Tracing the Omagh-Derry railway line on Google satellite and street view

[@jimcrawford5039]

I remember going from Belfast to Derry on the old GNR line in 1963. I believe it went via Dungannon & Strabane, correct me if I am wrong. This was on the GNR original DMUs. I do remember a lot of infrastructure destroyed around the stations on that trip. This was disgraceful to say the least! I returned to Belfast via the NCC or LMS to York Rd. I do remember this so well, as I was leaving for Australia soon after and sadly, I have never been back to N.I. Thank for your informative video, I do try to keep up with news on the old country, thank goodness for the internet and KZbin! Cheers from Oz.

[@Squareheed]

A train halt at the Ulster American Folk park would be a great addition. The Ulster Folk & Transport Museum has one in Cultra so I can 100% imagine this being a thing if and when the line is reopened

[@joshuaW5621]

What kind of engines and rolling stock could you see being displayed there? Sadly not many standard (Irish) gauge steam engines are preserved in Ireland, though the RPSI plans to build a new NCC Class W. I’d like to see more extinct classes recreated in time, though it won’t be easy for financial reasons.

[@MichaelWard-hx8pr]

Hi Eamonn brilliant video and keep up the good work. Might be worth looking at Derry (victoria road) to Strabane line that was ran by Lough Swilly Railway on the East Bank of the River Foyle. Lots of it not built upon and best bet for getting Derry-Strabane onwards reopened again.

[@chriscoyle1221]

The Old Railway line from Derry running south to Carrigans is opened as a greenway. It is used for walking and cycling and is tarmac the whole way. This path runs along the Foyle to right underneath the Foyle Bridge where it will connect with the Derry to Muff Greenway, which is due to open in the coming months. If you pause the video at 27:17 you can see the southern end of the path curve to the left (west) and connect with Ballougry Road which is on the National and European Cycling network. A Special Needs Organisation called 'Destined' has taken ownership of the old Foyle Railway building which is situated right next to the Craigavon Bridge. It has an impressive display and museum inside and is open to the public. At Christmas I was told during a visit there, that the longer term strategy is to at the very least get the line reopened for leisure which includes the use of an old diesel engine train similar to the one used at Lough Finn in Donegal.

[@vmcgeever9922]

I enjoyed this. I grew up in Tyrone and now work on the railways in London. Its a great pity the line in Tyrone no longer exists.

[@joshuaW5621]

I think moving the A5 to put the railway back in it’s former location is a great idea. We should probably build it before reinstating the railway in Omagh though. You have good ideas for how they could reinstate the line. I also see some potential for freight on the line too, especially around that retail park in Omagh where the entrance would have to be moved.

[@lairdoharray]

Thanks very much for this. The Derry Road should never have been closed. It served 6 Ulster counties and thus gave great connectivity. Maybe some of it was engineered cheaply, but the money should have been spent to upgrade it. Then they didn't even build the roads promised in 1964 for a long time. When they did some of the improvements, they grabbed the railway solum. It would take a huge amount of money to relay a railway, but who knows!

[@joshuaW5621]

Fortunately the All Island Strategic Rail Review proposes reopening it, so hopefully one day NIR will bring it back.🤞

[@ewancowleymusic]

Eamonn - many thanks for this, I enjoyed it hugely. When you get time, I wonder are you interested in tracing the short line from Strabane to Derry on the east side of the Foyle? It's faint on google maps but the clues remain, east of Ballymagorry to Cullion, through New Buildings and then on to the east bank of the Foyle to what was Victoria Road station. This would tie up both sides of the Foyle very nicely! Best wishes, Ewan.

[@eamonnca1]

Thanks for watching, Ewan. I'll take a look at that line

[@ewancowleymusic]

@@eamonnca1 Cheers Eamonn, I hope you find it revealing!

[@joshuaW5621]

I think NIR is likely gonna use that route whenever they rebuild the Derry Road, which would make sense as the original route crossed through the border into sparsely populated areas. NTM a greenway has been built on that part of the line.

[@TheHoveHeretic]

The thing missing from Ireland's railways ... across all 32 counties ... is freight. Back when the UTA crippled the economy of the west, the railway had to go hell for leather to move as much freight as possible ahead of closure. Also, check out passenger numbers for the dieselised Belfast services from Enniskillen during the last few months of that line's existence. Pity there just weren't the DMUs to grow the services instead of letting idealogues and their fossilised ideas loose. Ooh! .... what does that remind me of? One small considerattion when you're looking at rail reinstatement is keeping in mind an engineering feature which has only been used a handful of times on the 5'-3" gauge .... tunnels come in 'cut and cover' as well as bored out. Rail overbridges define load heights (within the overall kinetic envelope), therefore slotting a reinstated rail line beneath a road isn't the game stopper which the two dimensional approach might suggest. Just another option .....

[@joshuaW5621]

Yes, we need more rail freight in Ireland. I was talking to an Irish Rail employee last month when I went to Belfast, and he said they want to reinstate freight across the network, but it will take time to grow.

[@waltersstuart4994]

Really enjoyed this. Ever thought about tracing the line from Donegal town?

[@eamonnca1]

Yes, I’d like to cover the narrow gauge lines eventually.

[@martinwalsh3228]

Reopening of the Railway line would cut down on Pollution, Car Accidents, Traffic Jams & Road Deaths 24 hour trains in summer & St Stephen's Day trains too are needed.

[@Squareheed]

Very much so, as well as giving western access to rail so that people can comfortable, quickly and affordably travel from places like Omagh to cities like Belfast and Londonderry.

[@martinwalsh3228]

@@Squareheed Government needs to look into it.

[@earlofbelmont]

Brilliant. I wonder if the County Down lines could be reopened: Knock, Dundonald, Comber, Donaghadee, Newcastle.

[@TheHoveHeretic]

'Be Careful Don't Rush' . Thing with the now closed lines of the BCDR was, they were circuitous .. to put it mildly. It's noticeable that the surviving line has about the best alignment imaginable for it's catchment (does Cultra really not have it's own station? Put that right tomorrow!). I can't help feeling that were Ards to get it's railway back, a completely new formation would make a LOT more sense. With the best will in the world, I can't see Newcastle warranting rail services any time soon.

[@joprocter4573]

Be wonderful to see it open all over NI and reaching into border connections. Tourism would flow in as trains speed up.. Lot of English train stations have away from shops but walking distance.. How is europa bus n rail Centre GRAND going to work Belfast. Not in town but so close its not outside

[@davidcorbett62]

Even to our dim witted politicians the answer to the cleaner air policy, you know the only battery boxes allowed to be sold in the UK from 2030 which will solve nothing the change to railways would make a huge contribution to the removing of carbon gases! Also with the addition of freight it would remove lots of lorries from our roads. I remember the Derry line running through Dungannon and remember very little money was invested in the railways and rolling stock

[@julianprus7868]

Times change, it will obviously be re- built as people are buying less and less private cars, increasing demand for rail. Lobby MP's to get it done sooner rather than later.