Belfast-Larne railway line

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Belfast to Larne Line

Principal stations Belfast Central Yorkgate Whiteabbey Jordanstown Greenisland Trooperslane Cliperstown Carrickfergus Downshire Whitehead Ballycarry Magheramorne Glynn Larne Town Larne Harbour

A picturesque railway line for the most part, it runs as double track along the majority of its route up the east Antrim coastline from Belfast to Larne serving commuters and ferry passengers. Recently refurbished between Carrickfergus and Larne, track quality has improved and services have become more reliable. However, there is still discontentment that new rolling stock introduced to Northern Ireland is not being used on this line to date. Older rolling stock (the newest of which dates from 1985) is proving troublesome. Most trains on this line are three-car push-pull smelly diesels.

From Belfast Central, the line crosses the River Lagan, branches from the Bangor Line, recrosses the Lagan parallel to the M3 motorway on the Dargan Bridge and reaches its first stop Yorkgate, which replaced the former York Road terminus. Parallel to the dual five-lane M2 motorway (once the UK's widest), the line now heads northeast, past the main railway engineering depot and engine sheds, along the coast towards Whitehouse, a former halt. The M2 branches north, and the railway chases the Causeway Coastal Route (the A2 road) all the way to Larne.

At Whiteabbey, the line enters a cutting and climbs towards Bleach Green Junction. The station is long gone here too, but the lines diverge here from the Antrim Line. Next stops Jordanstown (University of Ulster, level crossing), Greenisland (former junction) and Troopersland (level crossing) are still a few hundred yards inland, and Belfast Lough can be seen from time to time where development is sparce.

Carrickfergus town still boasts three stations, Clipperstown, Carrickfergus and Downshire. Former halt at Barn has been closed. At Downshire bridge the line crosses the A2 road once more and from here north, it hugs the coastline at low level, offering spectacular views over the lough towards County Down and the Copeland Islands.

Erosion has played havoc with the minimal maintenance along this section, and the line singles now at Kilroot (closed halt, power station) where previously it carried on as double track to Whitehead. The outer up track has been removed (officially temporarily) for safety reasons. At Whitehead station, home of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, there is a passing loop and a spur to the former Excursion Station.

Then north to Larne as single track, there are three intermediate halts, Ballycarry, Magheramorne, and Glynn, each serving villages en route. On the coastal side, the peninsula of Islandmagee blocks views of Scotland, but forms the wildlife wetlands of Larne Lough. Small sections of the track at the Larne end are built on causeways, forming ponds landside of the railway.

On entering the town, the railway again crosses the road inland to the Larne Town station before reaching its terminus at Larne Harbour, sharing its building with the ferry terminal for the Port of Larne.