Night time bus and train service set for NI

Bus and train services could be extended all year round, as Translink aims to improve public transport.

Chris Conway, CEO, told Downtown/Cool FM they hope to extend bus and train hours in the summer, with the intention of rolling it out all year round.

He was speaking at the fourth Bus + Train Week initiative.

Mr Conway said: "We see a big opportunity in the evening economy, and during the Christmas period you will know we run much later trains to midnight and beyond.

We did that as part of a pilot scheme the past two years and we intend to roll that out this coming summer.

"The hope then is that we will extend that all year where we would have later services.

"We already have a 24 hour service running from Derry/Londonderry, so we can do it. We just need to look at extend that to the greater Belfast area."

However, Mr Conway did acknowledge how a lack of funding has hindered their development of public transport.

He added: "The economic analysis also points out however that despite its contribution, NI still lags behind other regions in the UK when it comes to public transport expenditure levels. Per capita spend in NI is 60% of that in England 40% of that in Scotland even though network coverage here is much higher.

"Against this backdrop, we need to continue to invest in public transport over the longer term.

"Reinforces research that shows every £1 invested in public transport generates a further £4 in the total economy - we need to utilize this".

The economic insight shared by Grant Thornton’s Chief Economist Andrew Webb at the event, showed that directly and indirectly Translink accounts for over 6,000 jobs in the local economy.

This results in a total GVA impact of over £185m annually to the local economy.

Andrew said: “It is clear from our research that public transport is a vital cog in the local economy – delivering strong direct and indirect benefits. It also offers a wide range of catalytic impacts and clearly acts as a key enabler that supports the draft Programme for Government on a number of levels.

"While we can quantify the direct impacts of the investment in public transport via Translink and demonstrate the clear value to the local economy directly and indirectly, the wider economic and societal benefits are almost inestimable.

"Our research shows that it plays a vital role in supporting workforce movement, tackling the financial and environmental costs of congestion, attracting inward investment and delivering sustainable movement of people and goods.

“We can also see the value it delivers to the environment and to the health of the nation, given its contribution to more active lifestyles and stress reduction. Its critical role in promoting social inclusion and connecting people with family and friends, employment and educational opportunities as well as health benefits also featured strongly in our research".