Belfast and County Down Railway
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Belfast and County Down Railway was a railway in Northern Ireland linking Belfast south-eastwards into County Down. It was built in the 19th century, absorbed into the Ulster Transport Authority in 1948 and all but the line to Bangor was closed in 1950.
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[edit] History
The Company was incorporated in 26 June 1846 with the first section of line from Belfast to Holywood opening on 2 August 1848. The line was further extended to Bangor in by the Belfast, Holywood and Bangor Railway (BHBR) in 1865. The line to Newcastle was completed by the Downpatrick, Dundrum and Newcastle Railway in 1869.
In 1884, the BHBR was acquired by the BDCR.
A branch to Ballynahinch was opened in 1858, one from Downpatrick to Ardglass was opened in 1892, as was a loop line at Downpatrick. The branch from Newcastle to Castlewellan was opened in 1906.
It had 80 miles of track in total. The Company also operated boats between 1893 and 1915.
In 1946 the Stormont Government announced it intended to bring all transport in Northern Ireland under one banner, and the Transport Act (NI) 1948 nationalised the railway 1 October 1948 the Ulster Transport Authority was created.
At the time of absorption into the UTA, it had 29 locomotives, 181 carriages and 25 other coaching vehicles, 629 wagons mostly covered vans and wagons but also including some 6-wheeled fish vans, and 54 service vehicles.
With the exception of the line from Belfast to Bangor, the railway was closed in 1950.
[edit] Accident
In the 1945 Ballymacarrett Accident, 23 passengers died.
[edit] Downpatrick & County Down Railway
The Downpatrick & County Down Railway operates the only Irish Standard Gauge heritage railway in Northern Ireland on the former BCDR main line.
