Banbridge railway station (Banbridge, Lisburn and Belfast Railway)

Banbridge
Former Engine Shed now used by Ulsterbus, whose depot is on the site of the now demolished station. Photograph taken 17 December 2007
General information
Location	Huntly Road Banbridge, County Down Northern Ireland
Coordinates	54.3526°N 6.2725°W / 54.3526; -6.2725
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Banbridge, Lisburn and Belfast Railway Banbridge Junction Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
Post-grouping	Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
Key dates
23 March 1859	Station opens
13 July 1863	Station relocated after the BLBR extends
2 May 1955	Services to Scarva and Newcastle cease
30 April 1956	Station closes
Location Banbridge Location within Northern Ireland Show map of Northern Ireland Banbridge Banbridge (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom

Banbridge railway station was on the Banbridge Junction Railway and Banbridge, Lisburn and Belfast Railway which ran from Knockmore Junction to Banbridge in Northern Ireland.

History

The first Banbridge station was opened by the Banbridge Junction Railway on 23 March 1859.[1]

The nearby Banbridge, Lisburn and Belfast Railway was opened on 1 August 1863 with their own station for Banbridge,[1] resulting in the former station closing in October that year. The station was later part of the once extensive Great Northern Railway (Ireland) system that connected to Scarva, Lisburn and Newcastle.

The Great Northern Railway Board closed the Scarva and Newcastle branches on 2 May 1955 and then the remaining line to Lisburn on 30 April 1956, almost a year later. The lines in the town had been lifted by September 1959. The engine shed is now used by Ulsterbus as a bus depot.

Railway Revival

Translink and Northern Ireland Railways are planning to reopen railway lines in Northern Ireland, which includes the branch from Lisburn to Banbridge to ease congestion of the Belfast-Newry line, which would reintroduce rail services to the town as well as in Dromore and Hillsborough.[2]

Serivces

Preceding station	Historical railways			Following station
Mullafernaghan		Banbridge, Lisburn and Belfast Railway Knockmore Junction-Banbridge		Terminus
Smyth's Siding		Banbridge Junction Railway Scarva-Banbridge		Terminus
Terminus		Great Northern Railway (Ireland) Banbridge-Castlewellan		Corbet
	Proposed Services
Hillsborough		All-Island Strategic Rail Review Lisburn-Newry Line		Newry

References

1. "Irish_railways" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
2. "New lines proposed in Northern Ireland rail plan". railjournal.com. 3 May 2024. which refers to Railway Investment Prioritisation Strategy, May 2024