Boyne Bridge: Legal challenge dismissed

The new £340m station opened for buses six weeks ago but the train terminal has yet to open.

The railway track in central Belfast has been reconfigured to accommodate the new Grand Central Station.

The transport hub has been designed to bring bus and rail services together under one roof in a state-of-the-art new complex.

Grand Central has 26 bus stands and eight train platforms.

Translink said it expected the new station will cater for up to 20m passenger journeys a year.

It will be next year before the entire development, including public realm work, is completed.

The transport hub has been built behind the previous bus and rail stations serving central Belfast – Europa buscentre and Great Victoria Street train station, which have both now closed.

The Europa buscentre, which dates back to 1991, shut down last month.

The new hub is a short walk away and is equipped with more modern facilities, more platforms and more frequent cross-border trains to Dublin are planned.

In a statement, the Translink said the appointed contractor will “seek to preserve key elements of the [Boyne] bridge”.

“We are continuing to engage with the local community on an arts and heritage programme which will utilise these materials for future projects,” it continued.