Editing Northern Counties Committee (section)

===Excursion traffic===
Cheap travelling facilities were offered from the earliest days of the railway. Special trains were run from Ballymena and intermediate stations in connection with [[Queen Victoria]]'s visit to Belfast in August 1849. Later that year, day excursion tickets were available from Belfast to Randalstown for those who wished to visit [[Shane's Castle]] demesne at about two-thirds of the cost of normal tickets. Cheap tickets were also available for those travelling to Belfast; in 1857, passengers from Cookstown were being urged to experience the view from Cave Hill.

By 1859, further reductions were available for parties of eight or more travelling to destinations such as Shane's Castle, Masserene Park, [[Toome]]bridge, Moyola Park, the [[Giant's Causeway]] and [[Dunluce Castle]]. As always, the seaside was a popular destination with excursion tickets to Portstewart and Portrush via the neighbouring [[Belfast, Ballymena, Coleraine and Portrush Junction Railway]] (BBC&PJR) and valid for seven days being offered at normal single fare rates.