Projects

Titanic – Bangor Commuter Ferry

Condor Ferries are slated to start an express ferry shuttle service between Belfast Titanic Quarter and Bangor Marina.

Moira Park & Ride

Moira is due to gain up to 400+ car parking spaces and improved cycle shelters in 2025, although so far no scheme has been approved by the council. The link above links to the proposal from Translink, there is a competing proposal from a private developer.

Mossley West Park and Ride

Translink is planning to open a Park-and-Ride facility at Mossley West train halt. There does not appear to be any plans to provision for a Glider extension even further north to Mossley West (see Glider North/South, below).

Sailortown – Titanic Quarter Bridge

_{Image: Embracing the Belfast Waterfront Framework Summary}

This pedestrian and cycling bridge will connect two well developed areas of Belfast separated by a short stretch of water. It also holds potential to create a distributed transport hub with Larne-line services and long distance ferries on the north side, and the Bangor ferry on the south together with the Glider.

Armagh Branch reopening

For years, local campaigners have worked towards having the railway from Portadown to Armagh relayed. Most of the right-of-way is still unencroached upon. Their campaigning paid off, with a positive feasibility study already prepared and additional funding delivered for Translink to perform further work.

Lurgan Train Station Rebuild

Translink has published outline plans to replace Lurgan station, increase Park and Ride capacity and provide better facilities for walkers, cyclists and passengers waiting for trains.

Railway Electrification

Translink has been given funding to plan for electrifying the railway from Belfast to the border towards Dublin (with the expectation that the Irish government would complete the project on the southern side). The move towards electric/battery trains is also moving ahead at pace thanks to the Peace Plus programme.

Belfast Circle Line

The Circle Line Proposal uses the Knockmore-Antrim line to close the gap in a circle around Belfast, as well as adding connections to the two airports and Ballyclare.

(Belfast-)Lisburn to Newry via Banbridge

The All-Island Strategic Rail Review calls for a line directly from the Lisburn area to Newry. This would speed up Belfast to Dublin services and provide extra capacity. There is a closed line route from Lisburn to Banbridge. Beyond that, only a new railway would make sense.

Rail for Enniskillen

Unfortunately Fermanagh in general and Enniskillen in particular were left out of the recommendation of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review even though the Enniskillen area is a major tourist destination. The proposal is dependent on extending the railway from Portadown to Omagh (see above).

Future Ticketing System

Ticket vending machines are being rolled out across the network. More importantly, it looks like the fare system is going to become a lot more integrated and accessible across all services.

Narrow Water Bridge

_{Image: Roughan & O’Donovan}

The Narrow Water Bridge will provide a step-change in local and regional connectivity for cyclists and pedestrians and perhaps also allow for new bus services heading from Kilkeel and Newcastle towards Dundalk and onwards to Dublin avoiding Newry.

Lagan pedestrian and cycle bridge

Designed to provide a new link across the River Lagan into Ormeau Park, the bridge will improve access to facilities from one side of the river to the other, especially for getting into the large park. It is also hoped the bridge will encourage more sustainable travel modes.

Enniskillen to Sligo Greenway

_{Image: SLNCR Greenway}

Running roughly along the route of the Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway (SL&NCR), the greenway is planned to link up Enniskillen and Sligo via Collooney, Ballintogher, Dromahair, Manorhamilton, Glenfarne, Blacklion, Belcoo and Letterbreen.

Pedestrian/Cycle crossing at Bannfoot

_{Image by Alastair Rae, CC BY-SA 2.0 license via Flickr}

A short bridge is due to make life easier for walkers and cyclists close to where the River Bann meets Lough Neagh.

Lisburn West Train Station

Lisburn is due to gain a second station, Lisburn West, to facilitate Park & Ride passengers. The actual station build seems to be on hold.

Knockmore/Antrim reopening with extension to the International Airport

The Knockmore-Antrim line is usable but badly in need of upgrades to become more viable. A station at the airport would make the line far more profitable and would only require a people-mover, minor redirection of the line or a short spur.

Ballymena Bus & Rail Park & Ride

Ballymena is supposed to be getting a large Park & Ride facility, though it is unclear when.

Glider North/South

There are plans to add Glider services serving an M2 P&R facility in the north (unfortunately not reaching the railway at Mossley West), Carryduff in the south and Queens University and City Hospital to the west of the city centre.

Derry-Londonderry Phase 3

The final stage of making major improvements to the line has still not been allocated funding.

Beyond Portadown to Derry-Londonderry via Omagh

This proposal calls for the return of a rail link from Portadown (and onwards to Dublin and Belfast) to Derry-Londonderry via Dungannon, Omagh, and Strabane, with a link to Letterkenny. The same proposal is made in the All-Island Strategic Rail Review.

Rail connection to Limavady

The All-Island Strategic Rail Review calls for an extension of the Belfast to Derry-Londonderry line to Limavady. A route from a previous line is still largely intact.