The works involve kerb realignment and new paving
Further disruptions to traffic and travel are to be imposed on and around Great Victoria Street early next year, as Translink announced further details of phase two works of the Grand Central Station development.
From January to April 2026, there will be kerb alignment outside the Europa and Northern Mall, work on the Amelia Street entrance and new paving laid down in front of the Grand Opera House and the Fitzwilliam Hotel.
At a recent special meeting of the council’s City Growth and Regeneration Committee, elected representatives heard an update from Translink on upcoming works in relation to Belfast Grand Central Station.
READ MORE: Translink told five lane plan for Durham Street beside Grand Central is “lunacy”
READ MORE: Where are we with the big “game-changing” development projects in Belfast?
A spokesperson for Translink told the committee: “What we have delivered as part of Phase One is eight railway platforms, 26 bus stands, an integrated concourse for bus and rail, and a ticketing project running in parallel with the Transport Hub. Not as well known would be the Niroc phase 1a, which is the Northern Ireland Operating Centre, a new state-of-the-art operating and signalling centre, based in Lanyon Station.
“In terms of infrastructure, we have a brand new signalling and track layout, which goes as far as Dunmurry. We have timetable enhancements, the most notable being the service to Dublin, and the relocation of the Enterprise train, away from Lanyon – we are seeing a lot of growth on that route, and it has been very successful.”
He said: “We have a lot of retail offerings now within the station, Brewdog, Starbucks, M and S, Pret A Manger. We have a new bus lane bridge to go over the railway track out onto the Westlink, for a host of our services heading West.
“We have an active travel provision there, and more to come, as well as a fully accessible station, that is – a step-free station from bus to rail. We have notable firsts in the station, in terms of accessibility, a NaviLens system for people with limited sight, where they are able to navigate the station using a mobile app.”
He added: “Bringing us to works around the station and around the city – phase one, work around the Europa, that is from Great Victoria Street to Glengall Street, is completed, and phase two is also complete, albeit with some drainage designs to be agreed with NI Water. Section 3a is complete from the Opera House to Durham Street.
“Section 3b is still to be completed, that is part of the drainage design, and section four cannot be completed until early 2026, because we don’t want to put the taxis out until we have Durham Street open.”
He said: “In terms of Great Victoria Street, the main thoroughfare, we have works planned for early 2026, approximately four months, that will be starting in January. (The works involve) kerb alignment outside the Europa and the Northern Mall, the Amelia Street entrance and pedestrian crossing, and paving in front of the Grand Opera House and the Fitzwilliam Hotel. There will be some temporary black top there, but that will be replaced with granite paving.
“Phase Two also involves a comprehensive resurfacing programme, scheduled for 2026. (It involves) Grosvenor Road, obviously Durham Street as it is being reconfigured, Glengall Street and then out onto Great Victoria, and to a lesser extent, some of the surrounding streets.”
He said: “What we are doing at the minute is the junction at Durham Street and Grosvenor Road. We are reconfiguring some of the kerbs round that junction. It doesn’t change a lot in terms of traffic, and we are losing a filter lane there turning left, but drivers can still come in off Grosvenor Road onto Durham Street. That work is due to be completed towards the end of September. We still have to liaise with NIE and BT, who are critical to those works – we are at the mercy of the utilities.”
He added: “ We hope to have an announcement very soon, regarding an opening date for Durham Street, and we are working as hard as we can with our contractors and our partners.
“But we are not in a position at this present moment in time to give a definitive date on that. What we can do is give a sincere commitment to open it as soon as we can.”
At the meeting, the public transport body came in for most reproval on its plan for Durham street, after councillors were presented with a computer generated image of what the road will look like after it is reopened, with five lanes of traffic.
The Grand Central Station development has gathered controversy and protest, before and after its opening in Autumn 2024. The building on the site saw works on Durham Street involving the demolition of the Boyne Bridge, which provoked regular protests from local residents and objections from the Orange Order.
Meanwhile the opening of the station created havoc on city centre traffic in the crucial run-up to Christmas last year, with Durham Street and Glengall Street being closed to through-traffic. Sandy Row Business owners said the road closures decimated an already struggling area.
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter
#disruption #planned #Great #Victoria #Street #result #Grand #Central #works
