The Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway (L&ER) was an Irish gauge (5ft3in (1,600mm)) railway in Ireland.
Construction and opening
The Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway was incorporated in 1845.[1] Construction began at Derry and followed the west bank of the River Foyle southwards 12 miles (19km) to Strabane, which was reached in 1847. The L&ER's terminus in Derry was Londonderry Foyle Road station on the west bank of the River Foyle.[2][3]
The line reached its summit at Fintona, County Tyrone, in 1853. Its final extension was from Fintona Junction, descending southwestwards to its terminus at Enniskillen, reached in 1854.[4] Fintona Junction was just north of the town of Fintona, leaving the short stretch from the Junction to the town as a small branch line.[4]
In 1857 a cow strayed onto the line near Carrigans and was hit and killed by the mail train to Omagh.[8] Afterwards the Board of Trade Inspector criticised the condition of the track, which had been laid only a decade earlier.[8] In 1871 there were two accidents within seven months at Mountjoy Halt, County Tyrone.[9] Both were attributed to the poor condition of the permanent way.[9] A level crossing across Ballyfatton Road between Strabane and Sion Mills was the scene of two accidents. In 1876 the crossing-keeper's wife was killed by a mail train and in 1883 a train hit a horse and cart, killing the horse.[9] After the second accident the Board of Trade ordered the railway to replace the crossing with a bridge.[9]
After takeover
Under the Great Northern the former L&ER developed in three sections. The junction with the PD&O at Omagh made the Londonderry – Omagh line part of the GNR's "Derry Road" main line with services between Belfast Great Victoria Street and Derry Foyle Road viaPortadown. The Belfast and Northern Counties Railway's competing route viaColeraine was shorter, quicker and attracted more passenger traffic, but the Derry Road carried more freight.[1] Traffic grew to the extent that by 1907 the GNR had installed double track between Foyle Road and St. Johnston,[10] but in 1932 it was singled again.[8]
In 1958 the governments of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland partitioned the GNR between them and the Derry Road became part of the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA). The line was closed in February 1965.[11]