As thousands prepare to descend on Boucher Road Playing Fields this weekend for Belfast Vital, public transport disruption remains an issue for those travelling to and within Belfast. The closure of the train line between Lisburn and Belfast in the summer months as Translink builds the new £340m Grand Central Station in the city means travelling to see Noah Kahan and Liam Gallagher may not be as easy as before.
Organisers have advised to plan and book travel arrangements in advance of the concerts on Friday August 16 and Saturday August 17.
More: What you can and can’t bring to Belfast Vital
No parking will be available on site and those attending the concerts are advised to leave the car at home and use public transport to get to and from the events.
Translink will be operating bus and rail specials on Friday August 16 (Liam Gallagher) and Saturday August 17 (Noah Kahan) for Belfast Vital 2024 at Boucher Playing Fields.
With summer rail line closure between Belfast and Lisburn to facilitate the completion of the new Belfast Grand Central Station, there will be limited capacity on the bus substitution service that will feed into the late Rail Special Trains. Pre booking the rail special will be essential to ensure travel on buses linking to these later trains.
Rail Specials
Inbound Journey
Passengers should purchase their ticket for specials online prior to the event.
Tickets for special services will be available online only and passengers can use their ticket to travel to the event on any scheduled service. Please retain your ticket for the return journey. Rail tickets will be valid on Metro and Ulsterbus services on the day of the event.
Travelling from the Portadown line – A bus substitution service will operate from Lisburn Train Station to Belfast and connect with normal scheduled Metro and Ulsterbus services operating along the Lisburn Road to Kings Hall/ Balmoral.
Travelling from other lines across the network – Travel into Belfast Lanyon Place Train Station and make your way to the City Centre to connect with normal scheduled Metro and Ulsterbus services operating along Lisburn Road to Kings Hall/ Balmoral.
Return Journey
Buses will operate between Kennedy Way and Lisburn Train Station and Lanyon Place Train Station for connecting rail specials. Tickets will not be sold on the night and passengers will not be admitted onto bus or rail services without a pre-bought ticket.
Bus Shuttles will be operating from Kennedy Way to Lanyon Place Train Station and Lisburn Train Station from 11pm – 11.15pm. Passengers will be required to walk from Boucher Road Playing Fields to Kennedy Way to avail of the bus shuttles connecting to rail services, with the route highlighted below. The road will be closed along this route to allow for safe passage for eventgoers to the bus shuttles.
Bus Shuttle to Lisburn Train Station connecting to the rail special on the Portadown Line
The bus shuttles to Lisburn Train station will leave from Kennedy Way from 10.50-circa 11.30pm and drop off at the front of Lisburn Train Station.
There will be rail specials operating from Lisburn Train station stopping at Moira, Lurgan and Portadown only. Rail specials will operate based on arrival of shuttle bus services and capacity of each train.
Bus Shuttle to Lanyon Place Train Station connecting to the rail specials on the Bangor, Larne, and Coleraine lines.
The bus shuttles to Lanyon Place Train Station will leave Kennedy Way from 10.50-circa 11.30pm and drop off at Lanyon Place Train station.
There will be a rail special operating from Lanyon Place to Coleraine, stopping at Mossley West, Antrim, Ballymena, Cullybackey, Ballymoney and Coleraine.
There will be a rail special operating from Lanyon Place to Bangor, stopping at Sydenham, Holywood, Bangor West and Bangor.
There will be a rail special operating from Lanyon Place to Larne, stopping at Whiteabbey, Jordanstown, Greenisland, Trooperslane, Clipperstown, Carrickfergus, Downshire, Ballycarry, Magheramorne, Glynn, Larne Town and Larne Harbour.
Each of these rail specials will operate based on the arrival of shuttle bus services and capacity of each train.
Bus Special
A Bus special will operate from Foyle Street Bus Centre Derry~Londonderry, on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 August, both departing 15:00.
Customers can only pre-purchase tickets for these coach specials online.
Return Journey
- Bus departs Boucher Road, Belfast at 23:30. Customers must confirm their return pick-up point with the driver before disembarking.
- Customers must arrive back to the coach a minimum of 15 minutes prior to departure.
Metro Bus Services
Metro 9B Service Enhancements:
There will also be an enhanced Metro 9B service between Belfast City Centre. and Lisburn Road/King’s Hall on the Vital Concert dates. This will pick up at Bedford Street and Great Victoria Street Brennan’s Bar and standard fares apply.
Late afternoon/evening – additional 9B departing City Centre:
Friday: 1618 – 1933
Saturday: 1623 – 1940
Return shuttle on Metro 9B departing Lisburn Road/King’s Hall enhanced Friday and Saturday: 2250 – 2346.
