lisburn - Antrim

[102 fan]

I've always thought that the lisburn/Antrim line would make a good heritage line. Whats its status now?

 

[4SRKT]

Mothballed I believe, with the loops at Crumlin and Ballinderry taken out. I understand there was a road overbridge removed last year at the Knockmore end to allow the road to the Coca-Cola plant to be improved. Obviously the line *should* have been reinstated after this as it's not closed as such, but I don't know if it has been.

It's a pretty long line for a preserved railway though, and don't Translink nourish some fantasy about a rail link to Aldergrove one day, meaning they might want to protect it for that? Maybe just Antrim to Crumlin would be more realistic. OTOH, yes, I agree it would make a great preserved railway. Somewhere to run that preserved DEMU! Oh, wait......

 

[102 fan]

What mileage is Antrim to Crumlin? Are there any goods sheds at Crumlin that could become an engine shed?

 

[4SRKT]

Not sure but reckon Crumlin > Antrim is about 8 miles. It's 9.5 miles by road between the two stations, but the railway takes a more direct route. The advantage of this end of the line is it has its own bay platform at Antrim, keeping the thing separate from NIR operations. NIR still use platform 3 at Lisburn so there would be pathing issues.

Sheds wise there's nothing at Crumlin, but there are sidings and space at Antrim, so stuff could be stored there.

 

[102 fan]

I'm told that there are a couple of user worked crossings and a girder bridge on that part of the route. How do other heritage railways work with these problems. (I'm thinking of the one engine in steam principle, no Signal box for crossing phones.)

 

[GM078]

The "bridge over a bridge" would be an interesting feature alright. Would there be the market for a line of such length though? Likewise the amount of volunteers needed to maintain it/cash to pay staff? Especially considering the market isn't there in Ireland to run a big enthusiast gala event. Funny enough when the South Wexford closed IÉ suggested it too could become a heritage line...:roll:

 

[102 fan]

Volunteers will always be a problem in Ireland, North and South.

 

[jamesontheroad]

I've always thought that the lisburn/Antrim line would make a good heritage line. Whats its status now?

A question was tabled in the NI Assembly last year, and reported on the IRN Forums here.

I can't paste the entire post here, because this forum doesn't support tables, but the jist of it is as follows:

Mr T Burns asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail the cost of maintaining closed or mothballed railway lines, railway stations and bus stations, in each of the last five years; and to list the location of each station and line.

Minister for Regional Development: Translink has told me that the following rail stations/halts are currently not used for scheduled services but are maintained:

Crumlin Station
Knockmore (branch platform)
Ballinderry Halt
Glenavy Halt

These were closed to scheduled rail services on 29 June 2003.

The rail line between Antrim and Knockmore is also maintained as a diversionary route in the event of emergency situations and has also been used for testing and training on new trains.

The total costs of maintaining those stations and the line over the past five years was:

2005/6 £115,535
2006/7 £97,984
2007/8 £51,468
2008/9 £26,762
2009/10 £27,029

Oddly enough, the current Google aerial photo for Knockmore actually shows a 3 car 80 class unit at the halt. Although it's alongside the Dublin - Belfast mainline for a half mile or so into Lisburn station, the branch from Crumlin and Antrim is actually at a different (variable) grade and Knockmore Halt's single platform can't be served by trains on the mainline.

 

[102 fan]

Bit of a pipe dream then.....