General information | |
---|---|
Location | Weavers Cross, Belfast Northern Ireland |
Owned by | NI Railways |
Operated by | NI Railways |
Platforms | 8 |
Train operators | NI Railways Iarnród Éireann (On cross border services) [1] |
Bus stands | 26 |
Bus operators | Ulsterbus, Goldline, Metro (Belfast) |
Construction | |
Structure type | At-grade |
Bicycle facilities | 300 cycle parking spaces [1] |
Accessible | Yes [1] |
Architect | John McAslan + Partners [2] |
Other information | |
Fare zone | 1 [3] |
Key dates | |
2019 | Construction started |
2024/2025 | Proposed opening |
Passengers | |
20 million (estimated) [1] |
Belfast Grand Central station is an under-construction railway station and bus station in the city centre of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It will replace Great Victoria Street railway station and the Europa Buscentre; [4] [5] it is being built next to them, in a new neighbourhood called Weaver's Cross. [6] Grand Central is expected to open in Autumn 2024, several months after the old railway station closes. [7]
The first railway station in Ulster was opened on the site of today's Great Victoria Street station in 1839. It became the northern terminus of the GNR's non-stop Dublin–Belfast express in 1947, and in 1962, having been taken over by the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA), platform 5 was closed, filled in, and turned into a bus station providing a truly integrated bus-rail station for the first time in Belfast's history. [8] Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) closed the railway part of the station altogether in 1976 and the original buildings disappeared beneath the Europa Hotel and Great Northern Mall. Railway services resumed, however, in 1995 with the opening of the present-day Great Victoria Street station, integrated with the Europa Buscentre, yards away from the site of the original 1839 station. [9]
Belfast Grand Central Station will not be on strictly the same site as today's Great Victoria Street Station, instead being in the corner of the Grosvenor Road and Durham Street, occupying an 8-hectare (20-acre) site. Historically this area was occupied by the railway goods yard, until goods traffic ended in 1976, and at present is partly used as the bus depot. [10]
Belfast Grand Central Station thus fits into a history of bus-rail integration linked to the Great Victoria Street area that goes back to 1962, save for a 19-year interruption between 1976 and 1995.
The new station is located on a 8-hectare (860,000 sq ft) site owned by Translink between the current Europa Buscentre and Belfast Great Victoria Street railway station, [1] both of which it replaces. [6] The station's capacity is designed to cater for fourteen million passenger journeys annually, more than the eight million combined capacity of the pre-existing bus and railway station. [6] In addition to rail and bus improvements, the station will also have cycle and taxi provision for enhanced connectivity, with a potential 300 cycle parking spaces. [11] [12] Upon completion it is said to be the "largest integrated transport facility on the island of Ireland". [11] The proposal is described as the Northern Ireland Executive's "flagship project". [12]
The new station would have eight platforms [5] (double that of Great Victoria Street) under a large overall roof, composed of four island platforms with two faces each. Two of these islands would be short, covered entirely by the roof, and two long. [10] Like the current Great Victoria Street, it will be the terminus of NIR's Derry, Larne, Bangor and Newry lines. The Enterprise express service to Dublin will be moved from Lanyon Place as part of the project, meaning the flagship express service between Belfast and Dublin will terminate here. [13] Unlike at Lanyon Place, there will be a dedicated Enterprise lounge.
Like the present Europa Buscentre, the new station will have stands for Ulsterbus, Goldline and Metro buses. However, the number of stands will be increased from Europa's 18 [14] to 26. [6] [5] There will be a dedicated lounge for Goldliner passengers.
The area surrounding the hub will become a new neighbourhood which Translink has named ''Weaver's Cross''. [15] This 100,000m2 site will comprise leisure, residential and commercial facilities. [16] [17] Some of the proposals for the neighbourhood were described as "bleak" due to the plan's use of tall buildings and little space in between, with Belfast's Orange Order being among the objectors. [18]
Weaver's Cross, combined with the station and a rejuvenated Glengall Street, Hope Street and Durham Street, will become Station Quarter, Belfast's ninth Cultural Quarter. [19]
By February 2021, the first stage of enabling works was completed by construction contractor company Graham, [20] [21] clearing the 8-hectare (860,000 sq ft) for construction. [22] The next stage of development from February 2021, involves the relocating of bus engineering and operation facilities to new accommodation, and the construction of a new bus wash facility, engineering garage, storage facilities and a bus parking area. [22] The Main Works and Infrastructure enhancement phases of the project are expected to be conducted in 2022. [22] The project is due for completion in 2024/2025. [6] [22] The project is said to potentially create 400 jobs over a five-year period. [23]
The main works of the project would be delivered by a joint venture of Farrans and Sacyr, with railway system works by Babcock. [24] Translink promotes the project using the local expression "It's Grand". [5]
The Busway Bridge was completed in August 2023. [25]
In April 2024, it was announced that Great Victoria Street station will close permanently on 10 May, several months before the new Grand Central station opens in autumn 2024. In July and August, the whole railway line between Lanyon Place and Lisburn will be closed while the tracks are linked to the new station. [26]
Though the project is still in its early days a few issues have arisen, including:
NI Railways, also known as Northern Ireland Railways, is the railway operator in Northern Ireland. NIR is a subsidiary of Translink, whose parent company is the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHCo), and is one of eight publicly owned train operators in the United Kingdom, the others being Direct Rail Services, Northern Trains, Transport for Wales Rail, Southeastern, LNER, ScotRail, and TransPennine Express. It has a common Board of Management with the other two companies in the group, Ulsterbus and Metro.
Belfast International Airport is an airport 11.5 NM northwest of Belfast in Northern Ireland, and is the main airport for the city of Belfast. Until 1983, it was known as Aldergrove Airport, after the nearby village of Aldergrove in County Antrim. In 2023, over 5.9 million passengers travelled through the airport, a 23.6% increase compared with 2022. The majority of flights from Belfast International are operated by easyJet, Northern Ireland's biggest airline. It features flights to some European metropolitan and several leisure destinations.
Translink is the brand name of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHCo), a public corporation in Northern Ireland which provides the public transport in the region. NI Railways, Ulsterbus and Metro are all part of Translink. It is led by CEO Chris Conway.
Ulsterbus is a public transport operator in Northern Ireland and operates bus services outside Belfast. It is part of Translink, the brand name for the subsidiary operating companies of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, which also includes Northern Ireland Railways and Metro Belfast.
Enterprise is the cross-border inter-city train service between Dublin Connolly in the Republic of Ireland and Belfast Lanyon Place in Northern Ireland, jointly operated by Iarnród Éireann (IE) and NI Railways (NIR). It operates on the Belfast–Dublin railway line.
Belfast Lanyon Place is a railway station serving the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Located on Bridge Street in the Laganside area of central Belfast, it is one of four stations in the city centre, the others being Great Victoria Street, City Hospital and Botanic. Lanyon Place is the northern terminus of the cross-border Enterprise service to Dublin Connolly. It is also served by Northern Ireland Railways, which operates routes to other locations in Northern Ireland, including Derry, Bangor, Portadown and Larne.
Derry ~ Londonderry railway station, also known as North West Transport Hub or Waterside railway station, is a railway terminus in Derry, Northern Ireland, on the east bank of the River Foyle, operated by Northern Ireland Railways and its 8th biggest station across the network with 723,776 passengers in the 22/23 year. It is on the Belfast–Derry railway line, terminating at Belfast Great Victoria Street. Derry/Londonderry has the longest platforms on the NIR Network, at 258.3 meters in length.
The Belfast–Newry line operates from Lanyon Place station in County Antrim to Newry in County Down, Northern Ireland. The manager for this line is based at Portadown railway station, although the line extends to the border to include the Scarva and Poyntzpass halts and Newry. Newry is on the fringe of the network, being the last stop before the border with the Republic of Ireland. The line follows the route of the northern half of the main Dublin–Belfast line, with the exception of calling at Belfast Great Victoria Street.
The Belfast–Larne line, or Larne line, is a railway line in Northern Ireland, operated by Northern Ireland Railways. It runs as double track along the majority of its route north along the scenic east Antrim coastline from Belfast to the coastal seaport town of Larne, serving commuters and ferry passengers.
The Belfast–Derry line runs from Belfast to Derry in Northern Ireland.
Portadown Railway Station serves the town of Portadown in County Armagh, Northern Ireland.
Newry railway station serves Newry and Bessbrook in Northern Ireland. The station is located in the northwest of Newry, County Armagh on the Dublin-Belfast line close to the Craigmore Viaduct. It is the most southerly railway station in Northern Ireland.
Yorkgate railway station serves the north of the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. The station opened in 1992, replacing the previous York Road railway station nearby.
Lurgan railway station serves Lurgan in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Located on William Street. The station is managed by NI Railways. With just over 670,000 passengers in the year 22/23. Lurgan railway station is Northern Ireland's 9th most used station.
Transportation systems in the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland, include road, air, rail, and sea. It is still a relatively car-dependent city; however, it is also served by a comprehensive rail and bus network. Belfast also ran electric trams prior to 1954. The city has two major airports, and the Port of Belfast is the busiest ferry port on the island of Ireland.
The Linen Quarter is an area of Belfast, Northern Ireland. The name is derived from the great many linen warehouses that are still present in the area. The Linen Quarter is host to some of the major cultural venues of Belfast, including the Ulster Hall and Grand Opera House, alongside a large number of hotels, bars, restaurants and cafes. The district also includes the main transport hub of Belfast.
Urban andsuburban rail plays a key role in public transport in many of the major cities of the United Kingdom. Urban rail refers to the train service between city centres and suburbs or nearby towns that acts as a main mode of transport for travellers on a daily basis. They consist of several railway lines connecting city centre stations of major cities to suburbs and surrounding towns.
Great Victoria Street is a railway station serving the city centre of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is one of two main stations in the city, along with Lanyon Place, and is nearest the city centre. The station is off Great Victoria Street and shares a site with the Europa Buscentre, Belfast's main bus station. Both will be replaced by Belfast Grand Central station, which is being built beside them. Great Victoria Street railway station will close permanently on 10 May 2024, several months before the new station opens in late 2024.
Glider is a bus rapid transit system in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed to improve the efficiency of mass transit in the city by connecting East and West Belfast and the Titanic Quarter via the city centre. The service is operated by Translink.