Banbridge Junction Railway
{{Short description|Railway line in Northern Ireland}}
{{Infobox rail
| railroad_name = Banbridge Junction Railway
| other_name = Banbridge, Newry, Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway
| image = Old railway, Lenaderg - geograph.org.uk - 341276.jpg
| caption = A section of the former line, which closed in 1955, pictured near Lenaderg in 1969
| start_year = 1859
| end_year = 1955
| successor_line = Great Northern Railway (Ireland) (GNRI)
| gauge = {{Track gauge|5 ft 3 in}}
| length = {{approx|5 to 6 miles}}
| routemap =
}}
The Banbridge Junction Railway was a railway line that operated between Banbridge, County Down and Scarva, County Armagh. Opened in 1859, it was absorbed into the Great Northern Railway of Ireland in 1887. The line closed in the 1950s.
History
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title = Banbridge Junction Railway Act 1853
| type = Act
| parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title =
| year = 1853
| citation = 16 & 17 Vict. c. ccviii
| introduced_commons =
| introduced_lords =
| territorial_extent =
| royal_assent = 20 August 1853
| commencement =
| expiry_date =
| repeal_date =
| amends =
| replaces =
| amendments =
| repealing_legislation = {{ubli|Banbridge Junction Railway Act 1856}}
| related_legislation =
| status = repealed
| legislation_history =
| theyworkforyou =
| millbankhansard =
| original_text = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/16-17/208/pdfs/ukla_18530208_en.pdf
| revised_text =
| use_new_UK-LEG =
| UK-LEG_title =
| collapsed = yes
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title = Banbridge Junction Railway Act 1856
| type = Act
| parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title = An Act for altering the Name of the Banbridge, Newry, Dublin, and Belfast Junction Railway Company to the Name "The Banbridge Junction Railway Company," for increasing their Capital and extending their Powers, and for other Purposes.
| year = 1856
| citation = 19 & 20 Vict. c. xxxiv
| introduced_commons =
| introduced_lords =
| territorial_extent =
| royal_assent = 23 June 1856
| commencement =
| expiry_date =
| repeal_date =
| amends =
| replaces = {{ubli|Banbridge Junction Railway Act 1853}}
| amendments =
| repealing_legislation =
| related_legislation =
| status =
| legislation_history =
| theyworkforyou =
| millbankhansard =
| original_text = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/19-20/34/pdfs/ukla_18560034_en.pdf
| revised_text =
| use_new_UK-LEG =
| UK-LEG_title =
| collapsed = yes
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title = {{visible anchor|Banbridge Junction Railway (Lease) Act 1860}}
| type = Act
| parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title = An Act to authorize the Lease of the Banbridge Junction Railway to the Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway Company; and for other Purposes.
| year = 1860
| citation = 23 & 24 Vict. c. lix
| introduced_commons =
| introduced_lords =
| territorial_extent =
| royal_assent = 25 May 1860
| commencement =
| expiry_date =
| repeal_date =
| amends =
| replaces =
| amendments =
| repealing_legislation =
| related_legislation =
| status =
| legislation_history =
| theyworkforyou =
| millbankhansard =
| original_text = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/23-24/59/pdfs/ukla_18600059_en.pdf
| revised_text =
| use_new_UK-LEG =
| UK-LEG_title =
| collapsed = yes
}}
The company that operated the railway line, initially named the Banbridge, Newry, Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway Company, was created by the {{visible anchor|Banbridge Junction Railway Act 1853}} (16 & 17 Vict. c. ccviii).{{cite web|url = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/16-17/208/contents/enacted | website = legislation.gov.uk | title = Banbridge Junction Railway Act 1853 | access-date = 7 October 2024 }}{{cite web|url = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/23-24/59/contents/enacted | website = legislation.gov.uk | title = Banbridge Junction Railway (Lease) Act 1860 | access-date = 7 October 2024 }} The initial shareholders of the company included several local mill owners and linen producers, such as Thomas Ferguson, John Smyth, Robert McClelland and William Waugh. The company was renamed, to the Banbridge Junction Railway Company, under the {{visible anchor|Banbridge Junction Railway Act 1856}} (19 & 20 Vict. c. xxxiv).{{cite web|url = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/19-20/34/contents/enacted | website = legislation.gov.uk | title = Banbridge Junction Railway Act 1856 | access-date = 7 October 2024 }}
Development of the line took place in the mid- to late-1850s, and railway engineers associated with the survey, design and construction work included James Price{{cite web|url = https://www.dib.ie/biography/price-james-a7499 | work = Dictionary of Irish Biography | title = Price, James | first = Stefanie P. | last = Jones | doi = 10.3318/dib.007499.v1 | date = 2009 | quote = Price [..] was appointed resident engineer in charge of surveying the Banbridge Junction railway line (1855–7), ultimately overseeing its construction (1858–9) }}{{cite web|url = https://www.dia.ie/architects/view/4416/PRICE-JAMES%5B1%5D | work = Dictionary of Irish Architects | title = Price, James | publisher = Irish Architectural Archive | access-date = 7 October 2024 | quote = Price [..] was employed from 1855 to 1857 as resident engineer of the Banbridge Junction Railway }} and William Dargan.{{cite web|url = https://www.dib.ie/biography/dargan-william-a2407 | work = Dictionary of Irish Biography | title = Dargan, William |first = Fergus | last = Mulligan | doi = 10.3318/dib.002407.v1 | quote = Back in Ireland Dargan came to dominate railway construction in the 1850s [..] After this came the [..] Banbridge Junction Railway. There were few railway projects in which he was not involved }} The Banbridge Junction Railway (BJR) opened in 1859.{{cite web|url = https://www.railscot.co.uk/companies/B/Banbridge_Junction_Railway/ | website = railscot.co.uk | title = Banbridge Junction Railway | access-date = 7 October 2024 }}
The line, which was approximately 5 miles in length, connected the Banbridge Railway with the Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway.{{cite book | title = A History of the County of Down | first = Alexander | last = Knox | date = 1875 | publisher = Hodges, Foster & Company | page = 99 | quote = The Banbridge Junction Railway forms a connection between the Banbridge Railway, and the Dublin and Belfast Junction Railroad, at Scarva. Its length is about five miles, with an intervening station at Laurencetown }} It served several mills, which were involved in producing Irish linen, along the River Bann near Banbridge.{{cite web|url = https://www.rosdavies.com/PHOTOSwords/RailwayStations.htm | website = rosdavies.com | title = Railway Stations in County Down | accessdate = 9 October 2024 | quote = The pressure from the linen industry saw the opening of the railway from Banbridge to Scarva in 1859 }}{{citation | title = Down: History & Society | first = Lindsay J. |last = Proudfoot | publisher = Geography Publications | isbn = 9780906602805 | date = 1997 | page = 620 | quote = In its vicinity [Banbridge] were many large textile mills and associated housing. It was logical therefore, that once the D.B.J.R. established a main line between Newry and Portadown in 1852, they should build a connection to Banbridge. Accordingly, a spur was constructed off the main line at Scarva by the Banbridge Junction railway between 1852 and 1859 [..] It was of particular benefit to the mills, facilitating the import of coal, flax and yarn, and the export of cloth }}
The BJR was absorbed into the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) (GNRI) in 1877.{{cite web|url = https://www.scripoworld.com/records/ireland/banbridge-junction-railway-company/ | title = Banbridge Junction Railway Company | website = scripoworld.com | access-date = 7 October 2024 }}{{cite web|url = https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/1932_Great_Northern_Railway_(Ireland) | work = Grace's Guide | title = 1932 Great Northern Railway (Ireland) | access-date = 7 October 2024 }} The line closed in 1955.
Stations
Stations and halts on the line included:{{citation |url = https://www.branchline.uk/jfpdf/northernirelandrlysandtwys.pdf | website = branchline.uk | title = Northern Ireland Railways & Tramways - SL 19 1 - Passenger Lines - Stations & Stops | page = 2 | access-date = 7 October 2024 }}
- Banbridge station (1859–1863); Replaced by the Banbridge, Lisburn and Belfast Railway station (1863–1956)
- Smyth's Siding passenger halt ({{circa|1903–1930s}}){{sfn|Railscot|2003|loc=p. 53 "Smyth's Siding [Opened] ??.??.1903 [Pass[enger] Closure] ??.??.1937"}}{{sfn|Butt|1995|loc=p.214 "Smyth's Siding GN(I) [..] OP[EN] by 1904; CL[OSED] after 1929 "}}
- Lenaderg station (1904–1955){{sfn|Railscot|2003|p=39}}
- Laurencetown station (1859–1955){{sfn|Railscot|2003|p=38}}{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=139}}
- Scarva station (terminus)
References
=Sources=
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite book | title = The Directory of Railway Stations | last = Butt | first = R.J.V. | publisher = Stephens | date = 1995 | isbn = 9781852605087 }}
- {{cite web|title=Irish Railways | date = 2003 | work=Railscot - Irish Railways | url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf | access-date=2012-05-06 | ref= {{harvid|Railscot|2003}} | first = Bob | last = Ayres }}
{{refend}}
=Notes=
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commonscat}}
- [https://nigreenways.com/banbridge-to-scarva-greenway/ Proposed Banbridge Junction Greenway]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQfU-wdnwEY "Off the Beaten Track - Scarva to Banbridge and Newcastle", episode 2 of 5-part BBC/RTÉ series (1997)] via YouTube
{{coord missing|Northern Ireland}}
Category:Closed railways in Northern Ireland
{{Rail-transport-stub}}