Geograph - photograph every grid square

The line between Belfast York Road and Larne Harbour opened as far to Carrickfergus in 1848 and from Carrickfergus to Larne Harbour in 1862. There were stations at Belfast York Road (1848), Greencastle (1849/1916), Whitehouse (old station 1861/1906 replaced by a new station, further north 1906/1954), Whiteabbey (1848), Bleach Green 1934/1977), Jordanstown (by 1853), Trooperslane (by 1850), Mount (1925/72), Carrickfergus (old station 1848/62), Clipperstown (1925), Carrickfergus (1862), Barn (1925/77), Downshire (originally Downshire Park, 1925), Eden (1925/77), Kilroot (1862/77), Whitehead (first station 1863/64), Whitehead (second station 1864/77), Whitehead (1877), Whitehead Excursion (1907), Ballycarry (1862), Ballylig (now Magheramorne, 1862), Glynn (1864), Larne (1862/1974), Larne Town (new alignment, 1974) and Larne Harbour (1862).
York Road station closed in 1992, replaced by Yorkgate (on a different site) as part of the opening of the new cross-harbour line to Belfast Central.
The line between Belfast Central and Bleach Green Jct is also used by trains serving the Londonderry/Portrush lines.

Sources: Irish Railways Today (1967), the Northern Counties Railway (1973) and Johnson’s Atlas & Gazetteer of the Railways of Ireland (1997).

The date of opening of Trooperslane station is usually given as “by 1850”. It was notable for the ornate building (now demolished), designed by Berkeley Deane Wise, the Belfast & Northern Counties Railway’s civil engineer, on the up platform. There is an automatic full-barrier level crossing at the Belfast end of the platforms. The station remains open for passengers with a half-hourly service (April 2014) on weekdays and hourly on Sundays.