Queen's Quay, Belfast facts for kids

Queen's Quay, October 2009

Queen's Quay is a special area along the River Lagan in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It's located in the western part of the city's Titanic Quarter.

This area was once a busy part of the Belfast docks, where ships would arrive and depart. As ships got bigger, Queen's Quay became a very important place for travel and transport for both Belfast and all of Northern Ireland.

Queen's Quay and the Old Railway Station

The old Queen's Quay railway station in July 1974.

What the station site looked like in October 1988.

Queen's Quay was once home to the main railway station for the Belfast and County Down Railway (B&CDR). This railway connected Belfast to places in County Down, stretching for about 80 miles.

The very first train left this station on August 2, 1848, heading to Holywood. Over time, trains from Queen's Quay reached towns like Castlewellan, Downpatrick, Newcastle, and even the fishing village of Ardglass.

The B&CDR also had workshops at Queen's Quay. Here, they fixed train engines and built train carriages. The last carriage was built in 1923. Most of the railway lines closed in 1950. The station itself was closed and taken down in 1976. After that, trains to Bangor used a new station called Belfast Central Station.

Queen's Quay Today

Today, Queen's Quay is a key part of Belfast's road network. The A2 road crosses the River Lagan here using the Queen's Bridge and the Queen Elizabeth Bridge. The M3 motorway also passes through this area.

The land where the old B&CDR station once stood was used for train maintenance until the mid-1990s.

Future Plans for Queen's Quay

Queen's Quay is a large piece of land right in the middle of Belfast. It's seen as very important for the future growth of the Titanic Quarter.

There are plans to develop the area with new homes, offices, and shops. There are also ideas for a small area for leisure boats. Discussions are still ongoing to decide exactly what will be built there.