Passengers using private bus companies to travel from Belfast to Dublin Airport will get picked up and dropped off at a new location from next week.
Aircoach and Dublin Express passengers currently use Glengall Street, next to the old Europa Bus Centre, which is due to close with work due to begin on the demolition of the nearby Boyne Bridge and works associated with the new £340m Grand Central Station.
Both private bus firms will pick up and drop off passengers at Upper Queen Street in Belfast city centre from Tuesday October 15.
The bus stops were previously used by Translink Metro services departing the city centre towards north Belfast.
Albert Street had initially been proposed as an alternative to Glengall Street for the bus companies, but it’s understood the location was scrapped after opposition from a local community group.
The bus companies have been in negotiations with Translink and the Department for Infrastructure over the use of bus stands at the new Grand Central Station, but have been told that may not happen until summer 2025. Rail services are due to start from the station on Sunday October 13.
Dublin Express General Manager Rory Fitzgerald said: “We are happy with Upper Queen St as a location especially when compared to the initial site at Albert Street.
“We will commence operations from the new location on Tuesday October 15th. With a large number of day trippers and holiday makers going in both directions, a city centre location makes sense for the travelling public.
“It is in everyone’s interest to have as many people having the option to use public transport made as seamless as possible.
“Representatives of Translink also invited us to see Grand Central Station and gave us a guided tour of the fantastic new facility. Translink are unable to facilitate us in the short term as there is considerable work still to take place but have promised that we will be invited to relocate to GCS. The estimated time for this to happen is between June and September of 2025.”
The private bus operators are carrying increasing numbers of passengers travelling to Dublin Airport for their summer holidays and city breaks.
PICTURE COLM LENAGHAN
Both Aircoach and Dublin Express offer direct routes to the airport from Belfast, while many of Translink’s services stop in towns and cities on the way.
It’s understood passengers who have booked trips with Aircoach and Dublin Express will be contacted in the coming days to inform them of the change in pick-up/drop-off location.
Aircoach first started operating bus services between Belfast and Dublin 25 years ago. Dublin Express, part of National Express Ltd, is operated by Co Tyrone-based Quinn’s Coach Hire, and first started running in summer 2023.
