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

The Portadown, Dungannon and Omagh Junction Railway was part of the route on the Great Northern Railway known as the "Derry Road." Despite its popularity and profitability it was closed in 1963. Today the path of the line is still clearly visible on the landscape and can be viewed from many road crossing points.
There is great potential for reopening this line all the way from Portadown to Derry, and it would be a significant boost to the economic dynamism of the region. One challenge is getting the line out of Dungannon because of a large housing development that has since been built in the way, however the station could easily be built at the original site since there not much was ever built there. Running the line through Omagh would also be a challenge, but I suggest some solutions here, including getting the line through the town on a new route that would allow the construction of a station on the main street.

[@stevenmullan1075]

As a man who lives in Dungannon where the old line is 100m from where I live I must say I very much enjoyed this video and do wish the railway was still here. The west of Northern Ireland and Ireland lacks in infrastructure for sure. Nicely presented

[@davidcorbett62]

The closure of the line was a piece of wanton destruction plunging many of the towns along the route into high unemployment and lack of future growth. I remember it being very busy. At the start of the vid you showed a entrance to a large home, that’s in fact the entrance to Milltown House owned by the Dickson family who owned the large mill which was adjacent to the railway ( now demolished) The Ranfurly home is now Gone but was in Dungannon Park. That’s where the tunnel was built, the tunnel itself is still in existence but bricked up, it was opened up approx two years ago to test its state as houses where planned to be built on top of it, and found still to be in very good condition. On the other side of the railway park in Dungannon that’s where the roundabout and goods yards where situated. You mentioned the amount of houses built on top of the line, this was done to ensure the line could not be reopened again, such is the political hatred towards railways being reopened again

[@seanrafferty3726]

i know this line very well, the tunnel in dungannon, is further back, than this, also lord northland, lived in what is now the royal school, also a lot of the small buildings are crossing houses, if you look at proni historical maps online all old maps are available, even prior to when the railway was bulit, good video, and great to highlight this lost line that should never have been closed,

[@robinsteenson2297]

I thought that he lived in the stately home down by Dungannon Park overlooking the lake?

[@davidsinclair5933]

I recall my mother and I picking up my aunt at the Dungannon station around 1963. Steam train Beautiful.

[@cjfox7674]

Something is currently being done with the tunnel. it's open on the miltown side, which goes for about 730 meters in before being blocked off by dirt. I saw tyre tracks in the tunnel, so I'm thinking they are emptying it out.There were a few proposed plans by the council a couple of years ago for reopening the tunnel so I guess that's what's happening

[@MrMansun95]

another senseless closure ! how busy would this line be today ?

[@eamonnca1]

The trains would be so packed at commute time that everyone would be pleading with Translink to run more frequent services or longer trainsets or both.

[@davidchambers7508]

@@eamonnca1 One can imagine Belfast GV becoming like another Dublin Heuston.

[@joshuaW5621]

Good news. NIR has announced plans to reopen the line from Portadown to Derry via Dungannon, Omagh and Strabane.

[@bryanmclaughlin7748]

Tunnel starts just level with Cunningham’s Lane - about 300 yards from its junction with Moy Road. The tunnel is straight and crosses under the Moy Road. It emerges on the Dungannon side, close to the junction of Ranfurly Road and Wellington Road. The exit is just behind the Milltown Cottages and only a short distance from the original Dungannon Station.

[@shteviemac8310]

I was inspecting a half buried railway bridge today that must have been on this line, have a couple of pics if they're any use 👍

[@eamonnca1]

Sure. Where was it?

[@rpsiwhitehead89]

The goods building you showed in Omagh was on a separate goods branch which went in to nearer the town at the Market. See where Primark shows on the map.

[@davidchambers7508]

Interesting to see how the alignment is from Dungannon to Omagh. Regarding realignments and diversions in Kilkenny city, one kilometre southeast of Kilkenny McDonagh station the railway was realigned to accommodate the bypass. [If I may digress the railway continued north from Kilkenny McDonagh to Mountmellick. However it was intended that the railway was to continue to Mullingar as the crow files. If you browse the railway maps you will see what I mean.] It would appear that the issue of compulsory purchase orders could potentially arise but that's another story. However none of these would be listed buildings so that not an issue. It is worth noting that some properties were demolished in the construction of the Blyhtefield Curve in Belfast. I reckon that a station could be built on the outskirts of Omagh around the location of the present A5/ A505 roundabout pending relocating the railway station in a more convenient position. Relocating the bypass would be quite readily done. In Dublin many roads were relocated during the building of the M50 motorway. It is worth noting that the south portion of the Kilkenny ringroad was built circa 1985 and there was an extension to this circa 2005 so relocating and modifying bypasses and suchlike has precedent. The Derry Road and indeed many railways in Ireland, most notably the Dublin - Rosslare line were built in fits and starts (or stages). The railway north of Ennis to Athenry was reopened circa 2010 and consideration has been given to reopening the Athenry - Claremorris - Collooney line. Based on the map tool I showed you and old photographs Omagh station would have been located at Tamlaght Road, just across the bypass/ railway from the retail outlet there. An interesting aside about Omagh station (and indeed Castleblayney and others) is the chimneys were built of GNR(I) yellow brick which so characterised that company's architecture. This was Premier brand brick made by the Aston Brick and Coal Company in Flintshire, Wales. I may have mentioned previously that there is a map library in Trinity College, Dublin where Ordnance Survey 6 inch: Mile maps can be browsed if you an access this.

[@eamonnca1]

Good idea about Omagh station. Apparently a temporary station was built outside Dungannon so that people could start using the line while they worked on the tunnel and completed the job of getting the line all the way into the town, so it wouldn't be the first time that sort of thing happened.

[@BelfastMurf]

I’m sure you’re very interested in the feasibility study that recently found in favour of reopening the line to Dungannon.

[@davidchambers7508]

Having browsed plans for projected infrastructure two or more portions could be proposed. It interesting that Éamonn mentioned this with regard to Omagh. One thing which has occurred to me is that defunct railways have often been turned into greenways, Waterford - Dungarvan and Mullingar - Moate being notable examples. This has been done in various Continental countries. My idea is that if a greenway is established along a defunct railway this could act as a precursor to rebuilding and reopening that railway. There was a question on whether diesels operated on the Derry Road. I know that the B141 class locos hauled pilgrimage trains to Omagh. There is also the possibility that the A class Metrovicks could have operated to Omagh as well.

[@eamonnca1]

I think where it's not feasible to reopen a railway, it should at least be reopened as a greenway rather than left derelict.

[@andrewfoster6587]

How about covering the old line west of Armagh heading out to Clogher Valley. Killylea and Tynan station buildings are pretty much still there. One line from Tynan goes through the Stronge estate, I guess heading into Eire. Other line goes through into Caledon and beyond.

[@eamonnca1]

It went through Monaghan Town and Clones where it split and went north to Enniskillen and south to Cavan town. Definitely worth doing

[@andrewfoster6587]

@@eamonnca1 Tynan station is a really interesting building, see this link. Sad state of repair. irishantiquities.bravehost.com/armagh/tynan/tynanstation.html

[@mickyg18]

Was disappointed with this video missing a few key crossings still visible and JUST missed. The gate crossing on tursallagh road... onw click and youd have seen the line. You skipped the carrickmore station and bridge still very much intact and a fantastic example. The beragh buildings at the bridge so easily seen

[@eamonnca1]

Yeah, this was one of my earlier efforts before I'd figured out how to get the station info. I will need to go back and do another video just on the stations. I'm kicking myself that I missed Pomeroy that was staring me in the face! Thanks for the feedback.

[@carolan_agriculture3376]

can u do the burtonport line

[@julianprus7868]

It will re open.

[@christianmorris8065]

Let alone the closure but the destruction of the alignment of the Derry Road railway was one of the worst and most wanton acts of infrastructural vandalism that ever took place in Britain or Ireland. In the Republic there was some haphazard effort to preserve alignments (which is why the LUAS was able to reopen in Dublin) but the obliteration of so much of the Derry Road is unforgivable