People attending the annual Emerge Festival in Belfast this weekend are being advised to plan and book travel arrangements in advance of the concerts
There is no designated parking site at Boucher Road Playing Fields, and it’s recommended to take public transport to the event on Saturday August 24 and Sunday August 25 if possible.
Translink will be operating bus and rail specials on both days.
However, 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 may not be as easy as before.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Rail Specials
Inbound Journey
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.
Translink has warned that pre booking the rail special will be essential to ensure travel on buses linking to these later trains.
Tickets for special services will be available online only and passengers can use their ticket to travel to the event on any scheduled service.
You are asked to retain your ticket for the return journey. Rail tickets will be valid on Metro and Ulsterbus services on the day of the event.
On 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.
Those travelling from other lines across the network should tavel 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 22:50 - circa 23:30. 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 22:50 - circa 23:30 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 22:50 - circa 23:30 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, Whitehead, 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 Specials
A Bus special will operate from Foyle Street Bus Centre Derry, on Saturday 24ht and Sunday 25th August, both departing 13:00.
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
There will also be an enhanced return Metro 9B service between Lisburn Road/Kings Hall and Belfast City Centre on the Emerge festival dates.
This will return to Bedford Street and Great Victoria Street Brennans Bar and standard fares apply.
Return shuttle on Metro 9B departing Lisburn Road/King’s Hall enhanced Friday & Saturday: 2250 – 2346.
Alternatives
If unable to get public transport, the venue is within walking distance from the city centre.
