Adelaide railway station (Northern Ireland)
Railway station in Belfast, Northern Ireland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Adelaide railway station (also known as Adelaide Halt[11]) is located in the townland of Malone Lower in south Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Situated just off the Lisburn Road and close to many Queen's University student residences, it serves both local commuters and fans heading to Windsor Park stadium the home of the Northern Ireland national football team.
Belfast,
BT9 7FY,
Northern Ireland
Adelaide  | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NIR Class 3000 train at Adelaide in 2009 | |||||||
| General information | |||||||
| Other names | Adelaide Halt | ||||||
| Location | 43 Adelaide Ave, Belfast, BT9 7FY, Northern Ireland | ||||||
| Coordinates | 54.5784°N 5.9550°W | ||||||
| System | Translink Commuter Rail Halt | ||||||
| Owner | NI Railways | ||||||
| Operator | NI Railways | ||||||
| Line | Newry | ||||||
| Platforms | 2 | ||||||
| Tracks | 2 | ||||||
| Construction | |||||||
Structure type | At-grade | ||||||
| Parking | None | ||||||
Cycle facilities | None | ||||||
| Accessible | Ramp to/from Lisburn Road to countrybound platform, citybound platform can only be accessed via footbridge and steps, Boucher Road exist is only accessible via footbridge and steps | ||||||
| Other information | |||||||
| Station code | AD[1] | ||||||
| Fare zone | iLink Zone 1 | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
| History | |||||||
| Opened | 1897 | ||||||
| Key dates | |||||||
| 1 November 1897 | Opened as Adelaide and Windsor | ||||||
| 1935 | Renamed to Adelaide | ||||||
| 2008 | Refurbished | ||||||
| 2024 | Platforms Extension Completed | ||||||
| Passengers | |||||||
| 2016/17 | 221,332 [2] | ||||||
| 2017/18 |  242,746 [2] | ||||||
| 2018/19 | 259,811 [3] | ||||||
| 2019/20 |  242,750 [4] | ||||||
| 2020/21 | 68,890 [5] | ||||||
| 2021/22 | 168,653 [6] | ||||||
| 2022/23 | 234,760 [7] | ||||||
| 2023/24 | 279,518 [8] | ||||||
| 2024/25 | 198,691 [9] | ||||||
| 2025/26 | 283,566 [10] | ||||||
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History
The station was opened by the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) on 1 November 1897 and was originally known as Adelaide and Windsor. In 1935 the name was shortened to Adelaide.[12] The station became an unstaffed halt in October 1996, and underwent a refurbishment in 2008 to modernise passenger facilities and improve infrastructure.[13]
Location and facilities
In addition to serving the local community of Windsor and Queen's University students, Adelaide Station is a key access point for events held at the nearby Windsor Park stadium. The station is connected to the stadium by a dedicated pedestrian link, ensuring convenient access for visitors.[14]
Maintenance depot
Adjacent to the station are extensive yard facilities which, once busy with freight trains carrying cement, containers, beer, and fertiliser, have since been repurposed. With freight services north of the border ending in the late 1990s and the withdrawal of the 80 Class units in 2005, the yard now functions as a depot for NI Railways’ modern Class 3000 and 4000 DMU trains.[15]
Upgrades
Platform extension (2024)
Originally, the platforms at Adelaide station were designed to accommodate only three-car sets. The upgrade extended each platform to approximately 150 meters, enabling the new six-car, walk-through trains to call at the station. This development has significantly increased passenger capacity while also improving overall accessibility and safety with the installation of upgraded lighting, shelters, and enhanced public realm features. The project was delivered in conjunction with partners such as Charles Brand and Gravis Planning during the Belfast Grand Central enabling works.[16][17][18][19]
Proposed third track
Translink's long-term development plan includes the potential addition of a third track running from the Adelaide depot to Grand Central Station, aimed at increasing capacity. Currently, the track bed alignment is fenced off within the railway boundaries to prevent development and is managed as part of the lineside infrastructure.[20]
Services
Train Services
Mondays to Saturdays there is a half-hourly service towards Lisburn, Portadown or Newry in one direction and to Belfast Grand Central in the other. Extra trains operate at peak times, and the service reduces to hourly operation in the evenings. On Sundays there is an hourly service in each direction. Passengers for Enterprise Services, Bangor, Larne or Derry~Londonderry lines must change at Belfast Grand Central for their connecting services.[21]
Bus Services
Adelaide is situated near the Metro 9 bus route along Lisburn Road, providing access to Belfast City Centre (Bedford Street) and Balmoral. Additionally, Regional Ulsterbus services connect Adelaide to Belfast Grand Central Station, as well as Lisburn, Banbridge, Newry, Portadown, and Armagh. Railway replacement buses also operate from these bus stands.[22][23]
Gallery
Bangor bound train in 2012
Portadown bound class 4000 in 2013
View from bridge
The Entrance to Adelaide train station from the Lisburn Road
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