7 January 2026
SDLP Belfast City Council Group Leader Councillor Séamas de Faoite has said the Infrastructure Minister must build on the success of Translink’s late-night festive services.
Translink has confirmed there were around 30,000 journeys on late-night festive train and bus services this year, an increase of over 70%.
Late-night bus services in Belfast accounted for over 7,000 of these journeys.
Councillor Séamas de Faoite said:
“The SDLP has been campaigning for many years for the introduction of permanent light-night bus services for Belfast and other parts of the North. These figures clearly show the huge demand that exist and I’m hopeful that this uptake will be reflected in the ongoing pilot for Friday and Saturday late night services in Belfast.
“The Infrastructure Minister and her department must now work with Translink to build on this success and improve our public transport offering to meet demand. This should include enhanced timetables, additional routes where possible and the exploration of lowering fares, as backed by Belfast City Council through my recent proposal.
“These late-night services will have a huge benefit for our economy, supporting hospitality and retail businesses and their staff, whilst improving public safety. They will also reduce congestion to encourage more people to visit our city and support local businesses.
“We should be doing everything we can to encourage people to use public transport and to leave their cars and other vehicles at home. This will also contribute to lowering emissions that harm our environment and encourage healthier, more active lifestyles among the public.”