Antrim railway station

Antrim railway station (Irish: Stáisiún Aontroim, Ulster Scots: Station Antrìm) opened 1848 and serves the town of Antrim in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Antrim
General information
Location	Antrim, County Antrim Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council Northern Ireland
Coordinates	54.7182°N 6.2115°W / 54.7182; -6.2115
Owned by	NI Railways
Operated by	NI Railways
Line(s)	Derry~Londonderry
Platforms	4 (2 disused)
Tracks	4
Bus stands	4
Bus operators	Ulsterbus and Goldline services
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	Park and Ride
Bicycle facilities	Bicycle parking is available
Accessible	Ramps and lifts
Architect	Berkeley Deane Wise
History
Rebuilt	1901-02
Key dates
11 April 1848	Station opens
1871	Station renamed Antrim Junction
by July 1922	Renamed Antrim
1965	Goods traffic ceased
2008	Refurbished
Passengers
2022/23	519,674
2023/24	674,114
Services
Male, female and disabled toilets (currently closed with reason unknown)
NI Railways Translink NI railway stations
Route map (Click to expand) Year closed Great Victoria Street 2024 Belfast Grand Central Belfast-Dublin line to Portadown, Newry, Dublin Connolly City Hospital Botanic Lanyon Place River Lagan Belfast-Bangor line to Holywood, Helen's Bay, Bangor Lagan Viaduct over River Lagan Cross Harbour Rail Link over Belfast Harbour York Street Yorkgate 2024 York Road depot York Road 1992 Fortwilliam Traincare Depot Whiteabbey Belfast-Larne line to Carrickfergus, Whitehead, Larne Town Belfast-Derry line via Greenisland 1963 Monkstown 1981 Mossley 1982 Mossley West Ballyclare Junction 1961 Ballyclare branch line to Lisnalinchy, Ballyclare 1930 Ballyrobert 1920 Doagh 1970 Templepatrick 1981 Dunadry 1954 Muckamore 1961 Lisburn-Antrim line to Crumlin, Knockmore, Lisburn Antrim Cookstown Junction 1976 Cookstown branch line to Randalstown, Cookstown 1955 Kellswater 1971 Andraid 1850 Ballymena and Larne Railway to Kells, Kilwaughter, Larne Town 1950 Ballymena Ballymena, Cushendall & Red Bay Rly to Rathkenny, Parkmore, Retreat 1940 Cullybackey Glarryford 1973 Killagan 1973 Dunloy 1976 Ballymoney Ballycastle Railway to Dervock, Armoy, Ballycastle 1950 Derry Central Railway to Garvagh, Kilrea, Magherafelt 1950 Macfin 1954 Coleraine Coleraine Harbour 1963 Coleraine-Portrush line to University, Dhu Varren, Portrush River Bann Coleraine Waterside 1861 Barmouth 1856 Castlerock Castlerock Tunnel Downhill Tunnel Downhill 1973 Umbra 1861 Magilligan 1976 Bellarena River Roe Limavady Railway to Limavady, Dungiven Limavady Junction 1976 Ballykelly 1954 Carrichue 1954 Faughanvale 1859 Eglinton 1973 River Faughan Derry~Londonderry
Location Antrim Location within Northern Ireland Antrim Location on the Island of Ireland

The station currently serves trains on the Belfast to Derry line via Bleach Green and York Street station. Until 2003, Belfast-Derry trains reached here by means of the Lisburn-Antrim railway line, however, this line was mothballed after re-opening of the Bleach Green line. There is still the old platform for the Lisburn-Antrim line but has been cut back to allow room, on the other side of a fence, for the bus stands. The possibility of reopening it as a circular route, with a halt at Aldergrove for Belfast International Airport has been discussed. The station has undergone a major refurbishment to become an integrated bus and rail hub. In total, the station had 4 platforms. One is completely disused, two in use, and one that has been shortened and rarely used.

History

NIR 4002 arriving into Antrim on a service to Derry~Londonderry

Antrim station was opened by the Belfast and Ballymena Railway on 11 April 1848. It was originally operated by the Midland Railway Northern Counties Committee. They provided sidings on the up side of the station, serving the Showgrounds. These sidings also contained a goods store, stabling block, stationmaster's house, office, and weighbridge.

The station buildings at Antrim were rebuilt in 1901–02 to designs by the architect Berkeley Deane Wise. It was built in a red-brick, mock-Tudor design. The footbridge was built by Walter MacFarlane's Saracen Foundry in Glasgow.

The main station buildings were on the down platform, and the signal box was at the Belfast end of the same platform. There was a bay at the back of the down line platform for branch line trains, and also on this side of the mainline were the locomotive sheds, turntable, goods store, and sidings.

The station was run by the Ulster Transport Authority from 1948 to 1968, then part of Northern Ireland Railways. Since 1996 the station has been part of Translink.

The station itself used to also have a Station Masters House and Goods Yards. The last known Station Master of Antrim Railway Station (Antrim Junction) was a Mr. Cupples. At its peak, Antrim Railway Station was an important station linking many core routes now removed via its station.

The Station Masters House can still be seen (from outside). It has now been transformed into a health centre.

Service

On Mondays to Saturdays, there is an hourly service to Belfast Grand Central. In the other direction, there is an hourly service Derry~Londonderry, with the last service terminating at Coleraine.

On Sundays, services alternate between Derry~Londonderry or Portrush and the last service terminating at Coleraine. In the other direction, there is an hourly service to Belfast Grand Central.

The third platform for the Lisburn–Antrim line is not signposted and has not been in passenger service since a diversion from the Bleach Green Line in 2003.

See also

• Antrim railway station (Great Northern Railway)

References

• Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
• Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.