General information | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Location | Portadown Northern Ireland | ||||||
Coordinates | 54°25′30″N6°26′46″W / 54.425°N 6.446°W | ||||||
Owned by | NI Railways | ||||||
Operated by | NI Railways | ||||||
Line(s) | Dublin Portadown/Newry | ||||||
Platforms | 3 | ||||||
Tracks | 3 | ||||||
Train operators | NI Railways, Iarnród Éireann | ||||||
Bus routes | 5 | ||||||
Bus stands | 1 | ||||||
Bus operators | Ulsterbus | ||||||
Construction | |||||||
Structure type | At-grade | ||||||
Architect | 1862: John MacNeill [1] | ||||||
Other information | |||||||
Station code | PDOWN | ||||||
Fare zone | 3 [2] | ||||||
Website | translink | ||||||
History | |||||||
Previous names | Portadown - Craigavon West | ||||||
Key dates | |||||||
1842 | Opened | ||||||
1848 | Moved to present location | ||||||
1863 | Returned to original location | ||||||
1970 | Returned to present location | ||||||
2013 | Refurbished | ||||||
Passengers | |||||||
2015/16 | 908,113 [3] | ||||||
2016/17 | 950,529 [3] | ||||||
2017/18 | 990,085 [3] | ||||||
2018/19 | 1,055,835 [4] | ||||||
2019/20 | 950,445 [5] | ||||||
2020/21 | 195,336 [6] | ||||||
2021/22 | 587,782 [7] | ||||||
2022/23 | 925,721 [8] | ||||||
2023/24 | 1,141,174 [9] | ||||||
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Portadown Railway Station serves the town of Portadown in County Armagh, Northern Ireland.
The station is located on the Belfast-Dublin railway line. The original station opened in 1842, and the present station opened in 1970. It is currently NI Railways 6th busiest station with over 1.1 million passengers in the 2023/24 financial year [9]
The original Portadown station was sited half a mile east of the present station and opened on 12 September 1842, replacing a temporary station at Seagoe that had opened the preceding year. The Portadown station was moved to the present location in 1848 then reverted to its original site between 1863 and 1970. Goods traffic ceased on 4 January 1965.
The present station opened in 1970, replacing a large and largely redundant station. At the time (1970) the station was called Portadown - Craigavon West, a title that was quietly dropped after the "new city" Craigavon failed to materialise. The layout of the 1970 station was modified in 1997 to allow bi-directional working on all three platforms. The lines to Cavan via Armagh (closed 1957), and Derry via Dungannon and Omagh (closed 1965) diverged immediately west of the present station. [10]
In 2012, work began on a major refurbishment of the station. A new, modern building was constructed and a footbridge replaced the subway. The refurbishment was completed in 2013. [11]
The station has three platforms. After the station upgrade being completed in late May 2013 both platforms 1, 2 and 3 have lifts and have disability access. Platform 3 is usually used for storage of a NIR train but one departs from this platform occasionally towards Belfast. Platform 1 is for all trains south, to destinations such Dublin Connolly, Dundalk Clarke and Newry while Platform 2 and 3 are used for Belfast bound services, both express and stopppers.
This is the terminus for most services on the Belfast-Newry railway line. Four services operate beyond here to Newry on weekdays and Saturdays. There is a half-hourly service to Belfast Grand Central in the other direction. On Sundays, this service reduces to hourly toward Belfast Grand Central, with no NIR services to Newry.
An hourly Enterprise service runs to Dublin Connolly or Belfast Grand Central every weekday and Saturday, while a bi-hourly service operates on Sundays.
This line can be popular with rugby fans connecting at Dublin Connolly for the DART to Lansdowne Road. The line is also used by rail passengers changing at Dublin Connolly onto the DART to Dún Laoghaire for example or travelling to Dublin Port for the Irish Ferries or Stena Line to Holyhead, and then by train along the North Wales Coast Line to London Euston and other destinations in England and Wales.
There is a possibility of re-opening of the line from Portadown to Armagh railway station. [12] Government Minister for the Department for Regional Development, Danny Kennedy MLA indicates railway restoration plans. [13]
The Armagh railway line has been listed in proposed plans to reopen the line. [14]
The all-island rail review draft suggested that Portadown once again become a major interchange between the current Dublin-Belfast Main line, proposed lines such as the single tracked Mullingar-Portadown Line via Armagh, Monaghan, Clones, and Cavan and the dual tracked Derry~Londonderry-Portadown Line via Dungannon, Omagh and Strabane. Portadown would also become an inland freight terminal serving connections to Rosslare Europort, Dublin Port and Larne Harbour.
The All-Island Rail Review draft also includes 29 other recommendations for railways across the Island of Ireland and it is said that it will take at least 25 years to complete. It would cost in the range of €36.8bn/£30.7bn (as of 2023) and be split between both regions. 75% by the Republic of Ireland and 25% by Northern Ireland. [15] [16]
No plans as of May 2024, have gone about implementing this review.
Translink's Ulsterbus and Goldliner services operating from just outside Portadown railway station: [17]
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 nine publicly owned train operators in the United Kingdom, the others being Direct Rail Services, Caledonian Sleeper, 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.
Belfast Lanyon Place is a railway station serving the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Located on East Bridge Street in the Laganside area of central Belfast, it is one of four stations in the city centre, the others being City Hospital, Botanic, and Belfast Grand Central.
Derry ~ Londonderry railway station, also known as North West Transport Hub or Waterside railway station, is a railway terminus in Derry, Northern Ireland, on the east bank of the River Foyle, operated by Northern Ireland Railways and its 7th busiest station across the network with 952,126 passengers boarding or alighting at the station in the 2023/24 financial year. It is on the Belfast–Derry railway line, terminating at Belfast Grand Central. Derry/Londonderry has the longest platforms on the NIR Network, at 258.3 metres in length.
Lisburn railway station serves the city of Lisburn in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
The Belfast–Newry line operates from Belfast Grand Central in County Antrim to Newry in County Down, Northern Ireland. The manager for this line is based at Portadown railway station, although the line extends to the border to include the Scarva and Poyntzpass halts and Newry. Newry is on the fringe of the network, being the last stop before the border with the Republic of Ireland. The line follows the route of the northern half of the main Dublin–Belfast line.
Antrim railway station opened 1848 and serves the town of Antrim in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Newry railway station serves Newry and Bessbrook in Northern Ireland. The station is located in the northwest of Newry, County Armagh on the Dublin-Belfast line close to the Craigmore Viaduct. It is the most southerly railway station in Northern Ireland.
Carrickfergus railway station serves the centre of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. In addition to this, Clipperstown serves the west of the town, and Downshire the east.
Moira railway station serves Moira in County Down, Northern Ireland. Despite the station serving the County Down town, the station itself is located in County Antrim, the neighbouring Lagan Canal being the boundary. Moira station is the oldest building on the NI Railways network today having been opened on 18 November 1841. The old, now redundant, signal box stands over the station on the Southbound side.
Lurgan railway station serves Lurgan in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Located on William Street. The station is managed by NI Railways. With just under 867,000 passengers boarding or alighting at the station in the year 2023/24 financial year, Lurgan is the 9th-busiest station on the NIR network.
Scarva railway station serves Scarva in County Down, Northern Ireland. Despite serving the County Down village, the station itself is in County Armagh, the nearby Newry Canal being the boundary.
Poyntzpass railway station serves Poyntzpass in County Armagh, Northern Ireland.
Lambeg railway station serves Lambeg in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The station opened on 1 September 1877.
Derriaghy railway station is located in the townland of Derriaghy in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies between the centres of Belfast and Lisburn.
Dunmurry railway station is located in the townland of Dunmurry in west Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Finaghy railway station is located in the townland of Finaghy in south Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The Great Northern Railway of Ireland opened the station on 9 February 1907.
Balmoral railway station is located in the townland of Ballygammon in south Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The station opened on 1 November 1858. The platform was extended by 45 metres in 1870 and the station has been unstaffed since October 1966.
Botanic railway station serves the Botanic area in south Belfast, Northern Ireland and students for Queen's University Belfast; it is also near Shaftesbury Square which is along Botanic Avenue. It is named after the nearby Belfast Botanic Gardens. It is one of the four stations located in the city centre, the others being City Hospital, Lanyon Place, and the under-construction Grand Central.
Great Victoria Street was a railway station that served the city centre of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was one of two main stations in the city, along with Lanyon Place, and was nearest to the city centre. The station was situated beside Great Victoria Street and shared a site with the Europa Buscentre, Belfast's former main bus station. The railway and bus stations were replaced by the adjacent Belfast Grand Central station with the official opening on 13 October 2024. Great Victoria Street railway station closed permanently on 10 May 2024, with a bus transfer service operating until rail services commenced from Belfast Grand Central, with a service to Dublin at 8:05 a.m. on 13 October 2024. Europa Buscentre closed permanently on 7 September 2024, with bus services immediately transferring to the new station, commencing with a service to Dublin at 5 a.m. on 8 September 2024.
University is a halt serving the University of Ulster at Coleraine in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is within the townland of Ballysally in the north of Coleraine.