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General information | |
---|---|
Location | Ballymena Northern Ireland |
Coordinates | 54°51′51″N6°17′5″W / 54.86417°N 6.28472°W |
Owned by | NI Railways |
Operated by | NI Railways |
Platforms | 2 |
Tracks | 2 |
Construction | |
Structure type | At-grade |
Key dates | |
11 April 1848 | Original station opened |
4 December 1855 | Station relocated |
1904 | Rebuilt |
1981 | Current station opened |
2008 | Refurbished |
Location | |
Ballymena railway station serves the town of Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located just outside Ballymena town centre on the Galgorm Road, and is integrated with the local bus station. It is situated on the Derry line between Antrim and Cullybackey. The station is operated by Northern Ireland Railways.
The first station in Ballymena opened on 11 April 1848 by the Belfast and Ballymena Railway. [1] This initial station was rebuilt and relocated on 4 December 1855[ citation needed ] when the Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Portrush Junction Railway extended the line northwards.
At one time, there were several other stations in the Ballymena area, however the only other one which survives to this day is Cullybackey.
In addition to mainline services between Belfast York Road and Coleraine, the station provided a terminus for two narrow gauge railways:
The station buildings were rebuilt in 1903-1904 [2] to designs by Berkeley Deane Wise. The rebuilding cost in excess of £15,000 (equivalent to £1,719,378 in 2021). [3] The clock was provided by Sharman D. Neill of Belfast, and iron water storage towers were constructed by Cowan Sheldon and Company of Carlisle. On 19 May 1921 the station suffered an arson attack by the Irish Republican Army.
The original station buildings were removed in 1981-1982 during a modernisation programme by Northern Ireland Railways.
Ballymena railway station consists of two platforms and serves as a passing point on the mainly single-track Belfast-Derry railway line.
On Mondays to Saturdays, there is an hourly service to Great Victoria Street. In the other direction, there is an hourly service to Derry~Londonderry, with the last service terminating at Coleraine
On Sundays services alternate between going to Derry~Londonderry or Portrush and the last service terminating at Coleraine. In the other direction there is an hourly service to Great Victoria street
Future plans involve the reinstatement of the original double-track between Antrim and Ballymena.
NI Railways, also known as Northern Ireland Railways, is the railway operator in Northern Ireland. NIR is a subsidiary of Translink, whose parent company is the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHCo), and is one of eight publicly owned train operators in the United Kingdom, the others being Direct Rail Services, Northern Trains, Transport for Wales Rail, Southeastern, LNER, ScotRail, and TransPennine Express. It has a common Board of Management with the other two companies in the group, Ulsterbus and Metro.
The Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) ran rail and bus transport in Northern Ireland from 1948 until 1966.
The Northern Counties Committee (NCC) was a railway that served the north-east of Ireland. It was built to Irish gauge but later acquired a number of 914 mm narrow gauge lines. It had its origins in the Belfast and Ballymena Railway which opened to traffic on 11 April 1848.
York Road railway station served the north of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It was formerly one of the three terminus railway stations in Belfast. The others were Great Victoria Street, and Queen's Quay.
Belfast Lanyon Place is a railway station serving the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Located on Bridge Street in the Laganside area of central Belfast, it is one of four stations in the city centre, the others being Great Victoria Street, City Hospital and Botanic. Lanyon Place is the northern terminus of the cross-border Enterprise service to Dublin Connolly. It is also served by Northern Ireland Railways, which operates routes to other locations in Northern Ireland, including Derry, Bangor, Portadown and Larne.
Derry ~ Londonderry railway station, also known as Waterside railway station, is a railway terminus in Derry, Northern Ireland, on the east bank of the River Foyle, operated by Northern Ireland Railways. It is on the Belfast–Derry railway line, terminating at Belfast Great Victoria Street.
Coleraine railway station serves the town of Coleraine in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It shares facilities with the town's Ulsterbus bus depot.
Lisburn railway station serves the city of Lisburn in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Antrim railway station opened 1848 and serves the town of Antrim in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
The Belfast–Derry line runs from Belfast to Derry in Northern Ireland.
The Coleraine–Portrush line is a short branch railway line in Northern Ireland between the town of Coleraine in County Londonderry and the seaside resort of Portrush in County Antrim. The line, which is operated by Northern Ireland Railways, has two intermediate halts and connects to the main Belfast–Derry line at Coleraine.
Portrush railway station is the terminus of the Coleraine-Portrush railway line and serves the seaside town of Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Ballymoney railway station serves the town of Ballymoney in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Cullybackey railway station serves the village of Cullybackey in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Mossley West railway station is located in the townland of Ballyhenry in the north of Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, owned and operated by NI Railways, a subsidiary of Translink.
Whiteabbey Railway Station serves the village of Whiteabbey in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland.
Yorkgate railway station serves the north of the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. The station opened in 1992, replacing the previous York Road railway station nearby. As at May 2021 there are plans to rebuild Yorkgate.
The A26 is a road in Northern Ireland. It travels in a north–south direction from Coleraine, County Londonderry to Banbridge, County Down.
Great Victoria Street is a railway station serving the city centre of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is one of two major stations in the city, along with Lanyon Place, and is one of the four stations located in the city centre, the others being Lanyon Place, Botanic and City Hospital. It is situated near Great Victoria Street, one of Belfast's premier commercial zones, and Sandy Row. It is also in a more central position than Lanyon Place, with the Europa Hotel, Grand Opera House and The Crown Liquor Saloon all nearby.
The Londonderry & Coleraine Railway is a railway line between the cities of Derry and Coleraine in County Londonderry, built by the Londonderry & Coleraine Railway Company (L&CR). The company operated the line independently for seven years before being absorbed into the Belfast & Northern Counties Railway. The line is still in use today by NI Railways and forms part of the Belfast to Derry-Londonderry rail line.