Saturday, October 5, 2024

All you need to know: Translink service changes ahead of Belfast Grand Central Station opening

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Belfast Grand Central Station will be the largest transport hub on the island of Ireland, featuring 26 bus stands and eight train platforms.

A revised NI Railways timetable will be in operation from July 3 until early Autumn.

An express bus substitution service will operate between Lisburn and Europa Buscentre and a shuttle service will operate between Lanyon Place and Europa Buscentre every 30 minutes, serving stops adjacent to Belfast City Hospital, Queen’s University and Botanic.

A revised train service will operate between Lisburn and Portadown, while Derry, Bangor and Larne line rail services will run to and from Lanyon Place.

In terms of shuttle service routes, these will serve:

  • Lanyon Station – for passengers going to Europa Buscentre
  • Great Victoria Street (Brennan’s Bar) – for passengers going to Botanic and City Hospital
  • Bradbury Place (Lavery’s) – for those going to Botanic
  • Lisburn Road – for passengers going to City Hospital
  • University Road (Queen’s Students’ Union) – for passengers going to Queen’s University
  • Bradbury Place (Benedicts) – for passengers heading to the city centre
  • Great Victoria Street (Great Northern Mall) for passengers going to Lanyon Place
  • Lanyon Place – for passengers boarding train services to Larne, Bangor and Derry.

The Enterprise line will be closed from July 3 until early Autumn between Lanyon Place and Newry. Bus substitution services will operate between Lanyon Place and Newry, and Portadown and Newry.

Return trains from Dublin will connect with bus substitution services at Newry going to Lanyon Place, while normal Enterprise services will run from Portadown to Dublin Connolly station.

The 9.36am Saturday service from Belfast to Dublin Connolly and the 12.21pm Saturday service from Dublin Connolly to Belfast will not operate.

In addition, the 5.05pm Sunday service from Belfast to Dublin Connolly and the 1pm Dublin Connolly to Belfast Service will not be running.

Great Victoria Street Station was permanently closed from the end of day on May 10 and the revised timetable has been in place since then.

The train line will remain open throughout Belfast, but no longer serve Great Victoria Street. Passengers who normally use Great Victoria Street Station will have to use other stations at Lanyon Place, Botanic, City Hospital and York Street.

NI Railways tickets will be valid on Metro and Ulsterbus services between York Street, Lanyon Station, Belfast city centre, Botanic and City Hospital.

David Curry, Translink’s bus services general manager, said Belfast Grand Central Station will be a “game changer” that will “reimagine” the city.

“Designed to be fully inclusive and able to cater for 20 million passenger journeys a year, it will be the largest integrated transport facility on the island of Ireland bringing the opportunity to further enhance service frequency in the longer term,” he added.

“Beyond transportation, this new facility will be a new destination in the heart of the city where people meet thanks to a range of popular hospitality and retail outlets offering a unique blend of convenience and leisure.

“With reduced passenger numbers during the summer period, we have carefully planned a range of travel options to minimise the overall impact and ensure people can continue to make their journeys and access the city.”

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