Bleach Green
Encyclopedia
Bleach Green is a railway junction located in Newtownabbey
where the Belfast
to Larne
railway line diverges from the Belfast to Derry
route. The Bleach Green Junction is the only burrowing junction in the whole of Ireland.
is long closed, although one of the platforms did survive until the Larne Line was relayed in 2006. The Junction lies 3/4 of a mile to the North of Whiteabbey Station
.
located at Bleach Green, which was completed in 1933 to allow trains to run between Belfast York Road Station and Ballymena
without having to reverse at Greenisland
(Then Carrickfergus Junction). The viaduct was repainted and the junction relayed in 2001 for the reopening of the railway line between Belfast and Antrim
.
Newtownabbey
Newtownabbey is a large town north of Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Sometimes considered to be a suburb of Belfast, it is separated from the rest of the city by Cavehill and Fortwilliam golf course...
where the Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
to Larne
Larne
Larne is a substantial seaport and industrial market town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a population of 18,228 people in the 2001 Census. As of 2011, there are about 31,000 residents in the greater Larne area. It has been used as a seaport for over 1,000 years, and is...
railway line diverges from the Belfast to Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
route. The Bleach Green Junction is the only burrowing junction in the whole of Ireland.
History
There was a 4 platform station here, 2 serving the Larne Lines and 2 serving the Derry Lines. The junction stationJunction station
Junction station usually refers to a railway station situated or close to a junction where lines to several destinations diverge. The usual minimum is three incoming lines...
is long closed, although one of the platforms did survive until the Larne Line was relayed in 2006. The Junction lies 3/4 of a mile to the North of Whiteabbey Station
Whiteabbey railway station
Whiteabbey railway station serves Whiteabbey in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland. The station opened on 11 April 1848. It is the first station outside Belfast on the Larne Line....
.
Viaduct
There is a ViaductViaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
located at Bleach Green, which was completed in 1933 to allow trains to run between Belfast York Road Station and Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
without having to reverse at Greenisland
Greenisland
Greenisland is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies 7 miles north-east of Belfast and 3 miles south-west of Carrickfergus. The village is on the coast of Belfast Lough and is named after a tiny islet to the west, the Green Island....
(Then Carrickfergus Junction). The viaduct was repainted and the junction relayed in 2001 for the reopening of the railway line between Belfast and Antrim
Antrim, County Antrim
Antrim is a town in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile north-east of Lough Neagh. It had a population of 20,001 people in the 2001 Census. The town is the administrative centre of Antrim Borough Council...
.