Templepatrick Archived 4 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine - Alliance Party, 14/04/06
