Belfast Grand Central

[fandroid]

I see from the New Civil Engineer that the construction of the replacement for Belfast's Gt. Victoria St. station - Belfast Grand Central, is well under way. It mentions a doubling of platforms from 4 to 8.

Does anyone know what service enhancements are mooted coming out of this increased capacity?

Belfast Grand Central Station construction remains on track despite Covid and supply chain challenges | New Civil Engineer

Farrans Sacyr JV is delivering the £105M project on behalf of Northern Ireland public transport provider Translink. Main construction began earlier this

www.newcivilengineer.com

"We're very much looking to develop public transport in Northern Ireland and Belfast Grand Central Station is part of that," Brown added. "We're looking to double our rail capacity by constructing this station, from four platforms currently to eight, and we're providing 26 bus stands from our current 19.

"It's a significant investment in Northern Ireland and we're going to have the largest integrated transport hub in Ireland when it's complete in 2025."

 

[hexagon789]

The greatest change I can think of the the switching of the Enterprise service to Grand Central from Lanyon Place, an alteration which has long been planned.

Not aware of any earmarked frequency uplifts.

 

[pdeaves]

The greatest change I can think of the the switching of the Enterprise service to Grand Central from Lanyon Place, an alteration which has long been planned.

I concur. I have read elsewhere that the Enterprise will move there.

 

[bib]

Probably will depend on how passenger demand changes between now and 2025 or whenever it is due to open. I'd guess at a minimum they will also be able to run more of the recently extended 6-car units into GVS in the peak. Pre-covid the peak timetable contained quite a few extra services compared to the off-peak, but I think the current GVS is quite constrained for platform length and hence the extra platforms in the rebuild.
I think there's also a bit of extra track being put in to give a 3rd track for the first mile or 2 towards Lisburn, so that might enable extra services from Lisburn and Portadown, or the peak timetable to be extended for a bit.
I imagine in the long term there will be an aspiration to run more services or increase capacity on the main commuter lines to Bangor/Lisburn and maybe Carrickfergus, and maybe extend the hours of the peak time 2nd train per hour to Coleraine, though that'd probably need more passing loops to run reliably.

 

[LLivery]

Enterprise is becoming hourly at peak times, with hopes for all day, but not sure if it's dependent on this

 

[Steddenm]

According to Translinks blurb on BBC Newsline the other night:
• additional peak Belfast - Dublin services (using railcars)
• some Portadown services extended to Newry
• additional services to Larne Town (with extentions to the Harbour when required by the ferry)
• Enterprise services diverted into GC from LP
• feasibility study is reopening the Portadown/Lisburn - Antrim route
• half hourly service Belfast - Coleraine with 1tph to Derry~Londonderry and 1tph to Portrush
• City Metro service between York Street (New name for rebuilt Yorkgate) and GC and reverse to Bangor (calling at LP, Botanic and City Hospital twice)

 

[bib]

It's mentioned in this youtube video that the passenger capacity of the new hub will be 14m per year, including the bus station, vs 6m for the current GVS/Europa complex, so there would appear to be plenty of scope for increasing services. Also gives some of the history of the site and a brief construction update, showing that the exterior of the new buildings appear to be progressing fairly rapidly.

Todays video is all about Belfast Grand Central Station.

What is Belfast Grand Central Station, you ask?

Belfast Grand Central Station (formerly Belfast Transport Hub), is a new integrated transport hub that is set to replace Great Victoria Street Railway Station and the Europa Buscentre.

Having a footprint of almost 900,000 square feet, it is going to be the largest integrated transport hub on the Island of Ireland.

This video was made to try and help clear up the mountain of misinformation and misunderstandings I see day-to-day on the internet surrounding the station.

 

[Trainbike46]

As someone who lives relatively close, it does look like it is truly getting somewhere.

I wasn't aware of the coleraine improvements! that is amazing, and there is the long term aim to have the enterprise hourly all day and faster. There was also talk of extra earlier/later services

I have also heard of a vague aim to electrify Belfast-Dublin, but that is very much in the future, as they don't even know whether they would use 1500V DC overhead or 25 kV AC overhead

 

[vic-rijrode]

As someone who lives relatively close, it does look like it is truly getting somewhere.

I wasn't aware of the coleraine improvements! that is amazing, and there is the long term aim to have the enterprise hourly all day and faster. There was also talk of extra earlier/later services

I have also heard of a vague aim to electrify Belfast-Dublin, but that is very much in the future, as they don't even know whether they would use 1500V DC overhead or 25 kV AC overhead

Probably 1500V DC in NI and 25kV AC in the Republic - or just possibly vice versa.

I'll get my coat.

 

[Trainbike46]

Probably 1500V DC in NI and 25kV AC in the Republic - or just possibly vice versa.

I'll get my coat.

The republic already uses 1.5kV DC for the DART, which is the only reason they're even considering it at all

So yeah, both systems is actually a possible outcome though the split would probably be somewhere in the republic

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• City Metro service between York Street (New name for rebuilt Yorkgate) and GC and reverse to Bangor (calling at LP, Botanic and City Hospital twice)

A Metro train service? actually?

 

[edwin_m]

The republic already uses 1.5kV DC for the DART, which is the only reason they're even considering it at all

So yeah, both systems is actually a possible outcome though the split would probably be somewhere in the republic

They could always adopt the compromise they did for the track gauge in Victorian times, and take the average. Anyone for 12875V at 25Hz?

 

[OVS Flatbottom]

So yeah, both systems is actually a possible outcome though the split would probably be somewhere in the republic

The current (no pun intended) assumption in the Republic is for 25kV outside the DART area, which would mean the changeover on the Dublin-Belfast route would be at Drogheda (assuming the present DART+ plans to be completed). Of course, a lot of things could change between now and any final decision on mainline electrification.

 

[td97]

I have also heard of a vague aim to electrify Belfast-Dublin, but that is very much in the future, as they don't even know whether they would use 1500V DC overhead or 25 kV AC overhead

25kV AC. Probably a long time off, given the desire is for 125mph running. More of a TRU whole route upgrade type project.

 

[bib]

Interesting quote from a previous thread re - Belfast-Dublin

It was quicker when first upgraded to 90mph in the late-1990s it took 1h51-55 mostly, a few took 2+ hours due to extra stops. The congestion from augmented suburban services at both Belfast and Dublin ends really slows it down; it is now on near identical timings to the 1970s despite linespeed back then being only 70mph.

It'd take a lot of linespeed improvements in more rural areas even to make up for the 15-20mins it appears to be currently losing due to inter-running with Dart and local NIR services in urban areas.

 

[Trainbike46]

Interesting quote from a previous thread re - Belfast-Dublin

It'd take a lot of linespeed improvements in more rural areas even to make up for the 15-20mins it appears to be currently losing due to inter-running with Dart and local NIR services in urban areas.

That may get better on the Belfast end with the switch to Great victoria street

 

[Carlisle]

According to Translinks blurb on BBC Newsline the other night:
•
• feasibility study is reopening the Portadown/Lisburn - Antrim route
•

It’d also be nice to think the Armagh line could be reopened at some point

 

[WAB]

The western routes from Londonderry to Sligo via Omagh and Enniskillen would be good for economically regenerating the western part of NI, but I suspect that'll have to wait until Irish reunification/an improvement in NI local politics (ha!)

 

[vic-rijrode]

The western routes from Londonderry to Sligo via Omagh and Enniskillen would be good for economically regenerating the western part of NI, but I suspect that'll have to wait until Irish reunification/an improvement in NI local politics (ha!)

We will have nuclear powered trains before Irish reunification.

 

[edwin_m]

We will have nuclear powered trains before Irish reunification.

That would make them fission rather than fusion trains then.

 

[Elwyn]

It’d also be nice to think the Armagh line could be reopened at some point

There is a local group working on that. I saw a detailed presentation on it a year or two back. The trackbed is remarkably unobstructed. There’s 1 commercial building that would need to be demolished, and a roundabout at Portadown that will need altered but otherwise nearly all is intact and a location in Armagh has been identified to be the terminus. Armagh city council are very supportive. But it needs political and financial support from Stormont for it to happen.

 

[najaB]

But it needs political and financial support from Stormont for it to happen.

And, of course, that needs Stormont to be up and functional in the first place.

 

[fgwrich]

There is a local group working on that. I saw a detailed presentation on it a year or two back. The trackbed is remarkably unobstructed. There’s 1 commercial building that would need to be demolished, and a roundabout at Portadown that will need altered but otherwise nearly all is intact and a location in Armagh has been identified to be the terminus. Armagh city council are very supportive. But it needs political and financial support from Stormont for it to happen.

Looking at Google maps, you'd have a bit of a tight squeeze at the Portadown end, with the A3 using some of the trackbed. Possibly enough for a single track line at least.

 

[Elwyn]

This link is 18 months old now but gives a bit of background to the Armagh project:

New Portadown-Armagh City rail link a 'no brainer'

Councillors back funding a study into reinstating the route which closed in the 1950s.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[bib]

Lots of pictures of what I think is the bus station part of the hub in the skyscrapercity forum, there does seem to be one wall of the train station constructed.

BELFAST | Belfast Grand Central Station & Weavers...

G2Gap's futurebelfast site has been updated with info on the proposed transport hub which would incorporate the existing bus station at Great Victoria St and return our main railway station back to its original site - or as near as dammit. More information here...

www.skyscrapercity.com

The original source of some nice arial shots

https://twitter.com/niplanner/status/1630512256587792384/photo/1

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Mar 2023 ==

A video from the contractor of the busway which will connect the station to the motorway. The busway bridge will pass over the re-located railway, and it looks like possibly foundations of 2 of the platforms at the rail station have been started.

 

[bib]

Platforms are taking shape and steelwork is complete.

Steel frame complete on Belfast’s new £105M Grand Central Station | New Civil Engineer

The new transport hub will replace the current Europa bus centre and Great Victoria Street train station with an 8ha site in Weavers Cross, a new

www.newcivilengineer.com

Contractor Farrans Sacyr JV, designer Arup and client Translink have celebrated Belfast Grand Central Station’s topping out ceremony to mark the completion of the main building’s steel frame.
The new transport hub will replace the current Europa bus centre and Great Victoria Street train station with an 8ha site in Weavers Cross, a new neighbourhood in the city centre. As a placemaking project and the largest integrated transport facility on the island of Ireland, the £105M has been funded by the Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure.

Belfast Grand Central will be a multimodal transport hub with 26 bus ports, eight train platforms and bike lanes to foster sustainable mobility.

 

[bib]

https://vimeo.com/851361634

Some drone footage of the new station throughout this video

 

[bib]

Looks like it could be complete this year, potentially Nov/Dec. There's been a lot of progress in the last year.

 

[Basil Jet]

Thanks, interesting stuff!

"When we move the Enterprise service we will have the capacity to go to an hourly service"

Why would the dedicated platform it currently has at Lanyon Place not be enough for an hourly service?

 

[najaB]

Why would the dedicated platform it currently has at Lanyon Place not be enough for an hourly service?

My guess is that it needs two platforms since the journey time isn't an even multiple of 1 hour, so sometimes the inbound train would arrive before the outbound leaves.

 

[hwl]

Looks like it could be complete this year, potentially Nov/Dec. There's been a lot of progress in the last year.

Provisionally summer 2025