Tracing the Portadown-Dungannon railway line on Google satellite and street view
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- Опубликовано: 20 окт 2020
- The Portadown - Dungannon railway line closed in 1965, and the M1 motorway reached Dungannon in 1967 at a time when it was thought that trains were obsolete and could be replaced by private cars. However since then we have learned more about the inability of the car to scale up to larger volumes that come about as population grows, as well as concerns about safety, pollution, and carbon emissions. There is a growing movement to restore at least parts of the old railway network and give people the option of getting around without a car.
This film shows how much of the old route is still intact and what challenges might lie in the way of restoring it.
Excellent Video Eamon, very informative.
For your information at approx 12.07 in the field just before Far Circular Road you can see the scar line on the ground where the Railway line ran. From obtaining local knowledge and details from old OS Maps, the Railway here heading towards what is now the Rugby Club, entered a Tunnel which ran under the Moy Road and re-emerged just immediately to the South-West of the Junction of Ranfurly Road and Wellington Road. (The entrance to this is still there down the laneway to a private Dwelling). The entrance to the other end of the tunnel can also still be seen from the M1 motorway ,looking across the fields just a few hundred yards after where the Culnagrew Road crosses it looking directly west.
Where his mouse cursor is at on approx. 14:09 I'm trying to buy a house just there but it is just not possible to get a mortgage because the bank gets scared when they look at the surveyors report that there may be Viscount Northlands tunnel underneath the foundations!
What can be seen from the motorway is actually a substantial bridge, located in the middle of farmland in the area of Derrycreevy. It was evidently designed to permit the farmer to move his stock and equipment from one side of his farm to the other.
The actual entrance to the tunnel has completely vanished beneath the Gortmerron Link Road at its junction with Cunningham’s Lane. Just beyond this point, there is a broad, straight strip of rough grassland, heading towards the Moy Road; which might indicate the direction of the tunnel below. The tunnel exit, at the Dungannon end, is on private property.
Hi Eamonn, when I worked for Dungannon Council, we had considered looking at the Ranfurley tunnel as part of a greenway through Dungannon. The Tunnel is 3800ft long and would have allowed a cycle path and pedestrian pathway to connect right through to the cookstown road by using the old railway lines. However it was felt that the political will, finance and potential anti-social behaviour were stumbling blocks to achieving a reopening of the tunnel.
Hi Chris. Interesting. When did this happen? On the ASB issue I would say they'd have a point. It'd be a scary thing to ride through. I hear there's enough ASB in the park as it is, but if there was a tunnel to give the young gulpins a bit of shelter from the elements it'd be even worse.
@@eamonnca1 Only as recently as 2014 I was looking at the possibility of opening up old railways lines for cycle paths as a means of promoting sustainable travel. I actually covered what was known as the Southern Group region and I looked at sustainable travel as the Air Quality Officer in Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon and Dungannon. The first thing I would always look at were the old railway lines winding through the towns and cities.
Interesting exploring the Portadown - Dungannon section. The junction for Coalisland/ Cookstown was a logical finish. Regarding maps I have browsed maps in Trinity College Map Library in Dublin.. I found the staff there to be very helpful. Thank you Éamonn for making this film.
great vid, enjoyed it, better than that bumpy bus ride to Dungannon.....
The reopening of the line would cut down on Traffic Jams, Road Deaths/Car Accidents & Pollution.
You would have seen the remains of a platform to the left of the path as you look down from the bridge at 15.34. I am unsure as to whether it was the passenger station or the goods.
I see it now. Good catch!
@@eamonnca1 I’ve walked along that path and photographed the platform.
There was a tunnel on the approach to Dungannon
Wonderful video! Are you planning on doing the full length of the Derry Road?
Possibly. I want to do Lisburn-Banbridge next
My videos of the full length of the Derry Road are now complete, I did it in three sections.
Eamonn I enjoyed each video! Thanks for taking the time to produce these. On a scale from 1 - 5, how feasible would you say the Derry Road would be to reopen between Portadown and the old Foyle Road? I would think it would be wiser to route the route into the Waterside station to utilise the brand new infrastructure, rather than Foyle Road on the opposite bank, but this would involve rerouting the line via Newbuildings or the likes.
@@eamonnca1
7:26. You missed out Annaghmore Station.
@@eamonnca1
10:16. There used to be the sides of a bridge but they have been removed.
The dungannon train station was under the 2nd last bridge u looked down off In this video
I used to live in the housing estate near that railway line. I moved out in June 2019.
West track would be good
Hub a the north