The Belfast to Bangor line (known simply as ''the Bangor line'' by

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

) is a railway line in Northern Ireland, originally part of the Belfast & County Down Railway. All services are operated by

, the only operator for Northern Ireland (NI). Unlike the rest of the United Kingdom, no railway in NI is part of the

National Rail National Rail (NR) is the trading name licensed for use by the Rail Delivery Group, a group representing passenger train operating companies (TOCs) of England, Scotland, and Wales. The TOCs run the passenger services previously provided by ...

network and none is owned by

Network Rail Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and railway infrastructure manager, infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. ...

. Services run every half-hour, with up to six trains per hour in each direction (3 express and 3 stopping services) at peak times. All NI Railways services on this line terminate at Belfast Grand Central and Bangor Bus and Rail Centre stopping at stations in between.

History

The Bangor Line originated with the incorporation of the Belfast, Holywood, and Bangor Railway (BHBR) on June 26, 1846. The first section of the line, running from Belfast to

Holywood Holy Wood or Holywood may refer to: Places * Holywood, County Down, a town and townland in Northern Ireland ** Holywood, County Down (civil parish), a civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland ** Holywood railway station (Northern Ireland) ...

, opened on August 2, 1848. The line was extended to Bangor on May 1, 1865, and subsequently acquired by the

Belfast and County Down Railway The Belfast and County Down Railway (BCDR) was an Irish gauge () railway in Ireland (later Northern Ireland) linking Belfast with County Down. It was built in the 19th century and absorbed into the Ulster Transport Authority in 1948. All but the ...

(BCDR) in 1884. The BCDR's first chief engineer, Sir John Macneill, played a significant role in overcoming engineering challenges, including constructing a line across the marshy

River Quoile The Quoile (; ) is a river in County Down, Northern Ireland. Course The river begins its life as the Ballynahinch River which flows from west of the town of Ballynahinch to Annacloy where it is known as the Annacloy River. This then becomes ...

. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the BCDR expanded its network, including lines to

Downpatrick Downpatrick () is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the Lecale peninsula, about south of Belfast. In the Middle Ages, it was the capital of the Dál Fiatach, the main ruling dynasty of Ulaid. Down Cathedral, Its cathedral is sai ...

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...

, and

Ardglass Ardglass () is a coastal fishing village, townland (of 321 acres) and civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland, in the historic barony of Lecale Lower. It is still a relatively important fishing harbour. It is situated on the B1 Ardglas ...

, with several branch lines. In the early 20th century, the Bangor Line played a significant role in promoting tourism, with Bangor becoming a popular seaside destination. The railway facilitated excursions and day trips, contributing to the town's growth as a resort. By the 1940s, the BCDR operated a fleet of 29 locomotives and 181 carriages, with its workshops located at Queen's Quay in Belfast. However, financial difficulties and declining passenger numbers during and after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

led to nationalization. Following the creation of the

Ulster Transport Authority The Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) ran rail and bus transport in Northern Ireland that operated from 1948 until 1967. Formation and consolidation The UTA was formed by the , which merged the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board (NIRTB) ...

(UTA) in 1948, much of the BCDR network was closed, including lines to

and

Donaghadee Donaghadee ( , ) is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the northeast coast of the Ards Peninsula, about east of Belfast and about six miles (10 km) south east of Bangor, County Down, Bangor. It is in the Civil paris ...

. The Bangor Line was the only section retained for passenger services, as an important commuter route. Until 2024, trains on the Bangor Line operated as through services between Bangor and

Portadown Portadown ( ) is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is based on the River Bann in the north of the county, about southwest of Belfast. It is in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area and had a population ...

Newry Newry (; ) is a City status in Ireland, city in Northern Ireland, standing on the Newry River, Clanrye river in counties County Down, Down and County Armagh, Armagh. It is near Republic of Ireland–United Kingdom border, the border with the ...

via Lanyon Place and

Great Victoria Street Great Victoria Street in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a major thoroughfare located in the city centre and is one of the important streets used by pedestrians alighting from Belfast Great Victoria Street railway station and walking into shopping ...

stations. Following the opening of Belfast Grand Central Station, Bangor Line trains now terminate and start from Belfast Grand Central, with services to Portadown and Newry operating separately from Belfast Grand Central.

Rail Air Link

The Belfast-Bangor Line is part of the key link for visitors into

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

city centre. Trains run from Belfast Grand Central via to

Sydenham Sydenham may refer to: Places Australia * Sydenham, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney ** Sydenham railway station, Sydney * Sydenham, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne ** Sydenham railway line, the name of the Sunbury railway line, Melbourne un ...

for planes from

George Best Belfast City Airport Belfast City Airport, officially George Best Belfast City Airport , is an international airport in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Situated in County Down, it is adjacent to the Belfast Harbour and is from Belfast City Centre. It shares the si ...

Key Sites

The Bangor Line provides access to several key attractions in Belfast. Passengers can alight at Botanic Station for the

Ulster Museum The Ulster Museum, located in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, has around 8,000 square metres (90,000 sq. ft.) of public display space, featuring material from the collections of fine art and applied art, archaeology, ethnography, treasures ...

Queen's University Belfast The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The university received its charter in 1845 as part of ...

, and the nearby

Botanic Gardens A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...

, home to the Palm House and the Tropical Ravine. City Hospital Station offers direct access to

Belfast City Hospital The Belfast City Hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a 900-bed modern university teaching hospital providing local acute services and key regional specialities. Its distinctive orange tower block dominates the Belfast skyline being the th ...

. At

Cultra Cultra ( - ) is an affluent residential neighbourhood near Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is part of Greater Belfast. It is in the Ards and North Down Borough Council area. Cultra is home to the Royal North of Ireland Yacht ...

, visitors can access the

Ulster Folk & Transport Museum Both the Ulster Folk Museum and Ulster Transport Museum are situated in Cultra, Northern Ireland, about east of the city of Belfast. Now operating as two separate museums, the Folk Museum endeavours to illustrate the way of life and traditions ...

, which occasionally uses a private rail siding for museum operations, though it is not open to passenger services. Titanic Quarter Station serves the SSE Arena,

Titanic Quarter Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a large-scale waterfront regeneration, comprising historic maritime landmarks, film studios, education facilities, apartments, a riverside entertainment district, and the world's largest Titanic- ...

, and W5 an interactive science and discovery centre.

Controversies

Terminating of Direct Rail Services (2024)

In October 2024, the opening of Belfast's Grand Central Station led to significant changes in the city's rail services. Notably, the direct train service between Bangor and Portadown, which previously operated through central Belfast, was discontinued. As a result, passengers traveling between these locations now require a transfer at Grand Central Station. This alteration has been met with mixed reactions from passengers and local politicians. Some commuters have expressed frustration over the need to change trains, citing increased travel times and inconvenience. For instance, hospital workers who previously relied on the direct service to reach City Hospital and Botanic stations have reported challenges, with some opting to drive instead. Politicians have also voiced concerns. In November 2024, during a session in the Northern Ireland Assembly, Mr. Robbie Butler, a member of the

Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a Unionism in Ireland, unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded as the Ulster Unionist Council in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it l ...

, inquired about the technical issues affecting the Portadown-Belfast-Bangor train line following the opening of Grand Central Station. The Minister for Infrastructure acknowledged minor teething issues but emphasized that the overall impact on passenger numbers was positive.

Gallery

File:Bangor Station - geograph.org.uk - 5975352.jpg, Bangor Station File:Train, Belfast Lanyon Place Station - geograph.org.uk - 6690178.jpg, Belfast Lanyon Place Station File:Train, Cultra station - geograph.org.uk - 3726146.jpg, Cultra station File:Titanic Quarter train station, Belfast - geograph.org.uk - 3229990.jpg, Titanic Quarter train station File:Holywood railway station, County Down - geograph.org.uk - 5699793.jpg, Holywood railway station File:Approaching Bangor West - geograph.org.uk - 790365.jpg, Approaching Bangor West File:Train, Botanic Station, Belfast - geograph.org.uk - 3304235.jpg, Botanic Station

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Belfast-Bangor Line Railway lines in Northern Ireland Transport in Belfast Transport in County Down 5 ft 3 in gauge railways