NORTHERN IRELAND RAILWAYS (NIR)

■ NEWS:

Two intermediate halts on the Coleraine-Portrush branch will each be capable of handling six-car trains if Translink is successful with a planning application. It wants to extend the platform at Dhu Varren by 65 metres and replace the present University halt with a new station which will have a 146 metre platform and associated facilities. The decking of the footbridge at Lisburn station has been renewed. The reopening of the closed and lifted Portadown to Armagh line for passenger traffic continues to be discussed by the local council. A survey of the preferred route has been approved and funded.

■ 4000 CLASS DMU:

There has been progress with the commissioning of extended 4000 Class DMUs.

Mileage accumulation was undertaken by six-car DMU No. 4017 during the period under review, with trips between Carrickfergus and Newry being the regular run. As part of the commissioning programme the York Road based unit was clearance tested between Bleach Green Junction and Londonderry and the Coleraine to Portrush branch overnight on September 12/13. No. 4017 was active on crew training between Bangor and Lisburn on the 15th, while the Bleach Green Junction to Larne Harbour branch was clearance tested on the 18th.

■ TRACTION AND TRAFFIC:

Signalling problems in the Bellarena area on August 24 saw bustitution introduced between Coleraine and Londonderry. Normal services resumed at around 16.00. The 17.10 Belfast Great Victoria Street (GVS) to Londonderry the same day was

‘full and standing’ from Lanyon

Place. Good weather during the period under review attracted extra passengers and trains to and from coastal locations were reported to be well loaded.

The 19.55 Bangor to Portadown on August 25 omitted serving some intermediate stations between Bangor and Belfast because of capacity issues. The 09.38 Londonderry to GVS the next day was ‘full and standing’ from Ballymena. The 07.38

Londonderry to GVS on August 27 was failed at Lanyon Place and delays were also experienced after a unit failed between Lanyon Place and Yorkgate. The 10.15 GVS to Whitehead and 11.45 return were cancelled because a unit was unavailable.

Heavy passenger loadings were reported on the 11.10 GVS to Londonderry (from Yorkgate) and the 11.38, 13.38 and 15.38 ex Londonderry (from Londonderry, Ballymena and Coleraine respectively). The 12.45 Coleraine-Portrush and 13.03 return on August 30 was cancelled, while the 13.38 Londonderry-Portadown started from Coleraine. The 14.38 exLondonderry later the same day was terminated at Yorkgate with passengers transferred to another service.

A signalling problem in the Greater Belfast area saw disruption from around 17.30 to 19.00. Services worst affected were the Bangor-Portadown corridor and cross-border trains. On September 4, the 07.25 Larne Harbour-GVS started from Larne Town and terminated at Whitehead, where the passengers were transferred to the 08.15 ex-Whitehead to complete their journey.

EXTRA TRAINS

A series of late evening trains were provided from Lanyon Place on September 4, 10, 11, 17 and 18 to transport passengers attending

‘Belsonic’ music events at Ormeau Park.

The trains each evening were the 23.35 to Larne Harbour (deferred service train), extras at 23.40 to Bangor (limited stops), 23.40 to Portadown (limited stops) and 23.47 to Coleraine (all stops, except Yorkgate and Whiteabbey). All were set down only, except for the service train.

Londonderry and Larne line services were temporarily suspended during the morning of the 10th following a bridge strike between Belfast and Bleach

Green Junction, while another incident on the 15th saw services temporarily suspended between GVS and Lisburn.

The Sandite programme, which is carried out by MPV No. 11, commenced on the 15th, with the first run being from Fortwilliam Traincare depot to Portadown.