Derry's Waterside station to reopen

Copyerselveson

Finally almost a year after the public consultation finished, Danny Kennedy the North's transport minister has announced that the original Waterside terminus is to be reopened as a rail and cycling hub for the city.

This is a big victory for the people of Derry and the Into the West group who have been campaigning for the reopening of the station for a long time.

As a user of the line and a long time supporter of Into the West I am delighted and I am particularly pleased to see that cycling and expanded rail services will play a key role in the future plans for the station.

http://www.derryjournal.com/news/business/old-waterside-station-restoration-given-the-go-ahead-1-5944096

L1011

Not sure it'll do much to improve rail usage as its only 150m or so closer to the city but anything is better than the existing shed.

Hungerford

MYOB wrote: »

Not sure it'll do much to improve rail usage as its only 150m or so closer to the city but anything is better than the existing shed.

It's a huge psychological boost for rail transport in that region - you have to remember that less than a decade ago they were planning to shut the line.

cgcsb

Any improvement to journey times or service frequency?

LXFlyer

There will be once the upgrade is completed.

end of the road

this station was stolen from the people during the ulster transport authorities rein of terror?

Hungerford

end of the road wrote: »

this station was stolen from the people during the ulster transport authorities rein of terror?

Nope. It was put out of use in 1980 and replaced by a glorified bus shed by NIR.

end of the road

Hungerford wrote: »

Nope. It was put out of use in 1980 and replaced by a glorified bus shed by NIR.

ah i see, wouldn't have thought of NIR being shortsighted like that but i suppose i shouldn't be surprised at them being so

Hungerford

end of the road wrote: »

ah i see, wouldn't have thought of NIR being shortsighted like that but i suppose i shouldn't be surprised at them being so

Although they are better than Irish Rail, they have made some spectacular blunders in their time. Fortunately, many of them have been subsequently been reversed even though the civil service is profoundly anti-rail.

Some notable examples including the closure of Great Victoria Street (1976), the mothballing of the Bleach Green line (1977) and removing the double-tracking from Ballymena to Antrim (1990).

AngryLips

Hungerford wrote: »

Some notable examples including the closure of Great Victoria Street (1976), the mothballing of the Bleach Green line (1977) and removing the double-tracking from Ballymena to Antrim (1990).

Have all of these been reversed?

Banjoxed

AngryLips wrote: »

Have all of these been reversed?

I think the operative phrase is that "many of them have been reversed". Capacity issues on the Derry railway allowing for at least an hourly service beyond Coleraine to Derry itself will be dealt with in 2015.

AngryLips

Will that result in through services that go all the way to Belfast from Derry? It seems kinda odd that all Derry services start from Coleraine when that's not where people want to go.

LXFlyer

Virtually all Derry services start/finish in Belfast - where did you get the idea that they all start in Coleraine?

http://www.translink.co.uk/Documents/timetables/NIR%20Dec%2013%20inbound%20outbound/Belfast%20-%20Derry_Londonderry.pdf

http://www.translink.co.uk/Documents/timetables/NIR%20Dec%2013%20inbound%20outbound/Derry_Londonderry%20-%20Belfast.pdf

Copyerselveson

lxflyer wrote: »

Virtually all Derry services start/finish in Belfast - where did you get the idea that they all start in Coleraine?

http://www.translink.co.uk/Documents/timetables/NIR%20Dec%2013%20inbound%20outbound/Belfast%20-%20Derry_Londonderry.pdf

http://www.translink.co.uk/Documents/timetables/NIR%20Dec%2013%20inbound%20outbound/Derry_Londonderry%20-%20Belfast.pdf

At present there is an hourly service from Belfast to either Portrush or Derry. Every other train serves Derry at present hence the two hourly interval.

When the Derry line works are finally complete there will be a half hourly service from Belfast to Coleraine, terminating either at Derry or Portrush. Therefore there will be an hourly service from Derry to Belfast.

Hungerford

AngryLips wrote: »

Have all of these been reversed?

The redoubling of Antrim to Ballymena hasn't occurred but it is among the projects mooted for the future. It will probably happen at some stage if the growth of passenger numbers on the Derry line continues as it has done.

Hungerford

Copyerselveson wrote: »

When the Derry line works are finally complete there will be a half hourly service from Belfast to Coleraine

That's not due until 2021 at the earliest. Although only a relay of track is mentioned, the project would have to involve some redoubling somewhere as
the current hourly schedule is relatively tight given the number and position of loops on the line.

AngryLips

Hungerford wrote: »

That's not due until 2021

Is it my imagination or has the works on the Derry line been going on for years already? Rome was built in less time.