Saturday and Sunday 29th/30th March 2025 Larne and Derry~Londonderry railway lines will be closed, and rail replacement buses will be in operation.

Translink will be carrying out essential engineering work on the Larne and Derry~Londonderry railway lines on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th March 2025. These infrastructure upgrades are important to maintain safe and reliable services for a quality passenger experience and keep the rail network fit for the future.

Rail substitution bus services will operate on both the Larne and Derry~Londonderry lines. Valid rail tickets will also be valid on appropriate scheduled bus services.

Passengers are advised plan ahead, check timetables, and allow extra time to complete their journeys.

The Bangor, Portadown, and cross border Lines will not be impacted.

John Glass, Head of Infrastructure and Projects at Translink, said:

“This work is part of our continuous improvement programme, crucial for the long-term efficiency and sustainability of the network.

“Over the weekend, our engineers will be working across multiple worksites along both lines to deliver safety enhancements, upgrades to signalling systems, ongoing track and station maintenance work, and other essential programs designed to modernise the rail network.

“Once complete, these important upgrades and renewals will mean better journeys for the many passengers who travel on these busy routes.

“We’ve worked hard to find the least disruptive window to deliver these vital works and ensure they are completed in the most efficient and cost-effective way; however we understand this closure will cause some temporary disruption, and we apologise and thank passengers and local neighbours for their patience and understanding while this work is carried out”.

“We would ask passengers planning to travel, please plan ahead, download and check the journey planner app, Translink NI, visit www.translink.co.uk, or call the Translink contact centre on 02890 66 66 30 to get all the information about these service changes”. John concluded

Passengers and residents seeking further details on these works can

Notes:

  1. The Larne line will close with rail replacement buses operating between Larne and Belfast Grand Central Station

Bus substitution services will operate between Larne Harbour, Larne Town, Whitehead, Carrickfergus, York Street, and Belfast Grand Central Station

2. The Derry~Londonderry line will close between Belfast Grand Central Station and Derry~Londonderry

Rail replacement bus substitution services will operate between:

    • Derry~Londonderry and Coleraine, serving Bellarena and Castlerock
    • Coleraine and Belfast Grand Central Station via York Street Station
    • Coleraine and Portrush
    • Coleraine and Ballymena via Ballymoney Train Station
    • Ballymena and Cullybackey
    • Ballymena and Belfast Grand Central Station via Antrim Bus and Rail Station and York Street Train Station
    • Ballymena and Mossley West via Antrim Bus and Rail Station
  • A Rail replacement bus substitution service will operate between: Mossley West, Antrim, and Ballymena. Passengers for Belfast should use Metro Services 1d or 1k
  • All other halts will be served by the nearest main road bus stop
  • The Bangor line will continue to operate as per the normal timetable.
  • Portadown Line  and cross border services will continue to operate as per the normal timetable.
  • Passengers with valid rail tickets will also be able to travel on scheduled Ulsterbus services 218 operating between Ballymena/Antrim and Belfast, in addition to the 212 service between Derry~Londonderry and Belfast during the closure period.
  • For more information on upcoming engineering works, please visit www.translink.co.uk/lineimprovements