Image source, Pacemaker

That's the final call for all remaining passengers for our live page today!

Thanks for joining us over the last eleven hours as BBC News NI's public transport day marked the opening of the new Grand Central Station in Belfast and we examined public transport issues across Northern Ireland.

Grand Central Station, the new £340m transport hub, opened yesterday morning for buses only. There is still no date for train services to start.

We appreciate all of you who have taken the time to contact us as well to share your experiences of public transport in your area.

If you haven't had enough public transport coverage we have more analysis and features in the links below.

• NI has 'lowest public transport spend of UK regions' - John Campbell analysis
• What is the environment cost of NI's car dependency?
• Public transport not meeting need in rural areas
• Commuter woes: My drive to work is draining
• Buses disappear in our town in the evening

BBC Newsline will be on BBC1 NI at 18:30 and Declan Harvey will be broadcasting live from the station.

This page was edited by Rebekah Logan and Peter Coulter with additional reporting from Barry O'Connor, Adam Mandeville, Daniel Logan and Hayley Halpin.

Image source, Pacemaker

Cycling facilities at the new Grand Central Station are not finished yet.

Meg Hoyt, the chair of the Belfast Cycle Campaign group, wants this to be urgently reviewed.

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster’s Evening Extra programme, Ms Hoyt says “despite the fact that we have this lovely new station, there is nowhere to safely lock your bike at the station at the moment”.

She says this has surprised her “a bit”.

She says the campaign group was a bit concerned that cycling was a “bit of an after thought” when they saw yesterday that there was nowhere to put bikes.

The group have written a letter to the Translink CEO and have been “assured that cycle parking is coming”.

“We really feel there could have been some temporary stands, it would not have been difficult to have them out front here.”

Image source, PA Media

The official opening photo for the new station is in.

Translink CEO Chris Conway, Infrastructure Minister Sinn Fein's John O'Dowd and Belfast Mayor Alliance's Micky Murray cut the ribbon to say the station is open.

The first bus departures from the station were to to Dublin and to Belfast International Airport at 05:00 BST on Sunday.

Steve Bradley from the campaign group into the west tells BBC News NI's Grainne Connolly: "It’s good to see some money going to public transport but on this specific project we would have a very simple question - Why is it so big and why was it so expensive?"

He says that "every pound spent on Belfast Grand Central Station means a pound less spent elsewhere".

"There are absolutely essential projects west of the Bann which are not getting funded," Mr Bradley says.

For example, he says the railway line between Londonderry and Coleraine is “great expired, it could give up the ghost at any time”. He says the track is “not in good condition”.

Ashleigh Swan
BBC News NI reports from Grand Central Station

Paul Creighton and his son William are from Florida. They both say they like the station and it reminds them of Berlin.

“It’s really open and airy. It’s just a shame that it’s all not opening at once” says Paul.

William, who attends Queen's University Belfast, added that he can see the potential of the place and feels it's much better than the Europa station.

Tim Hedgley from Disability Action Northern Ireland says accessibility at the station is "not great" at the minute.

"Accessibility at the minute is difficult" for people with reduced mobility, he tells BBC Radio Ulster’s Evening Extra programme.

"When I get into the building, it’s vast it puts me in mind of an airport in Spain. It’s very pretty, it’s very functional," Mr Hedgley says.

He says there is a hand waving system to open the sliding door for the accessible toilets. However, he said there are no instructions inside the toilet room.

"There should be instructions for people who don’t have any sight at all."

Translink says it has consulted with various disabled people’s organisations to ensure the station is fully inclusive.

Lots of you are still getting in touch to share your stories via our online form

• Caleb Emerson says the Belfast to Enniskiilen bus service is very poor and that the last bus back to Enniskillen is at 20:50 and says it's even worse if he's trying to get to the airport.
• Sharon Leetch from Ballymena said her daughter was trying to get from Ballymena to Queen's University to enrol but the bus substitution at Lanyon Place never arrived.
• Chris Bleakley says paying £17.50 twice a week to go to Belfast to work is unsustainable with poor public sector pay.
• Mark Clements lives in Armagh and says the speed of the express bus between Armagh and Belfast is "frustrating" considering the distance is under 40 miles.
• John Costain from Tamnamore asks what's happening with plans for walkways from the Europa site to the new Grand Central Station?

Thank you for sharing your comments with us.

Paul MacFlynn is a senior economist from the Nevin Economic Research Institute.

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster’s Evening Extra programme, he says that as Northern Ireland is a “very sparsely populated region, we cannot ever hope to be able to make any of the kind of massive public infrastructure projects like they do in London”, such as Crossrail.

“We simply don’t have the population density to make those kind of investments work,” Mr MacFlynn says.

“Having a central hub like this is probably one of the better investments that can be made in Northern Ireland in terms of making what we have in terms of public transport work for us.”

Louise Doyle, Station Manager at Belfast Grand Central Station, told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme that it has been "fantastic" witnessing the reaction of the public seeing the station for the first time.

"It's a lovely, calm, welcoming space."

Louise is also excited to see various businesses set up shop at the station.

"Being able to come into the station and grab some food for the children on the way home, it makes life a lot easier".

It's just gone 17:00 so lets turn our attention back to Grand Central Station as many of you get ready to make your journey home.

BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme is on air and you can listen along by clicking Watch at the top of this page.

One of lead architects involved in the design, Colin Bennie, told the programme "this is about the future."

"It is stitched into the fabric of the city."

"You build these things to last." he told presenter Richard Morgan.

"This really is a made in Belfast building, this is a long term investment."

Grainne Connolly
BBC News NI reporting from the North West Transport hub

Mark Robinson was getting the train to Belfast but said he would have used the rail services more often when he was a student at university in Coleraine.

“I would have liked to have been arriving into the new Grand Central Station today, I think it’ll make it a lot nicer for people using public transport,” he said.

Mark said “the service needs to be better, more frequent. If the trains went more often I would use it more.

“It (the North-West) would definitely benefit from a more direct service like the buses.”

Mark said “It’s great to see Belfast getting a city purpose built station, it would be good to have something similar here.”

Grainne Connolly
BBC News NI reporting the North West Transport hub

Kevin Woods was getting the train to Belfast where he would be switching over at Lanyon Place to head on home to Newry. He said it was his first time getting the train to Derry but it won’t be the last.

“We’ll come back again it was brilliant. The whole system was easy worked.

“I wouldn’t get the train much or use any trains, that’s my third or fourth time and I used my smart card but I am going to use it more.

“It’s just usually handier to take the car especially if I’m going to Dublin but I’ll do it again, it’ll save me a lot of money.”

Patrick Magee
BBC News NI

Gerard Scullion travels from Toome to Belfast on the 212 bus. He told BBC News NI that there is "no value for money; it’s unreliable, never on time and there’s very poor communication".

"I just think the public transport is subpar; we need greater investment into night time transport."

John Semple travels mostly around the city on public transport by train or bus.

"The glider is top quality", John told BBC News NI. "I feel like the transport is probably as good as anywhere in and around the city".

Adam Mandeville
BBC News NI reporting from Belfast city centre

Charlene Brooks, CEO of Belfast Healthy Cities, told BBC News NI that choosing greener transport options like walking, cycling, and using public transport "isn't just good for our environment, it's essential for our health and the health of our city".

"Walking and cycling", says Ms Brooks, "are fantastic ways to stay active, reduce stress, and connect with your community, all while contributing to a greener, healthier Belfast.

"Our Active Transport projects including 'walking buses', promoting walking to school with primary-aged children is currently being tested across the city."

Meanwhile, Ms Brooks told BBC News that the new Grand Central Station will "further enable sustainable travel" in Belfast.

"A modern transport hub will make it easier than ever for people to choose public transport as their first choice, choosing to take the bus instead of drive."

Mike McBride
BBC News NI

Image source, Niall McDaid

Niall McDaid, who is originally from Derry but now lives in Belfast, is a 22-year-old criminology student at Queens University Belfast..

Niall says he would regularly commute from Belfast to Derry and tells BBC News NI the difference in rail services on offer between Belfast and Londonderry is staggering.

"I really do think Derry is seriously lagging behind," he says.

"I would use the Glider and buses regularly here in Belfast, and if you miss one, you don't even need to check the schedule because there will be another one along in a few minutes, but if you miss a bus in Derry, you could be waiting another 45 minutes or an hour."

All eyes may be on Belfast's Grand Central Station, but back in 2019, Londonderry saw the opening of its very own brand new station in the Waterside area of the city.

The £27m North-West Transport Hub is but a fraction of the cost of Belfast's new station, but Translink say the hub in Derry has become a "valuable addition to the city" which has been pivitol in seeing passenger numbers increase there.

In 2023/24, Translink say the station carried more than 2.7m passengers on the Belfast to Londonderry line, which they say was one million more than the previous year.

Adam Mandeville
BBC News NI

Image source, Kelvin Boyes

One of Northern Ireland's biggest taxi companies FonaCab told BBC News NI that it "takes too long, too much money and too much inconvenience to become a driver and this is discouraging potential drivers from entering the industry".

The spokesperson said that many working in the taxi industry support further investment in public transport.

"Taxis are part of an integrated transport solution. Each option integrates with the other and each has a part to play."

"The taxi sector operates better when there are other options as it takes pressure off driver numbers, and more people are likely to use the services if there are more options open to them."

"FonaCAB are in favour of increased public and community transport options including more late night services."

Emma Orr
BBC News NI reporting from Ballintoy

Heather and Michael Love currently use the bus service three to four times a week for leisure but would like to use for their commute to work.

“I would have to get the train at ten past four from the new transport hub in Belfast to possibly make the last connecting bus between Coleraine and Ballintoy. Twice I’ve had to pay for a taxi,” Heather says.

Maria McConaghy hasn’t used public transport in the village since secondary school.

She says “practically it just wouldn’t work” for her daily work commute to Cushendall.

Later times would also encourage her to use the services.

Patrick Magee
BBC News NI

Pauline Weir lives in south-east Belfast. She told BBC News NI that it is cheaper for her to drive than to get the bus, but would prefer to use public transport for environmental reasons.

"Compared to other cities in Europe, especially considering train services, Northern Ireland is lacking. The trains are very expensive and there are not as many connections as we should have. For example if you wanted to go to the North coast and then travel west to Enniskillen."

"Driving seems to be the easiest and cheapest options and that would probably explain the congestion in the city."

Grainne Connolly
BBC News NI reporting from the North West Transport hub

Cherie Moorehead told BBC News NI she gets the train quite often between Londonderry and Coleraine.

“We were staying in a hotel at Ebrington last night and we’re heading back to Coleraine now.

“I find the services are good and the people here are helpful too.

“Now and again I’d use public transport but the train is far handier and easier coming between here (Derry) and Coleraine.”