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Derry ~ Londonderry railway station

Coordinates: 54°59′31″N 7°18′50″W / 54.992069°N 7.313788°W / 54.992069; -7.313788
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Derry ~ Londonderry
NI Railways
A Translink intercity and commuter, rail and bus station.
Derry ~ Londonderry Station frontage as of 2023
Derry ~ Londonderry Station frontage as of 2023
General information
Other namesWaterside
LocationDerry
Northern Ireland
Coordinates54°59′31″N 7°18′50″W / 54.992069°N 7.313788°W / 54.992069; -7.313788
Owned byTranslink
Operated byNI Railways
Line(s)Derry~Londonderry
Platforms2
Tracks2
Bus routes2a, 2b, 2d, 3a, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4c, 5a, 7n, X3, X4 [1]
Bus operatorsUlsterbus, Goldline, Foyle Metro
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
ParkingYes, 100 spaces
Architect1873: John Lanyon [2]
2019: Consarc Design [3]
Other information
Fare zoneNorth West Zone/4[4]
History
ElectrifiedNever
Previous namesLondonderry Waterside
Original companyLondonderry & Coleraine Railway
Pre-groupingBelfast & Northern Counties Railway, Midland Railway (Northern Counties Committee)
Post-groupingLondon Midland & Scottish Railway (Northern Counties Committee)
Key dates
1852Opened
1874Relocated to second (current) station
1980Relocated to third station
2019Relocated to second station
Passengers
2015/16324,089 [5]
2016/17Increase 339,900 [5]
2017/18Increase 449,661 [5]
2018/19Increase 540,781 [6]
2019/20Decrease 529,606 [7]
2020/21Decrease 124,548 [8]
2021/22Increase 467,001 [9]
2022/23Increase 723,776 [10]
2023/24Increase 952,126 [11]
Track layout
Legend
Track and
platform layout
to Belfast
This diagram:
Location
Derry ~ Londonderry is located in Derry
Derry ~ Londonderry
Derry ~ Londonderry
Location within the City of Derry
Derry ~ Londonderry is located in Northern Ireland
Derry ~ Londonderry
Derry ~ Londonderry
Location with Northern Ireland
Derry ~ Londonderry is located in island of Ireland
Derry ~ Londonderry
Derry ~ Londonderry
Location on the Island of Ireland
Map

Derry ~ Londonderry railway station, also known as North West Transport Hub[12] or Waterside railway station[13][14][15] (formerly "Londonderry Waterside", and later just "Londonderry" railway station), is a railway terminus in Derry, Northern Ireland, on the east bank of the River Foyle, operated by Northern Ireland Railways and its 7th busiest station across the network with 952,126 passengers boarding or alighting at the station in the 2023/24 financial year.[11] It is on the Belfast–Derry railway line, terminating at Belfast Grand Central. Derry/Londonderry has the longest platforms on the NIR Network, at 258.3 metres in length.[16]

History

[edit]

The original Londonderry Waterside Station was opened on 29 December 1852 by Steven Alfred John Campbell, a well-known banker of the time. It was rebuilt into the current building by the Belfast & Northern Counties Railway in 1874.

Derry historically had four passenger termini. On the west side of the river, Graving Dock station served the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway and destinations to the west and Foyle Road station (which replaced the short-lived Cow Market station) served the Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway to Enniskillen via Strabane and Omagh. On the east side of the river, Victoria Road station served the alternative Donegal Railway Company (later Great Northern Railway) line to Strabane and Waterside station served the line to Belfast via the north coast. Although passenger trains terminated at these respective stations, all four railways were linked by freight lines through the city and the Craigavon Bridge.

As a result of a series of closures of the other lines, Waterside was the only station to have survived closure by 1965. Services were reduced and the track layout was severely rationalised. The line now consists of a single track with passing loops at Bellarena and Coleraine stations. The station name was changed to Londonderry, as the suffix Waterside became redundant upon closure of the city's two other railway termini. Although this is the station's official name the platform signs at the station read Derry~Londonderry[17] while the destination signs on Northern Ireland Railways trains read Derry/Londonderry.

The 1980 station, in use until 2019.

The station was damaged in two terrorist attacks in the 1970s forcing it to be closed on 24 February 1980. A third station of the same name replaced the larger terminus in 1980.[18]

Prior to Derry becoming the inaugural UK City of Culture in 2013,[19] the railway line was upgraded with re-laid track, a track relay and sections of continuous welded rail [20]

In 2010, the Minister for Regional Development, Conor Murphy, mooted the possibility of building a new railway station that would connect the railway with a planned foot and cycle bridge across the Foyle, bringing it closer to the centre of the city.[14]

On 6 October 2016, Translink confirmed that the railway would be returning to the former BNCR Waterside station which will be used as a new transport hub for the city.[21] As part of this work, platform 2 was taken out of use in September 2018 and the block section to Bellarena converted to One Train Working operation. The 1980 station closed on 8 October 2019 to allow the completion of work on the new station on the former site just to the north.[22]

The new station is part of the North West Transport Hub and is on the site of the old Waterside Station.[23] It opened for rail traffic on 21 October 2019, with the 1980s station being demolished on 5–6 December 2019.

Design

[edit]

The station uses the former train shed as a waiting room, café,[24] and ticket hall for NIR services to and from Coleraine and Belfast. Two platforms are provided one on the river side of the former train shed, the other approximately on the site of the old arrival platform, with a siding adjacent to it for stabling empty stock.

The site of the former departure platform, next to the riverside greenway is unoccupied.[25]

Services

[edit]

From Mondays to Saturdays as of 2024, an hourly service operates to Belfast Grand Central, reduced to every two hours on Sundays. Buses also serve the location which is being marketed as the North West Transport Hub.[26]

Preceding station   Northern Ireland Railways   Following station
Bellarena   Northern Ireland Railways
Belfast-Derry
   Terminus
  Historical railways  
Culmore
Line open, station closed 		  Londonderry & Coleraine Railway
Coleraine–Londonderry 		  Terminus
[edit]
  • Northwest Transport hub Entrance as of 2023
    Northwest Transport hub Entrance as of 2023
  • Class 3000 waiting to depart from the 1980 station to Belfast Great Victoria Street 30 March 2008
    Class 3000 waiting to depart from the 1980 station to Belfast Great Victoria Street 30 March 2008
  • Class 4000 arriving at the 1980 station on 28 September 2017
    Class 4000 arriving at the 1980 station on 28 September 2017
  • Class 400 DMU approaching the station beside the Foyle river on 22 June 2023
    Class 400 DMU approaching the station beside the Foyle river on 22 June 2023
  • View of the Platforms
    View of the Platforms
  • Inside the North West Transport Hub
    Inside the North West Transport Hub
  • The 1980 station in 2008
    The 1980 station in 2008
  • Two 70-class sets at Waterside Station 10 August 1974
    Two 70-class sets at Waterside Station 10 August 1974

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "North West Transport Hub bus timetable". translink.co.uk. Translink. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  2. ^ "North West Hub Key Facts". www.translink.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  3. ^ "General Meeting visits North West Transport Hub". rsua.co.uk. Translink. Archived from the original on 18 June 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  4. ^ "iLink Zone information". translink.co.uk. Translink. Archived from the original on 8 November 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "NIR Footfall 1518.xlsx". www.whatdotheyknow.com. 20 December 2018. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  6. ^ "NIR Footfall 1819.xlsx". www.whatdotheyknow.com. 15 January 2020. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  7. ^ "NIR Footfall 1920.xlsx". www.whatdotheyknow.com. 11 August 2020. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  8. ^ "FOI1317 NIR Footfall 2021.xlsx". www.whatdotheyknow.com. 25 February 2021. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  9. ^ "FOI1317 NIR Footfall 2122.xlsx". www.whatdotheyknow.com. 26 April 2022. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  10. ^ "FOI1317 NIR Footfall 2223.xlsx". www.whatdotheyknow.com. 17 April 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  11. ^ a b "FOI Footfall 2023 2024 figures PDF.pdf". www.whatdotheyknow.com. 7 May 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  12. ^ "North West Hub Key Facts". www.translink.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  13. ^ "Waterside is least monitored railway station in Ulster". Londonderry Sentinel. 10 June 2010. Archived from the original on 3 August 2012.
  14. ^ a b "New Waterside rail station at Peace Bridge mooted". Londonderry Sentinel. 25 February 2010. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012.
  15. ^ "Waterside Station, Londonderry © Wilson Adams cc-by-sa/2.0". Geograph Ireland. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
  16. ^ "Northern Ireland Railways Network Statement 2025" (PDF). www.trn-prd-cdn-01.azureedge.net. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 June 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  17. ^ "Multimodal Transport Hub". Premier Construction News. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  18. ^ "Disused Stations: Londonderry station history". www.disused-stations.org.uk. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  19. ^ "Derry / Londonderry named UK City of Culture 2013". GOV.UK. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  20. ^ ""Londonderry Line" Andy Milne, RailStaff, May 2012". 8 May 2012. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  21. ^ Translink. "McGuinness and Hazzard confirm Old Waterside Station as site for Derry transport hub - Translink". www.translink.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  22. ^ North West Multi-Modal Transport Hub (NWMTH) Derry – Londonderry webinar, retrieved 6 February 2024
  23. ^ "North-West Transport Hub". www.translink.co.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  24. ^ McAree, Anna (11 September 2022). "Great places to stop for a coffee as you walk Derry's two bridges". Belfast Live. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  25. ^ "Derry Urban Greenways". Northern Ireland Greenways. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  26. ^ "Derry Line Timetables". www.translink.co.uk. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
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