Signal Box, Beside 2 Bushmills Road, Coleraine, Co Londonderry, BT52 2BN

A two-storey signal box erected by the Midland Railway around 1922, located at the north-east corner of the level crossing immediately north of Coleraine Station beside Bushmills Road.

The building is aligned north-south along the east side of the double-track railway line. It has a hipped natural slate roof with deep oversailing boxed eaves and boarded soffits, topped with plastic rainwater goods. The ground floor and east elevation are of red brick, the latter built over a coursed squared basalt rubble base. The brickwork on the south and west elevations has slightly recessed panels. The west elevation features two segmental-headed window openings with 3×1-pane timber frames and concrete cills.

The first floor, except for the east elevation, is framed and sheeted with timber. The east elevation of the first floor has a 6×2-pane timber-framed window at its left end. The south elevation has a pair of 2×2 horizontal sliding sashes and a 6×2-pane fixed window. The west elevation displays a continuous run of fenestration: a 6×2-pane window at the left, followed by a pair of 3×2 horizontal sliding sashes, then a 4×2-pane window and a 6×2-pane window. Below these windows are painted panels, with the panel on the west side carrying lettering that reads "Coleraine". The north elevation features a later flat-roofed timber extension at its left, erected on a concrete platform over a red brick base. This extension's walls are blank except for a 3×3 casement window facing east. A steel staircase rises at the right of the north elevation to a first-floor door, to the right of which is a 4×2-pane window, with a flat-headed doorway directly below providing ground-floor access.

Although the original signal lever frame has been removed following the automation of signalling by Translink, the building retains its original historic character, particularly evident in its deep eaves, continuously fenestrated timber-framed first floor, and external staircase.

The signal box survives in its original setting at the north-east end of the level crossing at the north end of Coleraine Station, with which it has group value. To the immediate east of the box is a house and garden. The double-track railway line runs along the west side of the box, beyond which is a small industrial estate.

Coleraine Station was opened in 1855 by the Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine & Portrush Junction Railway as part of the route from Belfast to Portrush. When a railway bridge over the River Bann opened in 1860, through working to Londonderry became possible, and the Coleraine-Portrush section became a branch line. An earlier signal box, shown on maps from 1882 and 1904, was erected between the two lines to operate the points. From 1892, it also controlled points on a short spur laid from the station to Coleraine Harbour.

In 1921, the Midland Railway (Northern Counties Committee), which had taken over the lines in 1903, began work on realigning the track over a new railway bridge across the Bann positioned approximately 350 metres downstream of the old bridge. The company was reconstituted as the London, Midland & Scottish Railway (Northern Counties Committee) in 1923, and the bridge, designed by the company's Chief Engineer Bowman Malcolm, opened in 1924. During this realignment work, the original signal box was replaced with a larger one at the north-east end of the level crossing. This new box is first shown on the 1922 Ordnance Survey map and subsequent editions. In addition to controlling all the points, it also operated the level crossing and controlled the opening section of the new Bann Bridge.

At nationalisation in 1949, the LMS line was taken over by the Ulster Transport Authority, precursors of Translink, its present operators. Translink subsequently automated the signalling, which involved removal of the mechanical hand-operated lever frames to accommodate electronic equipment used to operate a computerised signalling system.

The building is of local historical interest for its association with the realignment of the line across the Bann during the period 1921–24, and is of industrial archaeological interest.