Downshire railway station

Downshire railway station serves eastern Carrickfergus in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Downshire
A Class 450 train departs Platform 1 in the Belfast direction, 2008.
General information
Location	Carrickfergus Northern Ireland
Coordinates	54°43′16″N 5°47′25″W
Owned by	NI Railways
Operated by	NI Railways
Line(s)	Larne
Platforms	2
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Key dates
1925	Station opened as Downshire Park
1979	Station renamed to Downshire
2008	Station refurbished
Passengers
2022/23	132,158 [1]
2023/24	175,026 [2]
NI Railways Translink NI railway stations
Route map (Click to expand) Show NI Railways Network map Legend Year closed Great Victoria Street 2024 Belfast Grand Central Belfast-Dublin line to Portadown, Newry and Dublin Connolly City Hospital Windsor 1885 Botanic Ormeau 1885 Lanyon Place Queen's Bridge 1885 Lagan Railway Bridge over River Lagan Belfast-Bangor line to Bangor Dargan Bridge over River Lagan York Street Yorkgate 2024 York Road depot York Road 1992 Greencastle 1954 Whitehouse 1954 Whiteabbey Belfast–Derry railway line to Derry~Londonderry Bleach Green 1977 Jordanstown Belfast–Derry railway line via Monkstown 1963 Greenisland Trooperslane Mount 1977 Harbour branch line to Carrickfergus Harbour Clipperstown Carrickfergus Barn 1977 Downshire Eden 1977 Kilroot 1977 Whitehead Whitehead Excursion RPSI depot Ballycarry Magheramorne Glynn Larne Town Ballymena and Larne Railway to Kilwaughter, Ballyclare and Ballymena Larne Harbour This diagram: view talk edit Show Larne line route diagram
Location Downshire Location within Northern Ireland Show map of Northern Ireland Downshire Location on the island of Ireland Show map of island of Ireland

This station opened on 1 April 1925 and was known for most of its early life as Downshire Park. Northern Ireland Railways renamed the halt in the late 1970s.^[3] The station's signposts prior to the 2008 refurbishment named the station as "Downshire Halt", a name by which the station is still locally known.

The Belfast-bound platform was extended during summer 2011 to allow longer trains to operate. The Larne-bound platform was similarly refurbished in early 2012.^[4]

Service

On weekdays, there is a half-hourly service to Belfast Grand Central. In the other direction, there is a half-hourly service with the terminus alternating between Whitehead and Larne Harbour every half an hour. At peak times some trains terminate at Larne Town.

On Saturdays, the service remains half-hourly with the same alternating pattern, and there are less peak services.

On Sundays, the service reduces to an hourly operation in both directions.^[5]

Preceding station		Northern Ireland Railways		Following station
Carrickfergus		Northern Ireland Railways Belfast-Larne Line		Whitehead
	Historical railways
Barn Line open, station closed		Northern Counties Committee Belfast-Larne		Eden Line open, station closed