22.03.19
Government gives ‘hugely important’ £208m Belfast Transport Hub the green light
A new £208m Belfast Transport Hub with major rail and bus connections has been granted planning permission by the Department of Infrastructure.
The new proposed development, led by Translink, is set to replace the Great Victoria Street train station complex and the Europa Bus Centre, and become the main transport gateway for Belfast.
The Department for Infrastructure has granted planning permission for the new Belfast Transport Hub, and Translink said that following the announcement the scheme will take around five years to complete.
The hub will include eight railway platforms along with the public area concourse, public square, and 26 bus stands.
It is expected to provide over 400 direct jobs during construction and Translink chief executive Chris Conway said it was “catalyst for the regeneration of the local area.”
Conway said that the plans will be “hugely important” in creating a transport hub for the capital city, incorporating rail, coach and bus connections across Northern Ireland and beyond.
“The plans will play a key role in positioning Belfast as a modern, confident and progressive city supporting the city councils’ Belfast Agenda.
“We have seen strong passenger growth in recent years with a record 81 million passenger journeys last year, the highest in 20 years.
“This modern, innovative Transport Hub will allow us to build on this success, to meet growing customer demand, increase transport connectivity and enhance the customer experience as even more people choose to use public transport. “
Conway said there was widespread support from the local community, businesses, city stakeholders and political parties and that Translink was “delighted” that the project had been given the green light.
“We look forward to getting this ‘transport led regeneration’ project underway, in order to meet the future needs of commuters, visitors and residents in Northern Ireland. We will continue to work with all our stakeholders as the development progresses,” he concluded.
Local businesses and bodies backing the transport hub include the Belfast Chamber, the Belfast Trust, Belfast City Council, the Northern Ireland Chamber, Invest NI and the CBI.