Translink (Northern Ireland) facts for kids
Translink logo as of 2021
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A Translink NI Railways Train outside Moira
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Public Transport |
| Predecessor | Ulster Transport Authority Citybus (Belfast) |
| Founded | 1 January 1996 in Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Headquarters | 22 Great Victoria Street, , |
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Area served
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Northern Ireland Republic of Ireland (via Cross border Services) |
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Key people
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Chris Conway (CEO) Gordon Milligan (Chief Strategy Officer) Jacqui Kennedy (Chief People & Corporate Services Officer) Ronan O’Doherty (Interim Chief Financial Officer) |
| Revenue |  £266.3M (2022) £292.6M (2021)£225.9M (2020) |
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Number of employees
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4,064 (2021-22) |
| Parent | Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company |
| Subsidiaries | Ulsterbus NI Railways Metro (Belfast) |
Translink is the main company that provides public transport in Northern Ireland. It's like the big boss of buses and trains there! Translink is part of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHCo).
Translink runs three main services:
- Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) for trains.
- Ulsterbus for buses that travel across towns and cities.
- Metro for buses within Belfast.
The company is led by its CEO, Chris Conway.
Translink helps people travel all over Northern Ireland. They also have services that go to Dublin in the Republic of Ireland. These cross-border services are run with their partner, Córas Iompar Éireann (CIÉ). You can catch a Translink bus in many towns like Bangor, Derry, Ballymena, and Omagh. The Metro service helps people get around Belfast and its nearby areas.
Translink was created in 1996. It brought together the train and bus services that used to be run by the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) and Citybus Limited. Citybus is now known as Metro.
Contents
Northern Ireland Railways: Trains for Travel
Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) is the part of Translink that manages the train network. Northern Ireland has about 330.58 kilometers (205.41 miles) of railway lines.
The main train line goes from Portadown to Bangor. Translink also runs trains between Belfast and Derry in the north. There are also services to Newry in the south. The fast Enterprise service connects Belfast and Dublin. You can also take trains to Larne and Portrush. The Portrush line branches off the Belfast-Derry railway line at Coleraine.
In 2014, Translink looked into having a train service to Belfast International Airport. This idea included reopening an old train line. However, these plans have not moved forward yet.
Ulsterbus: Buses Across the Country
Ulsterbus runs most of the bus services outside of Belfast. They operate from about 20 bus stations. These include stations in towns like Armagh, Lisburn, Newtownards, and Derry. Ulsterbus has about 1,100 buses. Every day, Ulsterbus helps over 65,000 children get to school.
Goldliner: Long-Distance Buses
Goldliner is the name for Ulsterbus's main long-distance bus services. These buses connect major cities in Northern Ireland. They also offer services that cross the border into the Republic of Ireland. A popular route is the 'Maiden City Flyer' from Belfast to Derry. The X1 service goes from Belfast to Dublin and Dublin Airport.
There is even a service, number 923, that goes from Belfast to Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland. It travels via Belfast Harbour and Stranraer.
Urby: Modern Commuter Buses
On August 7, 2018, Translink launched the new Urby bus service. These buses are double deck buses built by Wrightbus. They have cool features like free Wi-Fi, comfy leather seats, and USB charging ports. The Urby buses also run on improved schedules.
Urby services were first launched in areas like Ballyclare, Bangor, and Newtownards. Later, more services were added to places like Ballygowan and Comber.
Contract Hire and Tours
Translink also offers buses for hire to the public. Ulsterbus used to run "Day Tours" to different parts of Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and Great Britain. These tours were often for shopping trips or visits to tourist spots. However, Ulsterbus Tours stopped operating in September 2020. This was due to money problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Metro: Buses in Belfast
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The Translink Metro service runs all the bus routes within the greater Belfast area. Metro operates on 12 main bus routes, plus other smaller ones.
This service started a long time ago as the Belfast Corporation Transport Department. In 1973, it became Citybus Limited. Then, in 1995, it joined the "Translink" network. In 2004, Citybus was completely changed and rebranded as Metro. This happened on February 7, 2005.
Foyle Metro: Buses in Derry
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Foyle Metro is the part of Translink that runs bus services in Derry. This service started in August 2017 after a big investment to improve the city's bus routes. In May 2023, 38 new battery electric buses were brought in. These new buses, including Wright GB Kites, help make the Foyle Metro fleet zero emission, which is great for the environment!
Foyle Metro has 13 main routes that start from the city centre. There's also an extra route that goes around the north side of the city.
Belfast Rapid Transit System – Glider
The Belfast Rapid Transit System, also known as Glider, started running on September 3, 2018. It's a special bus service run by Translink. The routes use 34 long, "bendy buses" called Glider. These buses were made by Van Hool especially for Belfast.
Glider buses have cool features like:
- Real-time information about when the next bus will arrive.
- Announcements for upcoming stops.
- CCTV cameras for safety.
- Free Wi-Fi.
- USB charging ports.
- Air conditioning.
They run very often, about every 7–8 minutes during the day. Route G1 connects the Park and ride facility at Dundonald in East Belfast to West Belfast. Route G2 links the Titanic Quarter with the city centre. The Glider service is expected to help Belfast's transport needs in the future.
Translink's Future Ticketing System
In 2018, Translink announced a new way to pay for journeys. This new system will be used across all their buses and trains in Northern Ireland. They are installing 4,500 new ticket machines. About 300 of these will be in train and bus stations and in Belfast city centre.
Passengers will be able to pay in a few ways:
- Using a contactless credit or debit card.
- Using a special 'ePurse' smartcard, like London's Oyster card. You can add money to this card online or with a mobile app.
- Paper tickets will still be available too.
The first part of this new system started with the Glider buses in 2018. The whole system is expected to be finished soon. It's a big project that will cost about £43 million. When it's done, it will be the largest payment system of its kind in the UK, outside of Greater London.
Challenges and Improvements
Like any big company, Translink sometimes faces challenges. In the past, some people have raised concerns about fare increases and how reliable services are. Translink works to improve its services and meet its targets for being on time.
In 2021, Translink updated its logo. This cost about £15,000. Some people thought this was a lot of money, especially when Translink was facing funding challenges. Translink explained that the new design helps to make their brand look more modern and simple.
See also
- Enterprise Train; A train service that crosses the border in Ireland.
- Ulster Transport Authority; The company that ran trains and buses in Northern Ireland before Translink.
- Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company; The government-owned group that owns Translink.
