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NIR rename Bridge End station Titanic Quarter today

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jamesontheroad

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This may appear in the local news outlets later today, I believe there's a press call scheduled for 14:00 with some key people.

Passing through Bridge End railway station (first stop north of Belfast Central on the line towards Bangor) I noticed final preparations being made for the station's renaming as Titanic Quarter. This is probably hoped to draw more passengers through the station as it's only a short walk to the Odyssey Arena, the apartment complexes, Belfast Metropolitan College and the new Titanic Museum.

Trying to think of the last time a station in NI was renamed... ?
 
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jamesontheroad

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Oh dear, how cheesy. And rather tasteless too, when you think about it.

The whole development is rather tasteless if you ask me; why not name the new district after any one of the thousands of ships built in Belfast that didn't sink? :D

Have to say though, the station has had some impressive refurbishments done in a pretty short space of time. The platforms have been re-built, the old footbridge is gone and there is now an accessible (ramped) footbridge. It's a much more appealing place now. As a station it's always been one of the lesser used because it's only accessible through subways or bridges over many busy roads, and the nearest residential area is so close to the city it's not really been much of a commuter stop.
 

PFX

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The news that the station was to be renamed has been floating around for a couple of weeks. Almost as sick of hearing about the Titanic as I am about the Limpicks.

The station has been massively upgraded though but I must say, I've only ever seen a handful of people use it in all the times I've been through there. I can only imagine that a huge number of passengers are expected to use it to get to the vastly expensive Titanic (yes, there it is again) signature building but that will rely on people actually being willing to walk more than the length of themselves.

Such a cynic.
 

sprinterguy

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The news that the station was to be renamed has been floating around for a couple of weeks
Which is more than can be said for the Titanic herself! :p

Sorry, I couldn't resist: I'd get my coat, if it wasn't so warm and sunny out there ;)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The whole development is rather tasteless if you ask me;
I agree, although not as tasteless as the design of this Titanic Museum in the States: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Titanic_Museum_Branson.jpg
 

jamesontheroad

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Here's the corporate waffle from Translink (source):

Kennedy unveils new Titanic Quarter signage at Belfast Train Station

28th March 2012

Transport Minister Danny Kennedy launched an event today to mark the renaming of the Bridge End Station in Belfast which will now be known as Titanic Quarter Station.

Danny Kennedy said: “Work on the station has just been completed. The improvements are part of an overall £7million project to extend platforms across the railway network in order to allow for the introduction to service of the new Class 4000 trains.

“I am committed to delivering an accessible, modern and comfortable public transport system and this is another project which demonstrates the improvements to public transport.

“The completion of the work is very timely given the imminent opening of Titanic Belfast and the station will from now on be called Titanic Quarter Station. The new Titanic Quarter Station is the gateway station to many of Belfast’s newest attractions and developments in the area including Titanic Belfast, the Public Records Office, the Odyssey and Belfast Metropolitan College.”

As well as the platform extension work, a number of other station improvements have been carried out including new shelters and new lighting. A new ramped access has been constructed to the pedestrian footbridge over the Sydenham by-pass which will make the station fully accessible and Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant.

Minister Kennedy said: “I am confident that the completion of this overall project will ensure the continued modernisation of the transport infrastructure and with the introduction of the Class 4000 trains, will help contribute to increasing rail passenger numbers.”

Catherine Mason, Group Chief Executive for Translink said: “Our property and infrastructure team have worked extremely hard together with our contractors to complete this project ahead of schedule. There is a growing excitement within the city and throughout Northern Ireland and beyond around the Titanic celebrations and we want to ensure we play our part.

We have worked closely with colleagues in the East Belfast Partnership, Harbour Commissioners and Belfast City Council to reopen the pedestrian link making access to the various developments and tourist attractions just a short 10-15 minutes walk away. The renaming of the station to Titanic Quarter reflects the work that has been done to modernise the facilities and position it as a quality and accessible travel option for anyone visiting the Titanic Quarter area. Over the coming weeks there are a number of fantastic events including the light show and the MTV concert and we hope to encourage more passengers to consider using the train as a better way to travel.

Twenty new trains are being purchased with total costs of £114million. Eleven of the trains are now available for passenger service with all 20 scheduled to be in service before the end of the year.

Bridge End Station opened in 1977 to serve the Harland & Wolff shipyard and harbour estate. It replaced the nearby Ballymacarrett Station (opened 1 May 1905 and closed on 9 May 1977) and is the gateway station to both the Titanic Quarter and East Belfast.
 

89-763-733

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Typically translink got the closure date of Ballymaccaret wrong, it closed on the 8th the day before Bridge End opened

Last renaming I can find is what is now Newry. This station reopened 13.05.1984 as Newry having been closed on an unclear date in 1942 as Bessbrook

Only NIR station I can find that has been renamed without being closed for a period is Helen's Bay. from opening on 02.08.1848 until August 1885 it was Clandeboye
 

4SRKT

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Typically translink got the closure date of Ballymaccaret wrong, it closed on the 8th the day before Bridge End opened

Last renaming I can find is what is now Newry. This station reopened 13.05.1984 as Newry having been closed on an unclear date in 1942 as Bessbrook

Only NIR station I can find that has been renamed without being closed for a period is Helen's Bay. from opening on 02.08.1848 until August 1885 it was Clandeboye


Wasn't Bridge End itself briefly called 'Bridge End Odyssey' for a bit a few years ago? When did Carrickfergus Junction become Greenisland?
 

K9-70

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Ballymacarrett Halt: Opened 01.05.1905 Closed 09.05.1977
Greenisland: Opened as Carrickfergus Junction, renamed Greenisland 01.10.1893
 

4SRKT

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Ballymacarrett Halt: Opened 01.05.1905 Closed 09.05.1977
Greenisland: Opened as Carrickfergus Junction, renamed Greenisland 01.10.1893

Downshire was called Downshire Park in my very young days IIRR. Despite there being no park of that name in Carrick, or even an areA called 'Downshire'.



 

jamesontheroad

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Just to clarify, passed through TQ yesterday morning. Impressed to see that NIR station and on-train systems (screens and automated announcements) have all been updated to say Titanic Quarter. On approach and on arrival to the station itself (and only then) the on-train announcement refers to it as "Titanic Quarter - Bridge End".

It also sounds as though NIR have a made a new set of recordings for the on-train information systems. Voice is different; she's a little more haughty and English, but she does now say "Derry-Londonderry" instead of just "Londonderry". I recognised her voice from somewhere else, presumably one of the established voice artists, but I can't remember which UK operator it was on.
 

4SRKT

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Why don't they have the voice in a Norn Iron accent I wonder?
 

I T S

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The new announcements are done by you're woman that does radio 4....can't think of her name
 

jamesontheroad

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Would need to be a cross community voice... ;)

Nothing like an English accent to make some members of the community cross :D

The new announcements are done by you're woman that does radio 4....can't think of her name

There's quite a big team of continuity announcers at R4. Not sure which it was.

Not meaning to veer off subject, Phil Gayle (newsreader on Channel 4's Big Breakfast in the late nineties) has carved a reasonable niche for himself doing inflight safety announcements. He's the voice of both easyJet and BMI's pre-recorded safety messages. Perhaps Zeb Soames or Peter Donaldson could be persuaded to make the leap from Radio 4 to other transport announcements? :D
 

4SRKT

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Nothing like an English accent to make some members of the community cross :D



There's quite a big team of continuity announcers at R4. Not sure which it was.

Not meaning to veer off subject, Phil Gayle (newsreader on Channel 4's Big Breakfast in the late nineties) has carved a reasonable niche for himself doing inflight safety announcements. He's the voice of both easyJet and BMI's pre-recorded safety messages. Perhaps Zeb Soames or Peter Donaldson could be persuaded to make the leap from Radio 4 to other transport announcements? :D

Peter Donaldson did the voice for the Government Protect & Survive films and radio broadcasts to be played in the run-up to a nuclear war (seriously scary: last time I went to the Imperial War Museum they were playing the films on a loop). Frankie Goes To Hollywood got him (or somebody sounding very like him) to record samples for Two Tribes, including the line 'this is the last voice you will ever hear'. <shudders>

Given his credentials for being an announcer in apocalyptic situations, maybe he would be appropriate to do annoucements in the Mad Max environment of a Friday evening XC Voyager out of New Street, with total chaos, everyone fleeing by whatever means possible (even a Voyager :o) and the bogs by that stage in the day smelling worse than a post-apocalyptic latrine after the plague's hit town.
 

K9-70

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Downshire was called Downshire Park in my very young days IIRR. Despite there being no park of that name in Carrick, or even an areA called 'Downshire'.

Downshire Park: Opened 01.04.1925, not sure when the NIR renamed the station as plain Downshire. Sometime in the late 80's or early 90's I think.
 

4SRKT

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Downshire Park: Opened 01.04.1925, not sure when the NIR renamed the station as plain Downshire. Sometime in the late 80's or early 90's I think.

It was earlier than this. I have photos taken at the current halt from 1985. Downshire Park had very short platforms like Eden, and was rebuilt into the current layout (although with a footbridge) I would guess in the late 70s or early 80s, becoming just 'Downshire' in the process. Possibly when Barn, Eden and Kilroot were closed?
 
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