York Road station was opened on 11 April 1848 by the Belfast & Ballymena Railway.
Originally, it acted as terminus for rail services between Belfast and Ballymena.
Later this was extended to Derry Waterside by the Londonderry and Coleraine Railway via a route to Coleraine (opened in 1855 by the Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Portrush Junction Railway).
A branch was also opened to Carrickfergus (1848, BBR) and Larne (1862, Carrickfergus & Larne Railway).

The station building was initially a modest structure dating from 1848.
The station roof was erected by Richard Turner, Dublin.
The station was extended in 1873-1875, and again in the 1890s when the building work was under the control of Berkeley Deane Wise.
The 1890s rebuilding resulted in the erection of the clock tower, concourse, tramway canopy, hotel, freight offices and goods store.

The company became known as the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway.
It was taken over by the Midland Railway in 1903, becoming the "Midland Railway, Northern Counties Committee".
After the grouping of 1923, it became the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, Northern Counties Committee.
Following a very brief period, from 1 January 1948, in the ownership of the British Government's British Transport Commission as the "Railway Executive, Northern Counties Committee", the Ulster Transport Authority took over the "NCC" on 1 April 1949 and, during the 1950s, set about closing much of the network.

For a short time in the 1930s, some passenger services were run by the Northern Counties Committee, between York Road and Donegall Quay, where LMS steamers operated to Heysham.
However, navigation through the Harbour Commissioner's lines in the docks was difficult.
Trains had to proceed from the yard in Whitla Street, along Prince's Dock Street, then across the Clarendon Dock via a swing bridge, then along both Albert and Donegall Quays.
Coaches had to be specially adapted for this purpose.
Wooden steps were provided to allow passengers to climb into the carriages from the paved area outside Donegall Quay's transit sheds.

Additionally, some rolling stock of limited height and length could proceed further past Donegall Quay and through a tunnel under the western end of the Queen's Bridge, known as the Queen's Bridge subway to Queen's Bridge goods station (now Oxford Street bus station).
Until June 1963, this was the only available (if impractical) way of transferring rail vehicles through the city from York Road.
This tunnel was closed in 1966 and converted into a pedestrian subway, thus completely isolating York Road from the rest of Belfast.
The tunnel itself stayed open as a pedestrian subway until 2002, when it was demolished and its remnants used to carry cables.
York Road station was opened on 11 April 1848 by the Belfast & Ballymena Railway. Originally, it acted as terminus for rail services between Belfast and Ballymena. Later this was extended to Derry Waterside by the Londonderry and Coleraine Railway via a route to Coleraine (opened in 1855 by the Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Portrush Junction Railway). A branch was also opened to Carrickfergus (1848, BBR) and Larne (1862, Carrickfergus & Larne Railway). 
The station building was initially a modest structure dating from 1848. The station roof was erected by Richard Turner, Dublin. The station was extended in 1873-1875, and again in the 1890s when the building work was under the control of Berkeley Deane Wise. The 1890s rebuilding resulted in the erection of the clock tower, concourse, tramway canopy, hotel, freight offices and goods store.
The company became known as the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway. It was taken over by the Midland Railway in 1903, becoming the "Midland Railway, Northern Counties Committee". After the grouping of 1923, it became the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, Northern Counties Committee. Following a very brief period, from 1 January 1948, in the ownership of the British Government's British Transport Commission as the "Railway Executive, Northern Counties Committee", the Ulster Transport Authority took over the "NCC" on 1 April 1949 and, during the 1950s, set about closing much of the network.
For a short time in the 1930s, some passenger services were run by the Northern Counties Committee, between York Road and Donegall Quay, where LMS steamers operated to Heysham. However, navigation through the Harbour Commissioner's lines in the docks was difficult. Trains had to proceed from the yard in Whitla Street, along Prince's Dock Street, then across the Clarendon Dock via a swing bridge, then along both Albert and Donegall Quays. Coaches had to be specially adapted for this purpose. Wooden steps were provided to allow passengers to climb into the carriages from the paved area outside Donegall Quay's transit sheds.
Additionally, some rolling stock of limited height and length could proceed further past Donegall Quay and through a tunnel under the western end of the Queen's Bridge, known as the Queen's Bridge subway to Queen's Bridge goods station (now Oxford Street bus station). Until June 1963, this was the only available (if impractical) way of transferring rail vehicles through the city from York Road. This tunnel was closed in 1966 and converted into a pedestrian subway, thus completely isolating York Road from the rest of Belfast. The tunnel itself stayed open as a pedestrian subway until 2002, when it was demolished and its remnants used to carry cables.
York Road railway station