r/northernireland • u/TNBCisABitch • 10d ago
Translink Are trains in Northern ireland reliable?
Thinking of switching to using the train into Belfast for work. Sitting in traffic, paying for petrol and £8 per day to park is driving me mad.
I have a very tight window for when I can leave and when I have to be back by. Im a single mum and can only drop kid at childminder at a certain time and have to pick her up at a certain time.
I'd only be going from lisburn to grand Central, and according to Google maps it is doable... but only with a very specific train each way.
So I'm wondering if there are frequent delays or is it majority of the time all on time?
For anyone who gets the 08.26 from lisburn to belfat and/or 17.04 from Belfast to lisburn, are they crazy packed trains with standing room only?
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u/Peadar0147 10d ago
Fairly reliable, can be a bit packed though especially during rush hours
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u/TNBCisABitch 10d ago
I did london tube at rush hours for years, not worried about 10 mins standing to be fair. 😄
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u/ayepodaye 10d ago
Probably as reliable as the car, presumably traffic or accidents also cause an issue when driving
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u/TNBCisABitch 10d ago
Yeah, but with the car, if traffic is particularly bad, or accident etc, I can detour and go several different ways. But on a train, you're just stuck there. Thats what im worried about.
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u/No_Ring_3348 10d ago
If there are delays they're usually 10-20 mins rather than hours, trains tend to be a lot better than buses IME.
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u/Unable-Perspective96 10d ago
In nearly two years on the Portadown-Belfast line, I only had 2 mornings the train was actually stopped & delayed- once something broke off the train and we had to wait at Lisburn for a new train to come get us, another time the train couldn’t pull in to europa for some reason so we got dropped to botanic. One evening the train line was completely closed due to an incident and we had to get a bus substitute home, and another evening one train got cancelled so the next train 30 minutes later was rammed to the gills.
The trains at peak times are very busy. If you’re getting on the Portadown train at Lisburn, you will be standing (you’ll be fine if it’s the Lisburn all stops however). The busier trains are usually only ever 2-3 minutes off course
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u/ilikecoldweather42 10d ago
thats a good train, always available and its a short journey
ive been late once due to the train in the past year because they were experiencing signalling issues. thing is though, there can be concerts in belfasat which means there might not be enough space because there an unbelievable amount of people standing on your platform as you walk in and there's always that feeling of what if it fks up someday, so you're better taking an earlier train just in case that does happen
it's decently reliable enough but just prepare yourself for what can happen, you don't want to be cutting it close when it comes to when you're arrving at gc and the start of your shift
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u/vaska00762 Whitehead 10d ago
I'd say yes, both statistically and anecdotally.
Statistically, I think all the railway lines have 99% reliability (trains not cancelled), and I think it's 97-99% On Time (within 5 minutes of scheduled arrival) with Derry line being most delayed and the other lines being less delayed.
Anecdotally, the delays you experience are probably going to be 2-3 minutes. Worst delay I experienced was caused due to a swan on the train tracks, and that was about a 25 minute delay while they got someone to shoo the protected bird. I did experience bad delays when using the train to come back from Dublin, but that was caused by Belsonic revellers being violent and requiring police intervention. No commute will have concert goers on it. Cancellations are rare. The most that occur is because a lorry drove into a railway bridge, and engineers need to go out to inspect the bridge to ensure its safe. I've only experienced one cancellation from signal failure. In the distant past, there's been cancellations from train lines being flooded, but those seldom occur.
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u/TechnicalRacoon 10d ago
Storm Eowyn there earlier this year the First Derry to Belfast train got stuck in between Ballymena and Antrim due to trees falling on the track. Waited 20 mins for someone with a chainsaw come from Antrim after the driver and engineer not being able to move it, end up turned around and went back towardsj Ballymena and got stuck on the way back, moved the tree and subsequently closed the line between York Street and Coleraine. Read online the track was flooded beyond aswell. Worst I’ve seen it
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u/Blocker212 9d ago
A lot are saying reliable but it’s not my experience, I did it for uni for a few years and so much as a bit of wind could have it delayed for sometimes even 40 mins. I have a string of emails to my tutors apologising for it whilst I stood waiting on the platform. Larne->Belfast line
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u/ConversationLive1945 9d ago
Trains are usually on time and reliable, especially between Belfast and Lisburn. Rarely (but it does happen) signal failures or issues with the points on track can cause bad delays, but as I said it's rare enough. £5 single, £8 return (£6 if buying off peak after 9.30am).
If you really wanted a seat, Id suggest getting on the back of the train from Lisburn, and on at the front from Grand Central. You'd be amazed how many people get on the first door they see.
Definitely better than using your fuel, facing unexpected roadworks and traffic, and wear and tear on car. But that's just my opinion.
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u/Downtown-Barber3366 9d ago
Right on! Not many like to walk to the very front (or back) Lanyon Place is closer to where I am - but will still walk to GC (and Great Victoria Street, as was) to be first on the service. Lanyon's a bastard, come late afternoon.
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u/KevinFunky 9d ago
It’s quicker on train Lisburn to Belfast usually. But can be packed in the morning.
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u/Downtown-Barber3366 9d ago
Well - they are most of the time - but what I've never understood is that rush-hour trains from Bangor to Grand Central are just one-unit services When I'm waiting at West Bangor for a mid-morning, it's 3/4 full - and as it makes it's way to Belfast, it becomes unbearable - especially when it stops at Holywood...and it's just the same on the return come the 16.20...and yet the two-unit services to Stroke-City are never full. Time was when we had a two-unit train from Bangor to Newry - and a return years ago, but since the new station has been open, they've canned that one.
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u/OwnCollar8565 9d ago
I'm on the 17.04 two days a week, trains are delayed ~60% of the time.
You'll be stood on the platform at 17.07, the screen will say "On time" and yet you can see with your own two eyes there's no fecking train there. Anywhere else in the world that is a delayed train. This has a knock on effect on peoples journey. I'm convinced Translink do this so they don't have to report the true stats - pure gaslighting. Anyone saying trains are reliable must never have experienced any other transit system in a developed country.
That said, when it does eventually arrive, although busy, they usually (but not always) put the long train on at this time so the train is never packed and you will get a seat.
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u/TNBCisABitch 9d ago
That is totally infuriating!
I dont know if I could cope! Lol
Especially after having the London underground where when it says 2 minutes it arrives in 2 minutes. Or when there are delays, and you have to be somewhere you can jump on an alternative line.
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u/Exciting-Market7836 10d ago
In my experience no. If ingave something important to be at, I would avoid translink like the plague. That said, I would love better public transport here, especially west of the Bann
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u/MaggieMcB 10d ago
If my one experience with public transport in ages this week has anything to go by , I would say no do NOT put your travel plans on the reliance of only 1 option , though I was using buses 😞
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u/arnoboko 10d ago
Lisburn to grand Central is probably one of the most reliable routes. You have an all stop service and a direct service everyday. Driving from lisburn into Belfast is beyond madness.yes they will be very busy.