Additional three million journeys on public transport hailed

An additional three million passenger journeys using public transport have been recorded in Northern Ireland.

Translink announced the additional passenger journeys in 2024/25, compared with previous years, with a total of almost 81.2 million journeys across bus and rail services.

It comes after recent investment in public transport, including the opening of the new Belfast Grand Central station, and York Street Train Station, also in Belfast.

Translink said that Belfast Grand Central Station is “already delivering strong performance results and user feedback is very positive with a 96% satisfaction rating”.

There have also been advances in ticketing systems, with contactless payments now available on all services.

Chris Conway, Translink Group chief executive, said the growth in passenger journeys demonstrates how investment in public transport pays off.

“Much progress has been made as we lead the transformation of transport in Northern Ireland, during what was a landmark year with significant achievements, including the opening of two state-of-the-art passenger facilities,” he said.

“By driving modal shift we’re supporting economic, environmental and social wellbeing.

“Public transport is crucial for delivering Programme for Government (PfG) ambitions and integral to achieving carbon emission reduction targets set out in the NI Climate Change Act.

“We remain committed to investing in our fleet, infrastructure and services to be first choice for travel in Northern Ireland.”