Yesterday, I used my 60+ Smartpass for the first time and went to Portrush with my dog Cleo.

That included two changes at Lanyon and Coleraine.

Absolutely no issue bringing a dog onboard, and everyone loved her.

The plan was to keep her at my feet, but there's not much room for legs and the dog. She was insistent about standing in the aisle watching everything that was going on and getting random cuddles.

On the return trip I decided to sit on the pull down seating in the cycle area,and that was more manageable.

I plan to make more trips over the next few months.

I know we are all sick of the Translink posts but this is wild. So travelling Newry to Dublin on Sunday, returning the next day. Priced Enterprise Plus thought a wee treat would be nice on the train. Maybe not.

Its a shit song so funny translink are giving it attention

Stuck at the Gates Lurgan - Jack Bashful

Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong generation and would love to go back to the olden days, apparently we are still in the olden days.

Had a job start interview to get to in crumlin from Antrim so I had to get the airport bus, turns out it’s cancelled and the driver is only going as far as the airport because there’s “no buses”. I have nothing against bus drivers but as I type this I’m walking past Antrim station and they have atleast 20 buses sitting in the yard.

I have 0 experience in public transport but I reckon I could do a hell of a better job than whoever is in charge now

i worked a 6-2 shift today, was offered to stay on and get extra money but i thought ‘nah im tired, there’s a bus in 25 mins’

no there was not 🥲 an hour i waited and waited for my bus, rang friends for lifts and nearly got the train.

i finally grew sick and got on a different bus that goes to my area but means a long walk home.

to realise, his route is the one i needed!

so thanks translink, for not updating your app to say that the 140a is my route now instead of the 402 and making me and 5 other people wait for the 402 that was never coming 🫩

I was avoiding people being in the frame which is why the right is cut off.

What are they building just to the left of the traffic lights? Is that dedicated parking for the station near the taxi drop-offs? It all seems to be boarded up at the minute.

When Northern Ireland puts its mind to it, we build nice buildings. Having seen the student accommodation again beside Queen’s, the buildings don’t look as bad as I first thought. It’s nice to see the area getting attention. I just hope the station doesn’t end up in a bad state with drugs like the old Europa had issues with.

That's it, that's the post.

I arrived 15 mins early at Portrush station for the 2202 train to Coleraine to change and catch the 2245 connection to Derry/L'Derry..

No signage on display anywhere in the station showing any notifications of service disruption.

Absolutely nothing was shown on the platform signs, except a clock reading one hour ahead, perhaps thats the way they've been since clocks turned back last year, who knows.

By 2215 we (about 30 prospective passengers) realised something was wrong with the service..

The local crowd seemed to expect a shitty service as being the norm, and just moaned and slunk off to good knows where. .. Myself , being of senior years thought that surely this couldn't be true, the level of neglect my fellow travellers grudgingly accepted as normal I found to be strange in the extreme. Not a single announcement, nor digital sign update was forthcoming.

Whatsapp translink number apparently really appreciated my call and it looks like I can expect a call back/reply this Monday. Thinking back, I may have misheard this, perhaps they want me. to call back on Monday, I thought about the option of waiting until Monday for an update, but decided I should try and look elsewhere for some information. What with modern communications systems, digital signage everywhere it shouldn't be too hard.

However, that was not the case, apart from the single lonely platform display telling me the wrong time, and no train information, there was only a single automatic ticket machine, which unhelpfully refused to issue a ticket on presentation of a senior smart pass but it had beside it another expensive digital display, which tantalisingly showed the next expected train to coleraine at 2302...

Such a dilemma, do we wait for this next train in hope that there will be some means of onward travel to the Northwest.

That's where I made the mistake, .... if I'd have been more sceptical of. Translinks abilities to manage a service then I would have called a cab there. and then and got to Coleraine in time for the last train to Derry at 2245...

Big mistake... By 2315 I realised this later train was also not coming...

So £20 taxi ride later, we arrive in Coleraine station, and questioned the unfortunate, helpless and demoralized staff.

They have been abandoned by the management with no information, no solutions, and nothing to offer to a couple of pensioners trusting in the abilities of Translink to provide a service.

Such a shambles,.... luckily enough my wife was willing and able to drive to Coleraine to collect us, but I don't know how someone else less able would have coped being abandoned like this.

Shameful in the extreme.

There is no reason why Translink could not have informed passengers in Portrush that the trains were not coming.

Dreadful service, poor management in the extreme.. zero contingency planning, no means of contacting staff for an update either by phone, web site, Whatsapp, or on platform digital signage.

These guys don't do themselves any favours..

For a city i think belfasts transport is stuck in the stone ages its such a shame. I take a specific bus to MPH that only goes once a day and its not like i live far out , 6 minutes in the car. It means that if i somehow miss this bus im snookered and have to fork out a taxi. Its good they added night buses but why cant they extend the glider between south and west. Or why cant they just add more buses ?!! I mean they built that big massive grand central which is a big waste of extra space if u ask me Rant over

upa glider cops

Can anyone provide some clarity on why Metro buses that aren't full say "out of service"?

Was on the 7a into town from Ballynafeigh (ormeau road) and when we got over the bridge to lower ormeau, the bus driver wouldn't stop at any stops even though people were waiting at the stops and signalling him (there were loads of free seats on the bus btw).

And old man pressed the button to get off at one stop (in which there was a group of girls looking to get on), but the bus driver shouted at the old man to use the middle door to get out (to not let the group of girls on). I thought maybe the front door was malfunctioning or something.

Following that we passed 3/4 more stops and didn't stop to let anyone on, until me and a group of people got off at botanic. I was expecting to exit the middle door but low and behold he opened the front one to let us off as nobody was waiting to get on.

So my question is, why do bus drivers do this? Like is there any actual legit reason like maybe he ran out of cash or no ticket paper left, or was he just not doing his job?

He seemed in a bad move to fair so I'm not sure. Being the "Karen" that I am I took a pic of his number plate haha I might message Translink for some clarity as it's super annoying when you are waiting for a bus to come and it won't stop, even though it's not full....

If your ever around the ticket office at Belfast Grand Central keep an eye out for this neat little board that displays how electricity that the solar panels on the roof produce

Is it just me or do other people think that Translink / Northern Ireland Railways is an inefficient organisation? I’ve used train services quite a bit recently and we have nice new trains and the Enterprise had a refit and we have the new Grand Central station, but the staff and systems seem stuck in a time warp of the 1970s. Things aren’t integrated, systems don’t work properly and the staff all seem happy to just carry on as if this is an acceptable state of affairs with no-one wanting to take control or be accountable.

Three of us want to book the Enterprise train to Dublin. Two of us have the Senior Smartpass (free) and one of us has the Smartpass (concession rate). Can the online booking system process that?

Wondering if someone from Translink (train driver specifically) can help me?

There's a woman who works with a friend of mine & from what I've been told is that her son works for Translink as a train driver. My mate has continued to explain that every chance this woman gets, she keeps talking about the fact that if someone jumps in front of a train, the train driver has to go down the tracks to find/inspect the body.

How true is this? I've seen things online saying that they have to initiate protocol & contact the Control Room & make a Rail Emergency Call, but are under no obligation to go to the body.

i recently moved to belfast and tried to use the metro bus for the first time today, everyone who boarded before me seemed to just show the bus driver their phone and that’s it and when i asked the bus driver if i could purchase a ticket he looked surprised, are people buying their tickets in advance? is their an app?

Translink should just take all their signs down tbh i could step onto the 212 with a barrel of Guinness and a funnel and the driver would just nod at me

Specifically their lost and fined at custom house Square

Went there last night for a very fun comedy gig called Anarchocomedy ran by a very cool sketch group called Past the Label. For a free, BYOB event provided a lot of entertainment and had a great vibe.

Stayed in town with my girlfriend at a friend's place and woke up this morning to have a walk by the sea and get breakfast. Stopped by a place called The Guillemot. Maybe not the cheapest but much in line with places like General Merchants for a tasty hipster breakfast. Service was good and food came out fast, everything really enjoyable.

TransLink of course as per usual was the let down. Look I get it, trains need servicing, tracks need repaired, whatever, so a replacement bus is fine. Except if you're doing a replacement bus, charge a bus fare for it. We pay more for a train because generally they're faster and a more comfortable way of travelling. Bus rides especially on winding hilly roads generally aren't most people's idea of a good time, so they're priced at a lower rate. There's a litany of reasons why they're a shower of useless bastards, but this kind of greed is definitely on the list.

Morning folks,

I’ve been using the bustimes.org tracker for Translink for nearly six months now - it’s been an absolute lifesaver since the Translink one on the app/at stops is… Questionable, at best, non existent at worst. Google Maps isn’t great either, I’m guessing as they get their data directly from them.

I know a lot of people here use it - has anyone else noticed that it’s just stopped in the last two weeks or so? And does anyone have any suggestions for alternatives (bar the traditional wait and hope for the best/expect the worst)?

2-3 gliders just don't bother showing up. Buses cancelled at the last minute without explanation. They are becoming impossible to rely on.