17,000 passengers choose Translink’s Christmas Late Night Services

Translink’s late night festive public transport has been heralded as a huge success with almost seventeen thousand passengers opting for the bus and train as their convenient and reliable way home.

Representing an increase of over 50% compared to the same period during Christmas 2022, Chris Conway said the range of later departures from Belfast on Metro, Goldliner, Urby, and train services right across the network demonstrates the importance of operating extended late-night services for the night-time economy.

“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”, Chris concluded.

Michael Stewart, Belfast Night Czar, added;

“As Belfast City Centre Night Czar, the success of the late-night transport initiative over the festive period is music to my ears.

“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”.

• Chris McCracken, Managing Director of Linen Quarter Bid also welcomed the news;

“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.”