Whiteabbey railway station explained

Whiteabbey
Name Lang:en
Symbol:rail
Symbol Location:ni
Type:Commuter rail
Address:Whiteabbey
Borough:County Antrim
Country:Northern Ireland
Coordinates:54.6728°N -5.9044°W
Line:Belfast-Larne line (2)
Belfast-Derry line (3)
Structure:At-grade
Platform:2
Tracks:2
Parking:Car parks on both sides
Services:Shelters
Years:1848
Events:Opened
Years1:2008
Events1:Refurbished
Electrified:No
Owned:NI Railways
Operator:NI Railways
Zone:3
Map State:collapsed
Map Type:Northern Ireland
Route Map:
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Zoom:14
Embedded:

Whiteabbey Railway Station serves the village of Whiteabbey in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland.

History

The station was opened by the Belfast and Ballymena Railway on 11 April 1848.[1]

The station buildings were erected in 1863–1864, and the waiting room on the down platform was built in the 1890s. These buildings have since been demolished and replaced with basic NIR shelters.

After Whiteabbey, the next station down the Larne line used to be Bleach Green Halt, but this was closed in May 1977.[2] Close to the Bleach Green Viaducts.

Service

It is the first station outside Belfast on the Larne Line.On weekdays, there is a half-hourly service to with extra trains at peak times. In the other direction, there is a half-hourly service with the terminus alternating between and every half an hour, with additional services to and Larne Town at peak times.

The first train out on weekdays is the 06:15 to Whitehead [3] and last train in is at 23:10.[4]

On Saturdays, there are fewer peak time trains, but the service remains half-hourly.

On Sundays, there is an hourly service on the Larne Line.

Although technically on the Belfast-Derry railway line, Whiteabbey only sees one weekday morning service from, one weekday morning service from, and two weekday evening services to Coleraine calling. No other Belfast-Derry services call at Whiteabbey outside of special circumstances.

Facilities

At Whiteabbey there are 2 carparks, one at each platform. The station could be considered accessible to those who are mobility impaired, with steps and ramps.

There are benches and shelters on each platform.

At the end of the Belfast platform, there is a footpath (not signposted) that runs alongside the railway to Dillon's Avenue. The residential street has access to the main road through Whiteabbey.

Notes and References

  1. http://www.railbrit.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf Whiteabbey - Irish Railways
  2. http://www.railbrit.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf Bleach Green Halt - Irish Railways
  3. Web site: Timetable . www.translink.co.uk . 2021-09-02.
  4. Web site: Timetable . www.translink.co.uk . 2021-09-02.