Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway
Encyclopedia
Dublin and the Belfast Junction Railway (D&BJct) was an Irish gauge
railway in Ireland
. The company was incorporated in 1845 and opened its line in stages between 1849 and 1853.
On 6 January 1852 became a junction, when the northern section of the D&BJct was opened between Portadown and about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) beyond . Bridging of valley near Bessbrook
delayed the running of through trains to just north of until 1852. The Boyne Viaduct
at Drogheda was not built until 1854–55, at a cost of £124,000, to the design of Sir John Macneill
, who was the consulting engineer for the D&BJct.
The D&BJct line from Drogheda to Portadown connected the Ulster Railway
's Portadown – Belfast line with the Dublin and Drogheda Railway
's Dublin Amiens Street
– Drogheda line, forming the main line between Dublin and Belfast
.
In 1875 the D&BJct merged with the D&B, forming the Northern Railway of Ireland
.
Irish gauge
Irish gauge railways use a track gauge of . It is used in* Ireland * Australia where it is also known as Victorian Broad Gauge* Brazil where it is also known as Bitola larga no Brasil....
railway in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The company was incorporated in 1845 and opened its line in stages between 1849 and 1853.
On 6 January 1852 became a junction, when the northern section of the D&BJct was opened between Portadown and about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) beyond . Bridging of valley near Bessbrook
Bessbrook
Bessbrook is a village in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It lies about three miles northwest of Newry and close to the main Dublin–Belfast road and rail line...
delayed the running of through trains to just north of until 1852. The Boyne Viaduct
Boyne Viaduct
The Boyne Viaduct , a 30m high railway bridge, or viaduct, that crosses the River Boyne in Drogheda, carrying the main Dublin–Belfast railway line. It was the seventh bridge of its kind in the world when built and considered one of the wonders of the age...
at Drogheda was not built until 1854–55, at a cost of £124,000, to the design of Sir John Macneill
John Benjamin Macneill
Sir John Benjamin MacNeill FRS was an eminent Irish civil engineer of the 19th century, closely associated with Thomas Telford. His most notable projects were railway schemes in Ireland...
, who was the consulting engineer for the D&BJct.
The D&BJct line from Drogheda to Portadown connected the Ulster Railway
Ulster Railway
The Ulster Railway was a railway company operating in Ulster, Ireland. The company was incorporated in 1836 and merged with two other railway companies in 1876 to form the Great Northern Railway .-History:...
's Portadown – Belfast line with the Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Dublin and Drogheda Railway was an Irish gauge railway company in Ireland.The D&D constructed the railway line between Dublin and Drogheda. The company presented the scheme to parliament in 1836 and received royal assent on 13 August 1836. John MacNeill was appointed as the line's engineer in...
's Dublin Amiens Street
Dublin Connolly railway station
Dublin Connolly, commonly called Connolly station , is one of the main railway stations in Dublin, Ireland, and is a focal point in the Irish route network. Opened in 1844 as Amiens Street Station, the ornate facade has a distinctive Italianate tower at its centre...
– Drogheda line, forming the main line between Dublin and Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
.
In 1875 the D&BJct merged with the D&B, forming the Northern Railway of Ireland
Northern Railway of Ireland
Northern Railway of Ireland was an Irish gauge railway company in Ireland.It was formed by a merger of the Dublin and Drogheda Railway with the Dublin and the Belfast Junction Railway in 1875. In 1876 it merged with the Irish North Western Railway and Ulster Railway to form the Great Northern...
.