Ballymena railway station serves the town of

Ballymena Ballymena ( ; from ga, an Baile Meánach , meaning 'the middle townland') is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is part of the Borough of Mid and East Antrim. The town is built on land given to the Adair family by King Charles I i ...

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...

, Northern Ireland. It is located just outside Ballymena town centre on the Galgorm Road, and is integrated with the local bus station. It is situated on the Derry line between and . The station is operated by

Northern Ireland Railways NI Railways, also known as Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) ( ga, Iarnród Thuaisceart Éireann); and for a brief period Ulster Transport Railways (UTR), is the railway operator in Northern Ireland. NIR is a subsidiary of Translink, whose parent ...

History

The first station in Ballymena opened on 11 April 1848 by the

Belfast and Ballymena Railway The Northern Counties Committee (NCC) was a railway that served the north-east of Ireland. It was built to Irish gauge () but later acquired a number of narrow gauge lines. It had its origins in the Belfast and Ballymena Railway that opened to ...

. This initial station was rebuilt and relocated on 4 December 1855 when the

Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Portrush Junction Railway The Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Portrush Junction Railway was an Irish gauge () in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. History The railway was established under the chairmanship of the Rt Hon Hugh Seymour, with an authorised capital of £2 ...

extended the line northwards. At one time, there were several other stations in the Ballymena area, however the only other one which survives to this day is Cullybackey. In addition to mainline services between and , the station provided a terminus for two narrow gauge railways: *

Ballymena, Cushendall and Red Bay Railway The Ballymena, Cushendall and Red Bay Railway was a narrow gauge railway between Ballymena and Retreat, both in County Antrim, in what is now Northern Ireland. It operated from 1875 to 1940. History The railway line was incorporated in 187 ...

- which opened in 1875 and closed in 1940 * Ballymena and Larne Railway - which opened in 1877 and closed in 1933 The station buildings were rebuilt in 1903-1904The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland. William Alan McCutcheon, Northern Ireland. Department of the Environment. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1984 to designs by

Berkeley Deane Wise Berkeley Deane Wise (2 October 1855, New Ross – 5 May 1909, Portrush) was an Irish people, Irish civil engineer who made a significant impact on the development of railways and tourism, particularly in Northern Ireland. Early years Berkeley ...

. The rebuilding cost in excess of £15,000 (equivalent to £ in ). The clock was provided by Sharman D. Neill of Belfast, and iron water storage towers were constructed by Cowan Sheldon and Company of Carlisle. On 19 May 1921 the station suffered an arson attack by the

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief tha ...

. The original station buildings were removed in 1981-1982 during a modernisation programme by

Current services

Ballymena railway station consists of two platforms and serves as a passing point on the mainly single-track Belfast-Derry railway line. On Mondays to Saturdays, there is an hourly service to . In the other direction, there is an hourly service to , with the last service terminating at On Sundays services alternate between going to Londonderry or

Portrush Portrush () is a small seaside resort town on the north coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It neighbours the resort of Portstewart. The main part of the old town, including the railway station as well as most hotels, restaurants and bars, ...

and the last service terminating at . In the other direction there is an hourly service to Great Victoria street Future plans involve the reinstatement of the original double-track between and Ballymena.

References

{{Commons category, Ballymena railway station Railway stations in County Antrim Ballymena Railway stations opened in 1848 Railway stations served by NI Railways 1848 establishments in Ireland Railway stations in Northern Ireland opened in 1848