Ulster Railway - History

History

The Ulster Railway was authorised by an Act of the UK Parliament in 1836 and construction began in March 1837.

The first 8 miles (13 kilometres) of line, between Belfast Great Victoria Street and Lisburn, County Antrim, were completed in August 1839 at a cost of £107,000. The line was extended in stages, opening to Lurgan in 1841, Portadown in 1842, and Armagh in 1848.

In 1836 a Railway Commission recommended that railways in Ireland be built to 6 ft 2 in (1,880 mm) broad gauge. The Ulster Railway complied with this recommendation but the Dublin and Drogheda Railway did not. In order for Dublin and Belfast to be linked without a break of gauge, in 1846 the UK Parliament passed an Act adopting a compromise gauge of 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) for Ireland, to which the Ulster Railway's track was then re-laid.

Extension of the Ulster Railway resumed, reaching Monaghan in 1858, Smithborough in 1862 and Clones on the Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway in 1863.

The Dublin and the Belfast Junction Railway (D&BJct) between Drogheda and Portadown was completed in 1853. This connected the Dublin and Drogheda Railway (D&D) with the Ulster Railway, thus completing the main line between Dublin and Belfast.

The Ulster Railway operated three lines that remained in the ownership of separate companies: the Portadown, Dungannon and Omagh Junction Railway (PD&O), Banbridge, Lisburn and Belfast Railway (BLBR) and Dublin and Antrim Junction Railway (D&AJR). The PD&O reached Dungannon in 1858 and Omagh in 1861, and the contractor William Dargan sold the Ulster a 999 year lease on it in 1860. The BLBR opened between Knockmore Junction and Banbridge in 1863 and the D&AJR opened between Knockmore Junction and Antrim in 1871.

In 1876 the Ulster Railway merged with the Irish North Western Railway (INW), and Northern Railway of Ireland, forming the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) (GNR(I), GNRI or just GNR).

[ ] The Ulster Railway

Legend

Belfast Great Victoria Street

(built later by (NIR))

Belfast Central Railway

Adelaide (built later by (GNR))

Balmoral

Finaghy (built later by (GNR))

Dunmurry

Derriaghy (built later by (GNR))

Lambeg (built later by (GNR))

Hilden (built later by (GNR))

Lisburn

The Damhead

Knockmore (built later by (GNR))

Banbridge, Lisburn and Belfast Junction Railway (BLB)

Lisburn-Antrim railway line

Moira

Lagan Canal

Pritchard's Bridge

Lurgan

Seagoe

River Bann

Portadown

Belfast–Newry railway line

Portadown, Dungannon and Omagh Junction Railway

Richhill

Retreat (built later by (GNR))

Newry and Armagh Railway

Armagh

Castleblayney, Keady and Armagh Railway

Killylea

Tynan and Caledon Clogher Valley Railway

Northern Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Glaslough

Monaghan

Smithborough

Irish North Western Railway to Dundalk

Clones

Irish North Western Railway to Enniskillen

Ulster Canal

Redhills

Ballyhaise

GNR built later to Belturbet

Loreto College Halt (built later by (GNR))

Cavan

Midland Great Western Railway

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