The Dublin-Belfast corridor is a term used to loosely describe a geographical area that encompasses the cities of Dublin and Belfast and the area between.[1] The term has been used in papers regarding planning strategies in the area, with the aim of capitalising on the expanding economies of both cities.[2]
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The main economic engines of the region are Greater Dublin and Greater Belfast. Greater Dublin produces approximately €70 billion/£55.5 billion (2006) while Greater Belfast produces €14.5 billion/£11.5 billion (2005).
The main route linking the two cities is along the M1 and N1 in the Republic of Ireland and the A1 and M1 in Northern Ireland.
There is also the Enterprise (train) service connecting the two city regions.
There are three major airports; Dublin Airport (25 million passengers; 2008), Belfast International Airport (5 million passengers; 2007) and Belfast City Airport (2 million passengers; 2007) which together deal with 30 million passengers each year.
The city is served by the Dublin Suburban Rail network, Dublin Bus network, Luas tram network, Dublin Area Rapid Transit and the planned Metro North and Metro West.
The city is served by the Belfast Suburban Rail network and Metro (Belfast) bus service. A rapid transport system is also planned for Belfast in the near future.
Greater Dublin: 1.7m
Greater Belfast: 579,276
| Region | Population | Area | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Dublin | 1,700,000 | 6,980 km² | |
| County Louth | 110,000 | 820 km² | |
| Total for Republic part: | 1,810,000 | 7,800 km² | |
| (Greater Belfast) | (700,000) | 960 km² | |
| County Antrim | 600,000 | 2,844 km² | |
| County Down | 516,000 | 2,448 km² | |
| Total for Northern Irish part: | 1,116,000 | 5,292 km² | |
| Grand total | 3,000,000 | 13,092 km² |
The city and county council areas covered by the corridor are: