The October 1946 timetable booklet for the still independent Great Northern Railway of Ireland showing the company's rail, bus and tram services. The GNR(I) was formed by merger in 1876 and grew to run not only railway services on what was to become both sides of the Border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland but also feeder bus services. The latter included what were to become suburban bus services in the north of Dublin as well as the electric tramway service on the Hill of Howth.
In post-war years the GNR(I) struggled financially and was nationalised jointly by the Governments of both states in 1953; the 'new' Great Northern Railway Board lasted until 1958 when the undertaking was dissolved and the assets split between Coras Iompair Éireann and the Ulster Transport Authority. The latter, the UTA, was very anti-rail and had effectively forced the closure of most of the old GNR(I) railway routes by 1957 leaving really only the Dublin - Belfast main line and the Howth branch in Dublin as part of the Irish rail network.
This is the thin paper map folded into the back of the timetable booklet showing in dark black the GNR(I) lines and in red, the company's bus services. Also shown are 'connecting railways' and ferry lines; the latter even include New York, Montreal and Quebec via Londonderry!
