York Street railway station

Last updated

York Street
Logomark NI Railways.svg
Commuter Rail
York Street station front.jpg
View of the new York Street station as of 2024
General information
LocationYork Street,
Belfast,
County Antrim
Northern Ireland
Coordinates 54°36′38″N5°55′20″W / 54.6105°N 5.9222°W / 54.6105; -5.9222
Owned by Translink
Line(s) Derry~Londonderry
Larne
Platforms2
Tracks2
Train operators Northern Ireland Railways
Construction
Structure typeElevated
Platform levels2
AccessibleYes
ArchitectGregory Architects [1]
Other information
StatusOperational
Fare zone1
Website www.translink.co.uk
Key dates
28 April 2024Opened to the public
29 April 2024 [2] Officially Opened
Route map
NI Railways network.svg
(Click to expand)
Year
closed
BSicon exKBHFa.svg
Great Victoria Street
2024
BSicon KINTa.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
Belfast Grand Central NIRsymbol Bangor.svg NIRsymbol Dublin.svg NIRsymbol Larne.svg NIRsymbol Newry.svg
BSicon bSHI2+rxl.svg
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon ABZgr+r.svg
BSicon INT.svg
City Hospital NIRsymbol Bangor.svg NIRsymbol Larne.svg
BSicon INT.svg
Botanic NIRsymbol Bangor.svg NIRsymbol Larne.svg
BSicon INT.svg
Lanyon Place NIRsymbol Bangor.svg NIRsymbol Larne.svg
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon ABZgr.svg
BSicon dWASSERq.svg
BSicon hKRZWa.svg
BSicon dWASSERq.svg
BSicon hSTRe.svg
BSicon INT.svg
York Street NIRsymbol Larne.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Yorkgate
2024
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon KDSTa.svg
York Road depot
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon eBHF.svg
York Road
1992
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
BSicon STRr.svg
BSicon STR+l.svg
BSicon ABZgr.svg
BSicon KDSTe.svg
BSicon STR.svg
Fortwilliam Traincare Depot
BSicon pBHF.svg
Whiteabbey NIRsymbol Larne.svg
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon ABZgr.svg
BSicon exCONTgq.svg
BSicon eABZg+r.svg
1963
BSicon eHST.svg
Monkstown
1981
BSicon eHST.svg
Mossley
1982
BSicon BHF.svg
Mossley West
BSicon eHST.svg
Ballyclare Junction
1961
BSicon exCONTgq.svg
BSicon eABZgr.svg
Ballyclare branch line
to Lisnalinchy, Ballyclare
1930
BSicon eHST.svg
Ballyrobert
1920
BSicon eHST.svg
Doagh
1970
BSicon eBHF.svg
Templepatrick
1981
BSicon eHST.svg
Dunadry
1954
BSicon eHST.svg
Muckamore
1961
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
Antrim
BSicon eHST.svg
Cookstown Junction
1976
BSicon eABZgl.svg
BSicon exCONTfq.svg
1955
BSicon eHST.svg
Kellswater
1971
BSicon eHST.svg
Andraid
1850
BSicon exdCONTgq.svg
BSicon STR~L.svg
BSicon exSTR+r.svg
BSicon STR~R.svg
1950
BSicon exdBHF-L.svg
BSicon dBHF-R.svg
Ballymena
BSicon exdCONTgq.svg
BSicon STR~L.svg
BSicon exSTRr.svg
BSicon STR~R.svg
1940
BSicon BHF.svg
Cullybackey
BSicon eHST.svg
Glarryford
1973
BSicon eHST.svg
Killagan
1973
BSicon eHST.svg
Dunloy
1976
BSicon exdKBHFa-L.svg
BSicon dBHF-R.svg
Ballymoney
BSicon exdCONTgq.svg
BSicon STR~L.svg
BSicon exSTRr.svg
BSicon STR~R.svg
1950
BSicon eABZg+l.svg
BSicon exCONTfq.svg
1950
BSicon eHST.svg
Macfin
1954
BSicon INT.svg
Coleraine NIRsymbol Portrush.svg
BSicon eABZgl.svg
BSicon exKDSTeq.svg
Coleraine Harbour
1963
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon ABZgr.svg
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
BSicon eABZg+l.svg
BSicon exKBHFeq.svg
Coleraine Waterside
1861
BSicon eHST.svg
Barmouth
1856
BSicon BHF.svg
Castlerock
BSicon TUNNEL2.svg
Castlerock Tunnel
BSicon TUNNEL2.svg
Downhill Tunnel
BSicon eHST.svg
Downhill
1973
BSicon eHST.svg
Umbra
1861
BSicon eHST.svg
Magilligan
1976
BSicon BHF.svg
Bellarena
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
BSicon eABZg+l.svg
BSicon exCONTfq.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Limavady Junction
1976
BSicon eHST.svg
Ballykelly
1954
BSicon eHST.svg
Carrichue
1954
BSicon eHST.svg
Faughanvale
1859
BSicon eHST.svg
Eglinton
1973
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
BSicon KBHFe.svg
Derry~Londonderry
Year
closed
BSicon exKBHFa.svg
Great Victoria Street
2024
BSicon KINTa.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
Belfast Grand Central NIRsymbol Bangor.svg NIRsymbol DLD.svg NIRsymbol Dublin.svg NIRsymbol Newry.svg
BSicon bSHI2+rxl.svg
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon ABZgr+r.svg
BSicon INT.svg
City Hospital NIRsymbol Bangor.svg NIRsymbol DLD.svg
BSicon TUNNEL1.svg
Botanic Tunnel
BSicon INT.svg
Botanic NIRsymbol Bangor.svg NIRsymbol DLD.svg
BSicon INT.svg
Lanyon Place NIRsymbol Bangor.svg NIRsymbol DLD.svg
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon ABZgr.svg
BSicon hbKRZWa.svg
BSicon hSTR.svg
BSicon hSTRe.svg
BSicon INT.svg
York Street NIRsymbol DLD.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Yorkgate
2024
BSicon vSTR-KDSTa.svg
York Road depot
BSicon vSTR-eBHF.svg
1992
BSicon vSHI2g+l-.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Greencastle
1954
BSicon eHST.svg
Whitehouse
1954
BSicon BHF.svg
Whiteabbey NIRsymbol DLD.svg
BSicon ABZgl.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Bleach Green
1977
BSicon BHF.svg
Jordanstown
BSicon eABZg+l.svg
BSicon exCONTfq.svg
1963
BSicon BHF.svg
Greenisland
BSicon BHF.svg
Trooperslane
BSicon eHST.svg
Mount
1977
BSicon exCONTgq.svg
BSicon eABZgr.svg
Harbour branch line
to Carrickfergus Harbour
BSicon BHF.svg
Clipperstown
BSicon BHF.svg
Carrickfergus
BSicon eHST.svg
Barn
1977
BSicon BHF.svg
Downshire
BSicon eHST.svg
Eden
1977
BSicon eHST.svg
Kilroot
1977
BSicon BHF.svg
Whitehead
BSicon v-SHI2gr.svg
BSicon vKDSTe-STR.svg
Whitehead Excursion
RPSI depot
BSicon BHF.svg
Ballycarry
BSicon BHF.svg
Magheramorne
BSicon BHF.svg
Glynn
BSicon INT.svg
BSicon exvKINTa.svg
Larne Town
BSicon STR~L.svg
BSicon exSTRl.svg
BSicon STR~R.svg
BSicon exdCONTfq.svg
BSicon KINTe.svg
Larne Harbour Ferry symbol.svg
Location
United Kingdom Northern Ireland adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
York Street
Location in Northern Ireland
Island of Ireland location map.svg
Red pog.svg
York Street
Location on the Island of Ireland
York Street railway station

York Street railway station (also referred to as Belfast York Street) serves the north of Belfast in Northern Ireland.

Contents

The station replaced Yorkgate railway station, which was on a nearby site and closed after the last train on 27 April 2024. York Street station opened to the public before the first train on the following day. The station re-uses Yorkgate's original platforms. [2] [3]

History

The first railway into the area was the Belfast and Ballymena Railway on 11 April 1848, with the construction of York Road station. This terminus station was situated approximately 200m north of where York Street station now stands. Additional services were added to Londonderry Waterside (now Derry~Londonderry station), Carrickfergus and Larne Harbour following later extensions. While the old terminus was re-developed multiple times in its history, the service destinations remained mostly unchanged until the opening of Belfast Central (now Lanyon Place) in 1976, when Derry line trains transferred their terminus to there via the Lisburn-Antrim railway line soon thereafter. York Road remained as a terminus for just Larne Line services from 1978 until 1992, when construction began on the Cross Harbour Rail Link and Dargan Bridge.

As part of this construction, the York Road terminus was closed and replaced with the smaller Yorkgate station slightly to the southeast. The name "Yorkgate" was taken from the adjacent Yorkgate Shopping Centre, which had opened in 1991. The shopping centre was renamed to "Cityside" in the mid-2000s, however the station name remained "Yorkgate" throughout its life. The maintenance depot at the York Road terminus was expanded to cover the site of York Road station, and the depot remains in operation to this day. Yorkgate station acted as a temporary terminus for Larne Line services until 1994 when the Dargan Bridge was completed, allowing Larne Line trains to terminate at Belfast Central, and later Great Victoria Street upon the latter's opening in 1995. Derry Line trains returned to the site in 2001 following the re-opening of the Bleach Green to Antrim section of the Belfast-Derry line.

In 2020, Belfast City Council approved a proposal to replace Yorkgate station with the current York Street station, as part of a wider regeneration of the area and expansion of the facilities available at the station. Due to the limited site of Yorkgate station and the difficulty in improving accessibility within that footprint, York Street station was constructed as a completely new build on a new larger site to the south, while re-using the existing platforms of Yorkgate station.

Construction commenced in November 2022 and completed in April 2024, with the station opening to the public on 28 April 2024 and was officially opened on 29 April 2024 [2] [3] [4] by the Minister for Infrastructure John O'Dowd.

Design

The station features a boardroom at street level, with a café on the upper ground floor run by Ground Espresso, as well as new lifts, an escalator, touch-screen ticket vending machines [5] and a new passenger foot-bridge between platforms. [2] Automatic ticket barriers are in use in the station, the first to be introduced on the NI Railways network. There is no ticket office at this station.

A sculpture was commissioned for the new station, located to the south of the premises, known as 'Journeylines', created by local artist, Kevin Killen with collaboration from the local community. [6]

Services

Train Services

On the Larne Line, the station sees a half-hourly service in both directions, with extra services at peak times. Trains northbound call at all stops to either Larne Harbour or Whitehead, with the terminus alternating every half-hour. Additional peak-time services operate to Carrickfergus and Larne Town. Southbound trains call at all stops to Grand Central. The Saturday service remains similar, minus any additional peak-time trains. On Sundays, the service drops to hourly, with the northbound terminus alternating every hour between Larne Harbour and Whitehead, resulting in a two-hourly service to stations beyond Whitehead. [7]

On the Derry~Londonderry Line, the station has an hourly service in both directions. Trains northbound operate to Derry~Londonderry, with some peak-time, late-night, or holiday season trains terminating at Coleraine or running through to Portrush. Southbound trains call at all stops to Grand Central. The Saturday service remains similar. On Sundays, the service remains hourly, however the northbound terminus alternates each hour between Derry~Londonderry and Portrush, resulting in a two-hourly service to stations beyond Coleraine. [8]

These two lines combine to give York Street approximately three trains per hour toward the city centre on every day of the week. [7] [8]

Preceding station  Logomark NI Railways.svg Northern Ireland Railways  Following station
Lanyon Place   Northern Ireland Railways
Belfast–Larne
  Whiteabbey
  Northern Ireland Railways
Belfast–Derry
  Whiteabbey
or
Mossley West

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References

  1. "Instagram". Gregory Architects. 8 June 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "York Street: New train station opens in north Belfast". BBC News. 29 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  3. "York Street Train Station". Belfast Live. 29 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  4. "Translink: Rollout of train station ticket machines begins". BBC News. 28 April 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  5. "Ribbon Cutting to mark operational opening of Translink's new York Street Train Station". Translink. 29 April 2024. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Larne Line timetable". Translink. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Derry~Londonderry Line timetable". Translink. Retrieved 30 April 2024.