The Londonderry and Coleraine Railway is a railway line between the city of Derry and the town of Coleraine in County Londonderry, built by the Londonderry and Coleraine Railway Company (L&CR). The company operated the line independently for seven years before being absorbed into the Belfast & Northern Counties Railway. The line is still in use today by NI Railways and forms part of the Belfast to Derry-Londonderry main line.
History
The Londonderry and Coleraine Railway was incorporated by the (8 & 9 Vict. c. clxxxvii) and was opened in stages from 1852 to 1853. The company had nine years of independent railway operation before being acquired by the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway. Records of the company are sketchy and incomplete.
Construction Despite being a relatively short line it required some considerable engineering works. The route starting from the Derry terminus on the east bank of the River Foyle. The line followed the river north and from where it flows into Lough Foyle the line follows south and east banks via Magilligan and Bellarena. At Magiligan an embankment was built for the railway line and about 22,000 acres reclaimed from Lough Foyle and the sea. Of the 22,000 acres 12,000 was set aside to cover the costs of the railway. The major engineering feature on the line is the two Downhill tunnels, whose construction began in June 1846. The blasting of the tunnels, the longer of which is 275 metres, attracted a crowd of up to 12,000. The blasting of the tunnels took 3600 lbs of gunpowder. When the tunnel was complete, a banquet for 500 people was held in it; the event became known locally as the Great Blast.
In 1852 the first sections of the railway between Londonderry and Limavady were ready for use. The Board of Trade authorised the opening of the line to goods traffic in October but were initially reluctant to authorise passenger traffic. Eventually authorisation was given by the end of December that year. Work on the line continued towards Coleraine from Broharris Junction four miles from Limavady.
From the mouth of Lough Foyle the line went east before following the River Bann into Coleraine. Initially the line terminated on the west bank of the Bann. In 1855 the Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Portrush Junction Railway (BBC&PJR) opened which along with the Belfast and Ballymena Railway provided a rail link between Derry and Belfast. As there was no bridge over the Bann passengers and goods had to change stations at Coleraine. In November 1860 a viaduct across the Bann was opened finally allowing through traffic between Derry and Belfast.
Branch lines As well as the mainline between Londonderry and Coleraine there were some small branch lines. The first branch from the small town of Magilligan to Magiligan Point. Magilligan Point is a promontory in the mouth of Lough Foyle, and it was hoped a ferry service from here to County Donegal could be established and thus be an extra source of traffic. The four-and-a-half-mile line was built without parliamentary approval and appears to have been opened without Board of Trade authorisation in June/July 1855. It appears that it was unprofitable and was closed by October 1855 making it the shortest-lived passenger rail line in Ireland. Ironically a seasonal ferry service between Magilligan Point and County Donegal is in operation today.
When the line opened between Londonderry and Limavady in 1852, construction work towards Coleraine started four miles from Limavady station. When the line opened in 1853 this required trains going to Coleraine via Limavady to reverse onto the mainline. Thus a junction station was constructed in 1852 and Limavady became a branch. The Limavady and Dungiven Railway Company (acquired by NCC 1907) built a 10-mile extension from Limavady to Dungiven in 1873 being completed in 1883. The line was worked from the outset by the BNCR (who acquired the Londonderry and Coleraine) as part of the Limavady branch. The branch was completely closed to passengers in 1950 with goods ceasing in 1955. Despite the loss of its branch, Limavady Junction remained open to mainline trains until 1976.
Amalgamation
The L&CR struggled financially, and from 1861 the line was leased to the growing Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (BNCR). This saw the closure of Coleraine Waterside Station with services from Derry running into the station in Coleraine on the other side of the river. Eventually the agreed to buy the L&CR, with the (34 & 35 Vict. c. clxviii) ending the line's independent existence. The railway continued as part of the main line between Belfast and Londonderry for the and its successors. The invested in the line and constructed a new terminus in Londonderry in 1874, which despite being abandoned in favour of a smaller terminus between 1980 and 2019,is still in use today.
The was acquired by the Midland Railway in 1903, becoming the Northern Counties Committee (NCC). The NCC found itself in London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) ownership following the grouping of Britain's Railways in 1921, and later the Railway Executive after nationalisation in 1948. It was acquired by the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) in 1949, then in 1967 by Northern Ireland Railways who continue to run the line.
Stations Today there are four stations on the line, Londonderry, Bellarena, Castlerock and Coleraine; however, many more stations came and went over time. Some of the former stations on the line are still standing and have been turned into private residences. Many of the L&CR stations were basic platform halts, however when the line passed into BNCR ownership the architect John Lanyon rebuilt many between 1874 and 1875, most notably the waterside terminus in Derry which is still in use.
Londonderry – Coleraine Main Line +List of stations on the Derry–Coleraine rail lineStation NameOpenedClosedPast NamesRemarksDerry~Londonderry1852/20191980Londonderry WatersideRebuilt by John Lanyon in 1874 Closed in 1980 but reopened 2019Londonderry19802019built to replace the original station replaced by original station following renovation in 2019Lisahally 1940s1940sSecond World War military haltCulmore18531973Eglinton18521973MuffRenamed in 1853 after the village changed its name new building erect by John Lanyon 1874 and 1875Longfield1940s1940sSecond World War military haltFaughanvale18531859Carrichue18521954Ballykelly18521954Drennan's Farm1940s1940sSecond World War military haltLimavady Junction185319761853–1861 Junction 1861–1875 Newtown JunctionNew buildings built by John Lanyon in 1875 ceased functioning as junction for Limavady in 1950Bellarena1853/19821976/2016Buildings designed by John Lanyon built in 1873 and 1875 closed in 1976 but was reopened in 1982
Station building is a private residenceBellarena2016new station with twin platform passing loop opened 2019 opened by Queen Elizabeth II
located on other side of level crossing from old station of same nameMagilligan18531976short-lived junction for branch to Magilligan point in 1855 buildings built between 1873 and 1875 by John Lanyon
facilitated visits to HMP Magilligan
building is a private residenceUmbra18551861only ever served as request stopDownhill18531973buildings erected in 1874 by John LanyonCastlerock1853buildings erected in 1874 by John Lanyon signal box rebuilt 1970s
The last signalbox in Northern Ireland to use mechanical signals and tokens
signal boc closed in 2016Barmouth18551856considerable distance from nearby village building in use as private residenceColeraine Waterside18531861Original L&CR terminus in Coleraine became through station in 1861 following the river Bann being bridged providing link to Coleraine Station
closed in favour of Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Portrush Junction Railway Coleraine Station Coleraine1855Buildings built in 1855 by Charles Lanyon. Buildings provided on east side of tracks in 1880s Currently functions as a joint train and bus station
Limavady Branch +List of Station on the Limavady Junction – Dungiven Rail LineStation NameOpenedClosedPast namesRemarksLimavady Junction185319501853–1861 Junction 1861–1875 Newtown JunctionNew buildings built by John Lanyon in 1875 Continued as a through station on Derry – Coleraine line until 1976Broighter18521950Stop not advertised between 1920 and 1934Limavady185219501852–1870 NewtownlimavadyTerminus of the Line from Londonderry 1852–1853Ardmore18831933Opened by Limavady & Dungiven Railway CompanyDrumsurn18831933Opened by Limavady & Dungiven Railway CompanyDerryork18831933Opened by Limavady & Dungiven Railway CompanyDungiven18831933Opened by Limavady & Dungiven Railway Company
Magilligan Point Branch +List of Stations on Magilligan – Magilligan Point TramwayStation NameOpenedClosedPast NamesRemarksMagilligan18531855Continued as a station on Derry – Coleraine line until 1976Drummond18551855Magilligan Point18551855
Locomotives and Motive Power Forming part of the main line between Derry and Belfast, the Londonderry and Coleraine Railway has seen the some of Northern Ireland's classic express engines on its rails. Likewise its branch line to Limavady has also seen some of the smaller locomotives associated with the NCC. Following nationalisation the line was converted to diesel traction and today both of NIR's classes of DMU can be found working the line.
Londonderry and Coleraine Railway Company
During the early period of L&CR ownership the company operated a variety of both second hand locomotives and new engines specifically built for them. The L&CR frequently exchanged locomotives with the neighbouring Londonderry & Enniskillen Railway (a predecessor to the Great Northern Railway). The company is not well renowned for its motive power and many of the locomotives were under powered and not suited to the line. Of the locomotives specifically built for the company these were five 2-2-0 Well Tank locomotives, and 0-4-2 and a 2-4-0. The 2-4-0 was of Robert Stephenson specification and built by Longridge and was initially loaned to the Londonderry & Enniskillen in 1847. The 2-2-0 tank engines were of NB Adams patent and built by Sharp, Stewart & Company. The order for these locos was for six however before delivery one was sent to Dublin for the International Dublin Exhibition of 1853, where it was sold to the Newry and Enniskillen Railway and thus never worked on the line. These engines were unsuitable for a line the size of the Londonderry and Coleraine Railway being under powered and unstable. Being outside cylinder locos they were unstable at speed and one lurched off the track in 1855 resulting in one fatality. As such a common practise was to couple two engines back to back. The 0-4-2 was built in 1859 by Grendon, the company also ordered another 2-4-0 from fairbairn but this arrived in 1860 after the BNCR take over and so never ran on the line under L&CR ownership. The company also bought two 2-2-2WTs from the BBC&PJR.
Belfast & Northern Counties Railway See Northern Counties Committee
Nine L&CR engines joined the BNCR fleet when it acquired the line. It had no significant influence on the future locomotive policy of the BNCR and most of these inherited locomotives were withdrawn before 1900. The BNCR used 2-4-0 locomotives for passenger trains and 0-6-0 locomotives for goods trains. They were mainly built by Sharp, Stewart & Company and Beyer, Peacock & Company.
Under the locomotive Superintendent Bowman Malcolm, the company experimented with compounding and many of these locomotives survived into NCC ownership. This company was also the first in the world to fit its locomotives with Ross "pop" safety valves invented by R L Ross from Coleraine. This invention would see wide use on British locomotives as well as some of those used overseas.
Northern Counties Committee