Queen's Quay is a section of the River Lagan, in the western Titanic Quarter of the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland.
As its name suggests, it originally located the southern section of the Belfast docks complex. But, as ships grew, it became a major transportation hub for both the capital and Northern Ireland.
Originally it was located in the southern section of the Belfast docks complex, but as ships grew it became the Belfast terminus of the Belfast and County Down Railway, linking Belfast south-eastwards via 80 miles of track into County Down. The first train from the station ran on 2 August 1848 to Holywood, with services eventually extending as far as Castlewellan, Downpatrick, Newcastle and the fishing village of Ardglass.
Queen's Quay also housed the B&CDR's locomotive maintenance workshops, and from 1886 the carriage works. The last carriage was built in 1923. All lines except to Bangor closed in 1950 shortly after nationalisation into the Ulster Transport Authority. [1] The station was closed and demolished in 1976, and Bangor services were diverted to the new Belfast Central Station via the reopened Belfast Central line.
| Preceding station | Historical railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminus | Belfast and County Down Railway Belfast-Downpatrick-Newcastle | Fraser Street Halt | ||
| Terminus | Belfast and County Down Railway Belfast-Holywood-Bangor | Ballymacarrett railway station | ||
In part, Queen's Quay now encompasses the A2 as it crosses the River Lagan at both Queen's Bridge and the Queen Elizabeth Bridge, and the M3 via the Cross Harbour link. The former site of the B&CDR station was used for a maintenance shop for the Northern Ireland Railways system until the mid-nineties.
Queen's Quay, being a virtually derelict and under developed piece of land in central Belfast, is key to the development of the Titanic Quarter. After a number of development proposals, discussions are still taking place for a mixed-use development of housing, offices and retail, together with a small facility for leisure boats. [2]
The history of rail transport in Ireland began only a decade later than that of Great Britain. By its peak in 1920, Ireland had 3,500 route miles (5,630 km). The current status is less than half that amount, with a large unserviced area around the border area between Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland.
The Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) ran rail and bus transport in Northern Ireland from 1948 until 1966.
The Belfast and County Down Railway (BCDR) was an Irish gauge railway in Ireland linking Belfast with County Down. It was built in the 19th century and absorbed into the Ulster Transport Authority in 1948. All but the line between Belfast and Bangor was closed in the 1950s, although some of it has been restored near Downpatrick by a heritage line, the Downpatrick and County Down Railway.
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 Lough is a large, intertidal sea inlet on the east coast of Northern Ireland. At its head is the city and port of Belfast, which sits at the mouth of the River Lagan. The lough opens into the North Channel and connects Belfast to the Irish Sea.
Ballymacarrett or Ballymacarret is the name of both a townland and electoral ward in Belfast. The townland is in County Down and the electoral ward is part of the Titanic district electoral area of Belfast City Council.
The Ulster Folk Museum and Ulster Transport Museum are situated in Cultra, Northern Ireland, about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) east of the city of Belfast. The Folk Museum endeavours to illustrate the way of life and traditions of the people in Northern Ireland, past and present, while the Transport Museum explores and exhibits methods of transport by land, sea and air, past and present. The museums rank among Ireland's foremost visitor attractions and is a former Irish Museum of the Year. The location houses two of four museums included in National Museums Northern Ireland.
Belfast Harbour is a major maritime hub in Belfast, Northern Ireland, handling 67% of Northern Ireland's seaborne trade and about 25% of the maritime trade of the entire island of Ireland. It is a vital gateway for raw materials, exports and consumer goods, and is also Northern Ireland's leading logistics and distribution hub.
The Belfast to Bangor line is a railway line in Northern Ireland, originally part of the Belfast & County Down Railway. All services are operated by NI Railways, the only operator for Northern Ireland (NI). Unlike the rest of the United Kingdom, no railway in NI is part of the National Rail network and none is owned by Network Rail. Services run every half-hour, with up to six trains per hour in each direction at peak times.
The Belfast–Larne line, or Larne line, is a railway line in Northern Ireland, operated by Northern Ireland Railways. It runs as double track along the majority of its route north along the scenic east Antrim coastline from Belfast to the coastal seaport town of Larne, serving commuters and ferry passengers.
Holywood railway station serves Holywood in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is located along the shore of Belfast Lough and during the Summer months, provides excellent views over the lough to Carrickfergus.
Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a large-scale waterfront regeneration, comprising historic maritime landmarks, film studios, education facilities, apartments, a riverside entertainment district, and the world's largest Titanic-themed attraction centred on land in Belfast Harbour, known until 1995 as Queen's Island. The 185-acre (75 ha) site, previously occupied by part of the Harland and Wolff shipyard, is named after the company's, and the city's, most famous product, RMS Titanic. Titanic Quarter is part of the Dublin-based group, Harcourt Developments, which has held the development rights since 2003.
Transportation systems in the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland, include road, air, rail, and sea. It is still a relatively car-dependent city; however, it is also served by a comprehensive rail and bus network. Belfast also ran electric trams prior to 1954. The city has two major airports, and the Port of Belfast is the busiest ferry port on the island of Ireland.
Ballymacarrett railway station was a railway halt that served the townland of Ballymacarrett in east Belfast.
Great Victoria Street in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a major thoroughfare located in the city centre and is one of the important streets used by pedestrians alighting from Belfast Great Victoria Street railway station and walking into shopping streets such as Royal Avenue.
Queen's Quay railway station served the east of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It was formerly one of the three terminus railway stations in Belfast. The others were Great Victoria Street, and York Road.
Ballymacarrett Junction was a railway switching point on the Belfast and County Down Railway in the Ballymacarrett area of Eastern Belfast, in modern-day Northern Ireland. It was located near the present-day Titanic Quarter railway station.
Queen's Bridge railway station was the terminus of the Belfast Central Railway which ran from the Ulster Junction on the Ulster Railway to Ballymacarrett Junction on the Belfast and County Down Railway, through central Belfast, Ireland.
The Belfast Central Railway (BCR) was a railway company operating in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The company was incorporated by act of Parliament in 1872 and acquired by the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) in 1885.
Lagan Railway Bridge is a railway and pedestrian bridge across the River Lagan in Belfast, slightly north of Belfast Central railway station. The next bridge upstream is the Albert Bridge, whilst the next downstream is Queen's Bridge.