Quote:
Originally Posted by James Shields
Thanks for the information. There isn't a rail line on Carlisle Pier any more, is there?
(However there is a third platform, which might make it a handy place to terminate a Belfast or northern line commuter.)
|
Indeed there’s no rail line on the Carlisle Pier anymore; the short branch and pier station closed in 1980. Apparently this was due to preparatory work for the DART. It is said that such was the track curvature from the mainline immediately south of Mallin station onto the Pier branch that DART operation was precluded. Also, as happened south of Dún Laoghaire, the trackbed had to be lowered to facilitate the installation of the overhead power equipment though there doesn’t appear to be any preventing reason why the trackbed couldn’t have been lowered on the pier branch too.
As a brief aside a re-created period station and reinstated connection to the mainline could form an integral element of a Diaspora Centre (if ever built) on the pier.
The trackbed reservation remains from just south of Mallin station (easy to discern from a passing train) through the overbridge carrying Queen’s Road to the internal public road in the harbour where the terminal used to be (Google Streetview still has the July 2009 imagery for anyone interested in seeing what the terminal and trainshed looked like).
Back to the present if the loop was still at Mosney I wonder would the NIR set have been permitted to stable there.
It seems incredible that one relatively small train cannot be facilitated for a layover in the capital. If it is going to stable in Dún Laoghaire it may as well operate in service the whole way there.
While the traditional reason for serving Dún Laoghaire is gone for now/ever an occasional service from Belfast travelling to Dún Laoghaire has an USP as it would give direct access to the south city business area as well as facilitating recreational users.