Belfast-Dublin express coach to launch this month

The new service will see 16 return journeys per day linking Belfast and Dublin

A new coach service between Belfast and Dublin will begin on 18 July with an £8.5m investment to follow.

Dublin Express, part of National Express Ltd, will be operated by Quinn's Coach Hire of Dungannon, County Tyrone.

The investment will create 40 new jobs in Belfast and Dungannon.

The service will consist of 16 trips per day in each direction from Belfast city centre to Dublin Airport and Dublin city centre.

Dublin Express said it planned to invest about £8.5m on a fleet of eight Caetano Levante III coaches over the next 12 months.

National Express said it aimed to be the first to operate a fully Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) bus fleet in Northern Ireland.

The investment will also see the creation of 40 new jobs in drivers, management, maintenance and retail.

The company's general manager, Rory Fitzgerald, said the company is excited to bring the Dublin Express brand to Northern Ireland.

"The new route is a significant milestone linking the two most populated cities on the island of Ireland and adds to our extensive network across the UK," he said.

"We've been receiving a high volume of requests from customers asking for this service which itself stood out as an under-served route."