I have often expressed the view and it is a widesperead historical assessment that Northern Ireland was the worst of the home countries of GB to suffer rail closures. When rail was Nationalised back in 1948 the Ulster Transport Authority was set up to run bus and rail. Unfortunately the folk that ran it were bus people and within 6 months or so of the takeover the rail closure started with a vengeance. County Down (formerly the base of the delightful and smallest company, Belfast & County Down Rly Coy) lost 5 lines including the mainline. All that was left was the suburban branch from Belfast-Bangor- the other 5 Counties were to see the same. Even the second line to Londonderry went - the old Derry Road via Omagh which was still runniog freight late at night. From just under 900 miles it fell to barely 230 and that includes a mothballed route. Northern Ireland Railways is the only State railway in the UK (I know about the East Coast but that is temporary!}
On one holiday after another I could see what was left of a once big system slowly die. Stations looked terrible and the trains weren't much better and by the time the UTA was scrapped and Ulsterbus and N. Ireland Railways replaced it there wasn't much left to boast about. Even today the NIR gets a lower subsidy per mile than the mainland train companies and unlike over the water there is no Railtrack so NIR has the added expense of the stations and track. New trains and revamping stations with better timetabling have now improved the lot. Plans are afoot to move the Enterprise Express from Belfast Central to Great Victoria Street and to enlarge the rail station there. When I was a wee boy it was a proper railway station and today a bus depot with the railway crowded into a corner. NIR feels an extra platform is needed for the revised Dublin service.
I think it was two years ago that the NIR won the best operating train company award. Passenger increase due to this modernisation (long overdue) are impressive!
Londonderry Line = 122%
Portadown Line = 88%
Bangor Line = 70%
Portrush Line = 42%
Larne Line = 17%
Although 17% is a reasonable figure it is low compared to the rest but is expected to increase when the next batch of CAFs comes along to join the already CAF fleet in place elsewhere. Plans for increasing the Londonderry route to hourly and the same with the joint IR Enterprise Express are future possibilities. The suburban sercie to Carrickfergus is another half hourly possibility.
Unlike it's compatriot over the Border at IR, no sign of reopenings. Well into the future they would like to consider the Crumlin route which connnects with both the Londonderry and Portadown Lines considered.The thought there is that it could create a circular service Belfast-Lisburn-Crumlin-Antrim-Belfast. It is mothballed but kept intact. Two years ago Easyjet argued that the line which passes the boundary of one of Belfast's two airports (Intenrational) could have a spur off the Crumlin track into the airport. One rail expert from down South had been pushing for reopenings of the old Derry Road via Armagh and Omagh but that is a pipedream.
Barely a decade ago some in government circles were talking about reducing the system even further until local committees decided enough was enough. The modernisation of what was clapped out has reaped benefits and the turn around has been stirring and the NIR with what is left of a great background is doing a tremendous job. It's future is now settled and I will be back over from Glasgow for another run around on one of Britain's smaller outfits enjoying a great place for a holiday! Now you know why I am working on the whole of the NIR for Trainz (!).
On one holiday after another I could see what was left of a once big system slowly die. Stations looked terrible and the trains weren't much better and by the time the UTA was scrapped and Ulsterbus and N. Ireland Railways replaced it there wasn't much left to boast about. Even today the NIR gets a lower subsidy per mile than the mainland train companies and unlike over the water there is no Railtrack so NIR has the added expense of the stations and track. New trains and revamping stations with better timetabling have now improved the lot. Plans are afoot to move the Enterprise Express from Belfast Central to Great Victoria Street and to enlarge the rail station there. When I was a wee boy it was a proper railway station and today a bus depot with the railway crowded into a corner. NIR feels an extra platform is needed for the revised Dublin service.
I think it was two years ago that the NIR won the best operating train company award. Passenger increase due to this modernisation (long overdue) are impressive!
Londonderry Line = 122%
Portadown Line = 88%
Bangor Line = 70%
Portrush Line = 42%
Larne Line = 17%
Although 17% is a reasonable figure it is low compared to the rest but is expected to increase when the next batch of CAFs comes along to join the already CAF fleet in place elsewhere. Plans for increasing the Londonderry route to hourly and the same with the joint IR Enterprise Express are future possibilities. The suburban sercie to Carrickfergus is another half hourly possibility.
Unlike it's compatriot over the Border at IR, no sign of reopenings. Well into the future they would like to consider the Crumlin route which connnects with both the Londonderry and Portadown Lines considered.The thought there is that it could create a circular service Belfast-Lisburn-Crumlin-Antrim-Belfast. It is mothballed but kept intact. Two years ago Easyjet argued that the line which passes the boundary of one of Belfast's two airports (Intenrational) could have a spur off the Crumlin track into the airport. One rail expert from down South had been pushing for reopenings of the old Derry Road via Armagh and Omagh but that is a pipedream.
Barely a decade ago some in government circles were talking about reducing the system even further until local committees decided enough was enough. The modernisation of what was clapped out has reaped benefits and the turn around has been stirring and the NIR with what is left of a great background is doing a tremendous job. It's future is now settled and I will be back over from Glasgow for another run around on one of Britain's smaller outfits enjoying a great place for a holiday! Now you know why I am working on the whole of the NIR for Trainz (!).