By Julie McLaughlin
Translink has announced that local bus services travelling between Belfast and South Down will be moving to Grand Central Station next month.
Translink said that Downpatrick, Newcastle and Ballynahinch buses will be departing from Belfast Grand Central Station beginning on Tuesday, 1 July, to coincide with the start of the summer timetable.
“We are pleased that our Goldliner coach and Ulsterbus services to Newcastle, Downpatrick and Ballynahinch, as well as Carryduff, will depart from the new Belfast Grand Central Station from 1 July, offering customers greater convenience, access to the modern facilities and onward bus and train connections across Northern Ireland, cross-border, and airports services,” Phillip Woods, Translink acting general manager for bus services, said.
“Bus services moving to Belfast Grand Central Station include 215, 515 and 516 to Downpatrick, the 237 and 520 services to Newcastle and 652 buses to Ballynahinch via Cairnshill Park and Ride and Carryduff.”
Local bus services previously departed from and ended at the Europa Bus Station in Belfast prior to last summer. However, since 1 July 2024, the local buses have been departing Belfast from an outdoor stop at Adelaide Street and dropping off passengers at an outdoor stop at Linenhall Street. This was despite most other Translink bus services already moving to the new Grand Central Station in autumn 2024.
When the Newcastle, Downpatrick and Ballynahinch buses move to Grand Central Station for departures in July, passengers will still have the option to board most bus services at Adelaide Street before leaving the city centre as it will become a second outbound stop.
Translink said that buses coming from South Down into Belfast will stop at Bedford Street for passengers wishing to get off the bus closer to the City Hall and then will make their final stop at Grand Central Station.
Read the full story in the current issue of the Mourne Observer.
Download the Mourne Observer App to read the digital edition – click here for android – here for apple
