Railway Launches Ambitious Track Renewal Project
For many people the New Year heralds a chance to be ‘out with the old but for the volunteers at Downpatrick and County Down Railway time their spring clean is a different proposition. They have decided to replace a large section of the track. After nearly 3,000 people travelled on Santa’s Lapland Express, the heritage […]
Hope for the Ballydugan Extension?
The DCDR’s long held ambition to complete its extension to Ballydugan could finally have received some welcome news. Down District Council is considering vesting land so that the heritage railway line can be extended, linking the town with the hamlet of Ballydugan. The extension of the Downpatrick and Co Down Railway (DCDR) has been in […]
Steaming Again After 50 Years!
It’s not everyday that Traffic reports tell drivers to watch out for the railway engine travelling down the M1 and M2 motorways, but that’s the sight that motorists saw last Sunday as a steam locomotive “travelled home” to the Downpatrick & County Down Railway, Northern Ireland’s volunteer run full-size heritage railway. Steam locomotive No. 1, […]
Railway lifts honours at Pride of Place Awards
The Downpatrick and County Down Railway is celebrating after collecting a very prestigous trophy last weekend. It was praised for its community involvement and work in towards creating a tourism attraction unique in Ireland. On Saturday 3 November, representatives from the DCDR and Down District Council traveled to Limerick to attend the 2012 AllIsland IPB […]
DRD Minister Hosts EU Transport Chair at DCDR
Transport Minister Danny Kennedy has hosted Brian Simpson, Chair of the European Parliament’s Transport Committee, on a visit to Northern Ireland – and took him on a trip on Northern Ireland’s only full-size heritage line! Brian Simpson is also the Vice President of the Heritage Railway Association. Danny Kennedy said: “European Transport policy needs to […]
Obituary – Michael Collins
It is with deep regret that we have to announce the death of Michael Collins, who served as our Chairman for the best part of the last decade. He was a true gentleman, whose friendship and contribution to the railway will never be forgotten. Mike was taken ill on Monday and despite emergency heart surgery, […]
Obituary – Desmond Coakham
We regret to have to announce as well the death of Desmond Coakham, aged 91, who passed away today, Thursday 4th October. Desmond was a well-known authority on the old Belfast & County Down Railway, completing his life’s ambition of a comprehensive history of the BCDR last year, amongst his other photographic books, but always […]
New Visitor Centre Unveiled at Downpatrick & Co. Down Railway
It’s Ireland’s only full-size heritage railway, and now the Downpatrick & County Down Railway has one thing it’s always been missing: a modern visitors’ centre. Housed in a spectacular building, which harks back to the great Victorian termini, the “Carriage Gallery” is Ireland’s only dedicated carriage museum which tells the story of the development of […]
Pride of Place Judges Visit Downpatrick Railway
It was all full steam ahead as judges from the prestigious all-Ireland Pride of Place competition recently visited Downpatrick and County Down Railway (DCDR) to hear first hand about the inspiring voluntary work it does to preserve our railway heritage and promote cultural tourism in Down district. On Thursday 9 August the local voluntary railway […]
Work on £700,000 visitor centre at Railway now largely complete
Over the Twelfth holidays the new three-quarter of a million pounds “Carriage Gallery” at the Downpatrick & County Down Railway, co-funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Northern Ireland Tourist Board took a massive step forward with the completion of the railways lines into it. This allowed a mammoth shunting operation to take place, which […]