Tracing the Lisburn-Banbridge railway line on Google satellite and street view

[@iam433]

I’m enjoying watching these videos Eamonn, the “big meander” is the railway gaining height. The climb from Knockmore Jct to Hillsborough station (now buried below the A1) was the steepest on the GNR at 1 in 57. The long cutting on the approach to Banbridge is quite deep and that’s the line losing height descending into Banbridge station, it was pretty much all uphill Banbridge to Ballyward / Leitrim.

[@eamonnca1]

Thanks for that! Very informative. I probably need to redo this video now that I know how to look out for historic stations

[@jamesmartin4586]

Great content. I've just stumbled upon your channel today and I'm glad I did. Very interesting.

[@Squareheed]

The Knockmore Junction station was actually at the bridge before the one you pointed out. But interestingly enough, the bridge you pointed out, where the large square of demolished rubble (old SERC building that Translink bought) is where Translink plan on building a new station called 'Lisburn West' as it is suspected that once the new Grand Central Station in Belfast is completed, the will reopen the Antrim -Lisburn line

[@daniellowden4239]

Hello Eamonn, the former station at Mullerfanaghan is still present on the old GNR line between Dromore and Banbridge. It is near Mullerfanaghan Gospel Hall which appeared during your trace of the line. It is now a private house and very well maintained; I did a drive-by a few years back. The bridge piers beside the station at the road crossing point are still present with an embankment on either side. Also part of the old Scarva line can be followed in the Huntly Wood Walk in Banbridge.

[@HadronWolf]

Being from banbridge this video is so interesting, I always love walking down to where the line crosses the bann to chill out, it's a lovely part of the town that very few people know about, it's fantastic to learn more about the town and its history.

[@eamonnca1]

So if the railway was restored and the size of the park was reduced, would there be few people that would miss it? Or would there be a bit of opposition? I'm just curious as to how people would feel about losing a bit of the park but gaining a train to Newcastle. I wonder if they'd be for or against it.

[@HadronWolf]

@@eamonnca1 I'd say most people would be glad to have better access to travel, losing some of the park would be a small price to pay, but there's main roads and estates in the way of the track now, the infrastructure needed to accommodate the train would be massive, so a lot more people would be pissed about losing their homes I'd say lol

[@madeljacky]

3:43 just on the spot where your pointer arrow moves over the boys brigade NI district wording on the map there is a little bridge under the embankment to get to the farm, used to see it every day on my way to Lisburn Training center at knockmore, both the upper and lower training center is also now long gone.

[@davidchambers7508]

Interesting film. By contrast to the Portadown - Cavan and Portadown - Derry lines this line has a somewhat different character to it judging by the way it meanders through the countryside. I wonder what the average and maximum speeds were for trains on this line. A few observations: This line after branching off at Knockmore Junction could be routed to the east of the steelworks through the carpark there. I wonder how readily this business could be relocated as businesses often relocate seemingly at the drop of a hat. A landmark bridge at Dromore over the A1 could be like the Luas Dargan Bridge in Dundrum, Dublin. The station described as being in the middle of nowhere is Multyfernaghan. A station just before the river could be built in Banbridge. Relocation of this station would be quite alright considering that the present Docklands station in Dublin has been there for thirteen years but a new Docklands station has been considered for the site of the former North Wall LNWR station. (This station closed to passengers circa 1920). Cherry Orchard and Clondalkin were relocated during the Kildare line quadrupling project. You're damn right about having railway stations in town (or village or suburb) centres. Thank you for local knowledge of the various locations in your films. I salute your efforts at research in making these films.

[@eamonnca1]

Thanks David, I always enjoy reading your comments. Regarding the meandering path, I wonder if it was a result of the local topography and if it was necessary to achieve the flattest possible route, and if modern DMUs would be capable of climbing steeper gradients, making it possible to straighten this route out a bit in the event of reopening. Having thought a bit more about the Dromore situation, perhaps a station west of the A1 wouldn't be so bad if it were right up against the dual carriageway and accessible from the town by a signature bike/pedestrian bridge over the road, and then somehow connected to a bike-friendly route to the middle of town. As nice as it would be to see trains running again on the old viaduct, I have my doubts about how economically justifiable it would be if a much cheaper and almost-as-good solution could be found. Apparently the William Dargan Bridge of which you speak cost €11 million, and we'd need two such structures for Dromore if we were to cross the railway over back and forth. You could reopen a lot of miles of closed railway for the same amount of money. It's interesting that these lines had so many rural stations. I wonder if that was for the purpose of moving flax and agricultural produce to the towns and cities for processing and export. Do you think the rural stations' primary use was for transhipping goods rather than passengers?

[@victorcorrie753]

@@eamonnca1and

[@jsoye]

You can see the railway line passing into Dromore on some of the aerial photographs from the britain from above website.

[@AdrianHale-ct9mz]

I live on the valley road to across from the railway bridge. The park area you are talking about is the old line filled up. There was never anything other than railway line there.

[@madnotbad44]

Thought this would be a great idea years ago even if it was opened as a path. It's nice to have a dream 😊

[@SurvivingTheApocalypse]

The station masters house and the base of the water tower also remain on the Banbridge Station site.

[@eamonnca1]

Just had a look for it in the street view but couldn't see much. Is it inside what's now the bus depot?

[@SurvivingTheApocalypse]

I stuck a google link up but for some reason my reply is not showing?? Anyway, the station masters house is just behind the engine shed up on the main road. You will recognise it instantly when you find it. The water tower is just beside the shed and covered in ivy.