![]() The station under-construction as of 9 October 2023. | |
General information | |
Location | Weavers Cross, Belfast Northern Ireland |
Owned by | Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company [1] |
Operated by | Translink |
Platforms | 8 |
Train operators | NI Railways Iarnród Éireann (On cross border services) [2] |
Bus stands | 26 |
Bus operators | Ulsterbus, Goldline, Metro (Belfast) |
Construction | |
Structure type | At-grade |
Bicycle facilities | 300 cycle parking spaces [2] |
Accessible | Yes [2] |
Architect | John McAslan + Partners [3] |
Other information | |
Fare zone | 1 [4] |
Key dates | |
2019 | Construction started |
8 Sept 2024 | Bus services start |
Belfast Grand Central station (originally the Belfast Transport Hub [5] ) is railway and bus station under construction in the city centre of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It will replace Great Victoria Street railway station and the Europa Buscentre. [6] [7] It is being built next to its predecessors, in a new neighbourhood called Weaver's Cross. [8] Grand Central is expected to open in Autumn 2024, several months after the old railway station closed on 10 May 2024. [9]
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. [10] 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. [11]
Belfast Grand Central Station is not built 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. [12]
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, [2] both of which it replaces. [8] 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. [8] In addition to rail and bus improvements, the station is due to also have cycle and taxi provision for enhanced connectivity, with a potential 300 cycle parking spaces. [13] [14] Upon completion it is said to be the "largest integrated transport facility on the island of Ireland". [13] The proposal is described as the Northern Ireland Executive's "flagship project". [14]
The new station would have eight platforms [7] (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. [12] 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. [15] Unlike at Lanyon Place, there is due to be a dedicated Enterprise lounge.[ citation needed ]
Like the present Europa Buscentre, the new station will have stands for Ulsterbus, Goldline and Metro buses. However, the number of stands are due to be increased from Europa's 18 [16] to 26. [8] [7] A dedicated lounge for Goldliner passengers is planned.[ citation needed ]
The area surrounding the hub will become a new neighbourhood which Translink has named 'Weaver's Cross'. [17] This 100,000 m2 site is planned to comprise leisure, residential and commercial facilities. [18] [19] 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. [20]
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. [21]
By February 2021, the first stage of enabling works was completed by construction contractor company Graham, [22] [23] clearing the 8-hectare (860,000 sq ft) for construction. [24] 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. [24] The Main Works and Infrastructure enhancement phases of the project are expected to be conducted in 2022. [24] The project is due for completion in 2024/2025. [8] [24] The project is said to potentially create 400 jobs over a five-year period. [25]
The main works of the project would be delivered by a joint venture of Farrans and Sacyr, with railway system works by Babcock. [26] Translink promotes the project using the local expression "It's Grand". [7]
The Busway Bridge was completed in August 2023. [27]
In April 2024, it was announced that Great Victoria Street station would 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 are to be closed while the tracks are linked to the new station. [28]
On 29 May 2024, the first "The Grand Connection Roadshow" was held at Lanyon Place Train Station to communicate their "grand plans" for the largest integrated transport facility on the island of Ireland. The roadshow toured various locations throughout Northern Ireland, including shopping centers and train and bus stations. These events also distributed exclusive Belfast Grand Central merchandise. [29]
On 3 July 2024, Translink closed the rail line between Lisburn and Belfast Lanyon Place to facilitate the Grand Central enabling works scheduled for the summer. All stations between these two points were closed, with a temporary shuttle service running between Portadown and Lisburn. Enterprise passengers traveling to/from Belfast took a bus to/from Newry train station. [30]
On 8 July 2024, Translink launched a video series across all its social media channels titled "The Grand Connection: Behind the Scenes at Belfast Grand Central Station." These videos showcase the progress made since the closure of Great Victoria Street station in May and highlight how stakeholders and interest groups contributed to the station's development. To date there have been 11 of these videos posted [31]
On 9 August 2024, Translink announced "The GRAND Pianist," a competition to find pianists for a GRAND performance at the opening of Belfast Grand Central Station. The competition's piano will make five stops across Northern Ireland: Newry Bus Station, the Northwest Transport Hub (Derry~Londonderry) and the railway stations at Lanyon Place, Bangor, and Coleraine. The regional heats will take place throughout August and September 2024. [32]
On 13 August 2024, the first trains began arriving at the station for driver training runs. DMU 4001 was observed operating these runs between Belfast Lanyon Place and Belfast Grand Central and Adelaide Depot. [33] [34]
On 19 August 2024, Translink announced that bus operations at Belfast Grand Central will commence on Sunday, 8 September, 2024. The final day of operations at the Europa Buscentre will be Saturday, 7 September, 2024. This will be a semi-soft opening as the start date for rail operations has not yet been announced. Translink stated, "We are excited to offer a 'grand' welcome to visitors and passengers and want to thank everyone for their patience and support. We know there has been much interest and anticipation in the new facility, which is set to help unlock the true potential of our region as a great place to live, work, and visit." [35] [36]
Some issues with the scheme have arisen, including:
Train Services
The station is intended to become the terminus of all lines which previously terminated at either Great Victoria Street or Lanyon Place.
Bus Services
The station is intended to become the terminus of all routes which previously terminated at the Europa Buscentre.
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.
Belfast Lanyon Place is a railway station serving the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Located on East Bridge Street in the Laganside area of central Belfast, it is one of four stations in the city centre, the others being City Hospital, Botanic, and the under-construction Grand Central.
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 7th busiest station across the network with 952,126 passengers boarding or alighting at the station in the 2023/24 financial year. It is on the Belfast–Derry railway line, terminating at Belfast Lanyon Place. Derry/Londonderry has the longest platforms on the NIR Network, at 258.3 metres in length.
Lisburn railway station serves the city of Lisburn in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
The Belfast to Bangor line is a railway line in Northern Ireland, originally part of the Belfast & County Down Railway. All services are operated by NI Railways, the only operator for Northern Ireland (NI). Unlike the rest of the United Kingdom, no railway in NI is part of the National Rail network and none is owned by Network Rail. Services run every half-hour, with up to six trains per hour in each direction at peak times.
The Belfast–Derry line is an intercity railway line, running from Belfast to Derry in Northern Ireland.
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Finaghy railway station is located in the townland of Finaghy in south Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The Great Northern Railway of Ireland opened the station on 9 February 1907.
Balmoral railway station is located in the townland of Ballygammon in south Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The station opened on 1 November 1858. The platform was extended by 45 metres in 1870 and the station has been unstaffed since October 1966.
Adelaide railway station is located in the townland of Malone Lower in south Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located just off the Lisburn Road and close to many Queen's University students' houses.
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.
Great Victoria Street was a railway station that served the city centre of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was one of two main stations in the city, along with Lanyon Place, and was nearest to the city centre. The station was situated beside Great Victoria Street and shared a site with the Europa Buscentre, Belfast's main bus station. The railway and bus stations will be replaced by the adjacent Belfast Grand Central station later in 2024. Great Victoria Street railway station closed permanently on 10 May 2024, several months before its replacement was due to open.Europa Buscentre is set to close permanently on the 7 Sept 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.