Tracing the Portadown-Armagh railway line on Google satellite view

Disused railway lines still have a visible presence on the landscape, and there's something tantalising about retracing their path on the satellite view. This is a virtual tour of the Portadown-Armagh line that was closed in 1957, and shows how much of the old right of way remains undeveloped and still intact, as well as looking at some of the challenges that may need to be overcome.
Personally I'd love to see this line reopened to give people the option of travelling between these two major towns in a bit of comfort without having to drive or park, and to see Armagh plugged in to the rest of the region again via the railway network.
Feel free to add any corrections or additional information in the comments.

[@colincourtney2903]

My father was on the final train journey to and from Armagh covering it for the local Portadown paper and he found this video fascinating.

[@TAVEHOUSE]

Thanks so much for taking the time! Road journeys will mean a lot more now as it will make more sense - often wondered about disused bridges - sorry the line has been lost - would be an important facility to have now

[@Wakeful]

Many thanks for this fantastic presentation of the old route. I hear Minister Mallon has been in talks with the Armagh Portadown Reinstation trust, so fingers crossed we hear some good news from that.

[@carmelcarroll2644]

Great to here talk of new Armagh To Portadown Railway... I remember seeing train as walked to school at Armagh.

[@glennproctor4178]

At 2:20, the StreetView is on what was a road bridge over the railway. On the east side (towards Portadown) it's all been filled in so it's just a field, on the west side if you look over the bridge you can still see the slope down to where the track would have been. It's the part that has water in it in the video.

[@SRGW14]

Thanks for this. You might like to add the level crossing at Clonroot Road

[@mariegallagher6205]

Great film.Thanks for sharing. I am very familiar with many of the areas mentioned, especially Richhill Station and the Retreat Halt.
Reinstating this line would be wonderful but sadly I can't see that ever happening.
I'd love to be proved wrong though

[@davidchambers7508]

Rivetting stuff. I commend you making this film and your research with this. Having seen was was needed to reinstate the Clonsilla - Dunboyne line and the Luas green line from Charlemont halt to Sandyford halt I reckon that the Portadown - Armagh line could be readily reinstated. It would appear that some of the railway overbridges and cuttings were filled in leaving only the bridge parapets visible. It would be possible to rebuild the railway underbridges with what reminds of the GNR(I) abutments. It would appear that a single track could be fitted in beside the A3 Northway. Ultimately this road would need to be rerouted. However considering what was done with building the M50 and associated roads around Dublin this could be readily done. One issue which may need to be addressed when this line is re-established would be overbridge clearances for overhead wires, (i.e. DART wires). The Portadown - Armagh line, like the Meath Road (Clonsilla - Dunboyne - Navan), the South Wexford line from Rosslare Strand to Waterford and many other single track lines were built for double track. As an aside the GNR(I) started but never finished quadrupling from Lisburn to Belfast and made provision for quadupling from Dublin to Howth Junction. Thank you again for making this film.

[@SuperAnglocelt]

Would you consider continuing on your fascinating journey from Armagh to Mullangar in the light of the All Ireland rail review that proposes reopening Portadown ,Armagh all the way to Mullangar. Apologies if I missed a video covering this. Particularly interested in Cavan area.

[@eamonnca1]

Cavan to Mullingar? That's a great suggestion. I might take you up on that

[@mlc4495]

Really exciting to think this and other mothballed lines could be reopened as fully rail services once again. I really hope there's political will, and importantly financing, for re-establishing these train services. Using the old alignments makes the most sense on a purely cost-basis but they'd probably need to sort out land acquisition as a fair bit of it has new infra on it like roads and new housing estates. Might need to modify track alignments; the rail review doesn't copper-fasten the route alignments and makes clear it would be up to the two governments to decide final route alignments. But a Mullingar-Cavan-Armagh-Portadown line, with connections to Belfast and Dublin is really exciting, especially for me in the border region.

[@TheGp1981]

Is it possible to walk this line?

[@bownozomu8825]

Also love to trace closed railways like this

[@keylondasilva9110]

Go 26 cecil Street