Northern Ireland
Unlike the other constituent countries of the United Kingdom, railways in Northern Ireland are a devolved matter. The Northern Ireland Minister for Regional Development has responsibility for railways in Northern Ireland. (Even during direct rule, a Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office has always had responsibility for railways in Northern Ireland, and not the Secretary of State for Transport).
The structure of the railway industry in Northern Ireland is governed by the Transport Act 1967 (Northern Ireland), an Act of the former Parliament of Northern Ireland that still applies. This established a statutory corporation, the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company - which trades under the brand name Translink - whose members are appointed by the Minister for Regional Development. The corporation has established a wholly owned subsidiary, Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited - which trades as NI Railways - to carry out its functions relating to railways.
Unlike in Great Britain, where different companies run the network, provide rolling stock, and operate trains, NI Railways carries out all these activities itself in Northern Ireland and is thus a vertically integrated railway rather than merely a train operating company. The only exception is the Dublin - Belfast railway line, where services are operated jointly with Iarnrod Éireann, the nationalised railway company in the Republic of Ireland, under the brand name Enterprise.
Read more about this topic: Structure Of The Rail Industry In The United Kingdom
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—Northern Irish Tourist Board. quoted in New Statesman (London, Aug. 29, 1969)
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