Translink Metro delays in city centre

Translink warned of delays to bus services in and out of Belfast city centre due to traffic congestion on Thursday evening.

“Some Metro services [are] experiencing delays of approximately forty minutes,” the operator wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Its travel app indicated that numerous Metro services were affected during the peak rush hour period.

The transport provider apologised for any delays and inconvenience.

According to information provided by the DfI (Department for Infrastructure), the greater Belfast area traffic was busy on the following routes:

• The M2 at Nelson Street
• Cromac Street / Victoria St / Dunbar Link towards York Street
• University Road / Shaftesbury Square / Great Victoria Street into town towards Fisherwick Place
• Sandy Row / Hope Street to Great Victoria Street
• Donegall Road at Sandy Row to Broadway Roundabout

In a statement, Translink said the traffic disruption “seems to have been caused [by] both traffic congestion and a road traffic accident”.

Earlier this week, Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd, who oversees bus and rail services in Northern Ireland, urged commuters to consider public transport, instead of driving.

A year-long closure of Durham Street, a busy road in central Belfast, has led to fears of more congestion in the city.

O’Dowd had hoped the start of rail services on Sunday from the new Grand Central Station in the city would encourage more people to use public transport.

However, the redevelopment of the area surrounding the new station is blamed by many drivers for causing the traffic problems in the first place.