Ulster Railway

The Ulster Railway was a railway company operating in Ulster, Ireland. The company was incorporated in 1836 and merged with two other railway companies in 1876 to form the Great Northern Railway (Ireland).

History

The Ulster Railway was authorised by an Act of the UK Parliament in 1836^[1] and construction began in March 1837.^[2]

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.^[2] The line was extended in stages, opening to Lurgan in 1841,^[3] Portadown in 1842,^[4] and Armagh in 1848.^[4]

In 1836 a Railway Commission recommended that railways in Ireland be built to 6 ft 2 in (1,880 mm) broad gauge.^[2] 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.^[2]

Extension of the Ulster Railway resumed, reaching Monaghan in 1858,^[4] Smithborough in 1862^[4] and Clones on the Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway in 1863.^[5]

The Dublin and the Belfast Junction Railway (D&BJct) between Drogheda and Portadown was completed in 1853.^[6] This connected the Dublin and Drogheda Railway (D&D) with the Ulster Railway, thus completing the main line between Dublin and Belfast.^[6]

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).^[7] The PD&O reached Dungannon in 1858^[4] and Omagh in 1861,^[8] and the contractor William Dargan sold the Ulster a 999 year lease on it in 1860.^[9][7] The BLBR opened between Knockmore Junction and Banbridge in 1863^[3] and the D&AJR opened between Knockmore Junction and Antrim in 1871.^[3][10]

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).

[ v t e ] 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

References

Sources and further reading

• FitzGerald, J.D. (1995). The Derry Road. Colourpoint Transport. Gortrush: Colourpoint Press. p. 1. ISBN 1-898392-09-9. 
• Hajducki, S. Maxwell (1974). A Railway Atlas of Ireland. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-5167-2. 
• McCutcheon, Alan (1969). Ireland. Railway History in Pictures 1. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-4651-2. 
• Patterson, E.M. (1986) [1962]. Great Northern Railway of Ireland. Oakwood Library of Railway History. Lingfield: Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-343-5. 

External links

• 1843 Timetable for Belfast and Portadown, from Bradshaw's Railway Monthly