Road to reopen before Christmas to ease congestion

Translink chief Chris Conway and Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins were at Grand Central Station to celebrate the one year anniversary of its opening

A Belfast city centre road that has been closed for almost a year is set to reopen before Christmas.

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins announced on Tuesday that Durham Street, beside Grand Central Station, is due to open again to traffic by the end of November.

While there is still work to be done, the Department for Infrastructure said it it was "aiming to reopen Durham Street to two-way traffic by the end of November".

In an attempt to improve traffic flow in the run up to Christmas, the hours of operation of bus lanes on the Ormeau Road and Saintfield Road are to be extended.

"Obviously there can always be unforeseen delays and if that is the case we'll be sure to communicate that," Kimmins told BBC News NI.

"But, as it stands, that is the date we have in mind, if it comes sooner even better but at this point that is where we're at," she added.

Kimmins announced on Tuesday that Durham Street, beside Grand Central Station, is due to open again to traffic by the end of November

There was widespread congestion last year after the opening of the new Grand Central Station and the closure of nearby Durham Street.

It is exactly a year on Monday since the £340m station opened, and Translink said the new transport hub had boosted bus and rail passenger numbers with an extra four million journeys on public transport.

It is exactly a year, on Monday, since the £340m station opened

The minister's officials have been working on a detailed plan to ease congestion in the city centre during this year's Christmas period.

Thanks to new technology, they now have more data on traffic using key routes.

Access times on some bus lanes are being reviewed and consideration is being given to other measures to avoid logjams.

At the same time, there is a recognition that no action plan, even including Durham Street's reopening, will completely solve Belfast's congestion issues.

Grosvenor Road drop-off

There is a side entrance to Grand Central Station, facing the Grosvenor Road, but it is a not a designated set-down and pick-up point. However, that does not stop vehicles stopping there to drop off or collect passengers.

In doing so, a busy lane of traffic is blocked, much to the annoyance of motorists waiting to drive past.

Once Durham Street re-opens, access to the station will be more straightforward.

There are plans for a dedicated drop-off area and a place for taxis.

There are plans for a dedicated drop-off area and a place for taxis

Irish language signs

There was criticism from Irish language campaigners when the new station opened last year over the lack of English and Irish dual-language.

In March, Kimmins said Irish language signage would be added, but this has been put on hold due to legal action by opponents of the move, led by loyalist activist Jamie Bryson.

First year of Grand Central

Translink say the new station has welcomed more than eight million people since it opened in September last year.

Rail services began in October.

There are now more cross-border trains. Fifteen services operate in each direction between Belfast and Dublin from Monday to Saturday with eight services each way on Sundays.

Grand Central has eight railway platforms and 26 bus stands.

Manager Louise Doyle is delighted by the customer satisfaction statistics

The station's manager, Louise Doyle, said Grand Central had been a "game-changer" for public transport.

"There's a lot more people from down south coming up to Belfast and exploring Belfast. That's great for our economy and for the city as a whole," she said.

"It increases economic development... the bars, the restaurants, everything that they're going to."

She said an independent customer service study had found 96% passenger satisfaction with the new station.

One of the busiest periods in the past year was during The Open golf championship in July when extra services were put on to help sports fans travel to Portrush.

Translink has organised a number of special events to celebrate the first anniversary of the new station.

One year on, how have you found Grand Central Station and wider public transport?