NI Railways Train from Belfast Great Victoria Street to Yorkgate

NI Railways is the railway operator in Northern Ireland with a network of Irish Gauge (5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm)) lines in common with the Republic of Ireland. The operating network and services are rather simple with 4 main lines radiating out of Belfast and with just 2 types of passenger rolling stock, both of which are DMUs, all operating without seat reservations and class differentiation.

As my time in Belfast was limited, I bought an Adult Rail 1 Day – Off Peak ticket from the mLink app for just £1.60 just for a short joyride within the city. The mLink Adult Rail 1 Day – Off Peak ticket is 10p cheaper than a single which costs £1.70, so it’s a no-brainer really to just buy a 1 day ticket even if travelling just once.

Belfast Great Victoria Street Railway Station

Belfast Great Victoria Street is the main railway terminal for most NI Railways services.

The entrance to Belfast Great Victoria Street is through the Great Northern Mall.

The Belfast Europa Buscentre is also located within the same premises.

Walking through Belfast Europa Buscentre to get to Belfast Great Victoria Street.

The concourse of Belfast Great Victoria Street Railway Station.

Walking through the desk in front of the platforms without any ticket checks. Tickets are checked on arriving passengers.

The end-on platforms at Belfast Great Victoria Street Railway Station.

My train to Yorkgate was ready to depart from Belfast Great Victoria Street Railway Station Platform 3.

My train was formed of 2 sets of 3-car Class 3000 DMUs.

The interior of the NI Railways Class 3000.

There is a wheelchair-accessible toilet on board.

Seats around this area are fold-down longitudinal seats which doubles up as space for passengers in wheelchairs.

The NI Railways Class 3000 were part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

USB power sockets are available in front of each pair of seats or on the table.

Departing from Belfast Great Victoria Street Railway Station.

The NI Railways route map is pasted on the train doors.

Splitting left at Westlink Junction towards City Hospital.

Passing by an arriving Class 4000 DMU to Belfast Great Victoria Street.

Merging at City Junction before City Hospital Railway Station. The bypass line is mainly used by the Enterprise cross-border inter-city train between Dublin Connolly in Ireland and Belfast Lanyon Place in Northern Ireland.

City Hospital Railway Station

Making a brief stop at City Hospital Railway Station.

Botanic Railway Station

Making a brief stop at Botanic Railway Station.

Approaching Belfast Lanyon Place Railway Station.

Belfast Lanyon Place Railway Station

Belfast Lanyon Place Railway Station is the other major railway station in Belfast due to its location within the city centre near the River Lagan, and is also the terminal for the Enterprise cross-border inter-city train to Dublin Connolly, Ireland.

Crossing the Lagan Railway and Pedestrian Bridge over the River Lagan.

The Harland & Wolff shipyard’s iconic Samson and Goliath twin shipbuilding gantry cranes can be seen just ahead.

The Bangor Line splits off here towards Titanic Quarter and all stations to Bangor.

Heading parallel to the Lagan Bridge on a single-track alignment.

The single-track alignment gives way to a passing loop…

… before becoming single-track again.

Yorkgate Railway Station

Entering Yorkgate Railway Station as the track splits to a double-track alignment once again.

My journey from Belfast Great Victoria Street to Yorkgate took 13 minutes.

My NI Railways Class 3000 DMU at Yorkgate.

This train will continue on to Londonderry where it terminates.

Heading out of Yorkgate.

Interestingly, the corporate font used by NI Railways seems to be Ocean Sans Std XBold, which is similar to the LTAIdentity font.

The façade of Yorkgate Railway Station.

After a short walk around Yorkgate Railway Station, I headed back in to catch the next train back to Belfast Great Victoria Street.