Northern Ireland late night trains continuing after success of Christmas services
Late night train services in Northern Ireland are continuing after the success of services in the run-up to Christmas.
Translink said over the festive period, around 17,000 passengers opted for late night buses and trains to get home, representing an increase of more than 50% compared to the same period during Christmas 2022.
The late night bus and train services were in place from November 30 until December 21, and saw some Translink services operating until 1.30am on Fridays and Saturdays.
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Translink Chief Executive, Chris Conway, said the success of late night services demonstrates the importance of operating extended late-night services for the night-time economy. As a result, due to the particular success of train services, the public transport provider is continuing later Friday and Saturday night train services.
Mr Conway said: "Belfast has a vibrant and bustling nightlife and we have been pleased to work with a range of city stakeholders to play our part in helping to support the important night-time economy during the busy festive season.
“Train services have proved particularly popular, and we are maintaining the later Friday and Saturday night services into the new year so passengers can continue to enjoy the flexibility when planning their later train journey home.
“With sustainable funding, we hope to offer late night services all year round. This would better serve Belfast residents and those visiting from towns and cities across Northern Ireland, while also placing a firm focus on sustainable travel. The night-time economy in Belfast is a key part of its cultural and economic identity and these services help support the city as it continues to evolve, expand and grow.
“We will continue to work with all interested parties that value late-night public transport to secure the essential funding to create a better connected more sustainable city for everyone."
Belfast Night Czar, Michael Stewart, said the success of festive services is "music to my [his] ears." He has called for this success to be built on, to roll-out late night services year-round.
He said: “We now need to build on this success and secure the funding from all relevant statutory authorities so that late night transport can be introduced all year long helping to grow our Night Time Economy. Motivation gets us started but habit keeps us going, we need to develop the habit of using services like these 52 weeks of the year. A late-night bus or train should be for life not just for Christmas."
Chief Executive of Hospitality Ulster, Colin Neill, said: "Hospitality Ulster has long argued for the provision of extra night-time transport services in order to boost Northern Ireland's night-time economy, so the news that Christmas late-night services saw an increase of over 50% is very welcome.
"We are also very encouraged by the news that the success of late-night rail services means that they will now continue into the New Year. We hope that this marks the beginning of the building of an extensive, year-round, late-night travel infrastructure that will play a key part in unlocking the potential of our night-time economy."
Gerry Lennon, Chief Executive of Visit Belfast, said enhancing late night services is vital for the city's economy. He added: “The significant rise in passenger numbers reported over the Christmas period underscores the demand for these services and reflects a growing preference for sustainable transport options among both locals and visitors alike.
“Visit Belfast, is committed to working with our partners to showcase the city’s exceptional food, drink, and entertainment experiences, all made more accessible through reliable public transport.”
There have also been calls for an expansion to Translink's network, in particular the introduction of the North-South Glider. Chris McCracken, Managing Director of Linen Quarter Bid, said: "The success of Translink's Late Night Christmas Service highlights the importance of public transport to the night-time economy.
"Belfast now needs to take the next step and establish a late-night service that will turbo-boost our evening economy throughout the year, providing customers with a safe, accessible, and reliable route home. The proposed North-South Glider also needs to be part of our enhanced evening services and Linen Quarter BID would be keen to see this investment brought forward at the earliest opportunity."
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