NEWS

Aerial view of Ballymena Park & Ride, located adjacent to Translink’s Bus & Rail Centre Friday 18 September 2026 Ballymena is to receive more than £2 million in new funding towards the major expansion of its Park and Ride facility, increasing capacity from 222 spaces to more than 600. The £2.05 million allocation has been confirmed by Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins as part of £3.25 million in Local Growth Fund Capital being directed towards transport and connectivity pro

Thursday 17 September 2026 Passengers travelling between Derry–Londonderry and Coleraine face replacement buses over the next two weekends and both following Mondays as essential railway maintenance takes place. Early morning trains on the two following Tuesdays will also be affected. Translink is urging passengers to allow extra journey time and check services before setting off. For Ballymena passengers, trains on the Coleraine–Belfast Grand Central route will continue to o

Ballydunmaul Flute Band Wednesday 16 September 2026 Drivers are being urged to allow extra time or use an alternative route through Randalstown on Saturday evening, 19 September, with traffic disruption expected during Ballydunmaul Flute Band’s parade. Police have advised road users to expect delays in and around the town between 8pm and 10pm as participants and spectators gather for the event. The parade will leave Shane’s Terrace at 8pm and is expected to finish at the same

The first Wrightbus ultra low-emission buses are hitting the streets of Liverpool as part of a £150 million investment in a new 560-strong fleet. Ballymena-built buses are beginning to arrive on the streets of Liverpool as part of a major £150 million investment in a new public transport fleet. Many of the 560 new ultra low-emission buses being introduced across the Liverpool City Region have been manufactured by Wrightbus in Northern Ireland, providing another significant or

The Education Authority has agreed to accept a number of school taxi bids it considers excessively expensive to ensure children can continue getting to and from school — but has warned some families could ultimately be offered payments to make alternative transport arrangements themselves. The decision follows a major tendering exercise involving more than 1,200 school taxi runs ahead of the new academic year. The EA says early analysis shows tendered mileage rates have falle

Passengers are being urged to check their journey before travelling from Tuesday as changes to a number of bus timetables come into effect with the return of schools across Northern Ireland. Translink has advised customers using Ulsterbus, Metro and Glider services, as well as Goldliner routes, that some timetables will change from Tuesday 1 September as services move back to school-term arrangements. Check before you travel The changes mean passengers who have become accusto

A yellow weather warning is in force across Northern Ireland today as forecasters warn heavy and thundery showers could bring flooding, travel disruption, lightning and hail. The Met Office warning takes effect from 11am on Sunday 30 August, with conditions expected to deteriorate as widespread showers develop later this morning and continue through the afternoon and evening. The latest Met Office warning currently shows the yellow thunderstorm warning remaining in force unti

Families across Northern Ireland are being urged to check school travel arrangements now, with more than 60,000 pupils expected to use bus and rail services each day when school services return from Tuesday 1 September. Translink says the beginning of the new school year is one of the busiest periods on the public transport network and is advising pupils and parents to check timetables in advance, allow extra time during the first few weeks and make sure pupil Smartpasses are

Motorists in Ballymena and Larne are being warned to expect delays this Saturday as thousands of Royal Black Institution members and supporters take part in the annual Last Saturday demonstrations. Around 5,000 participants, 76 preceptories and 71 bands are expected at the main County Antrim demonstration in Larne on Saturday 29 August, with up to 10,000 spectators anticipated. For Ballymena residents, the impact will begin much closer to home. A number of feeder and return p

Northern Ireland holidaymakers looking to squeeze in a late-summer getaway have been given some inspiration, with Porto named among Ryanair’s three top UK destinations for summer 2026 — and it can be reached directly from Belfast. The Portuguese city joins Bergerac in France and Pula in Croatia in the airline’s top three, revealed on Wednesday 26 August as the main summer holiday season draws towards a close. For travellers from Ballymena and across Northern Ireland, Porto is

Drivers could be banned from overtaking school buses on single-carriageway roads where the national 60mph speed limit applies, under proposed new legislation aimed at protecting children as they get on and off buses. Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has confirmed she has selected the Department for Infrastructure’s preferred legislative approach following consultation, with plans to bring the proposal to the Northern Ireland Executive before potentially introducing legisla

Paul Savage (left) with Christian Reynolds in front of the 80th anniversary mural. Wrightbus is asking generations of workers, passengers and bus enthusiasts to help recover eight decades of its history after significant archive material was lost before the Ballymena manufacturer was rescued from administration in 2019. As the company marks its 80th anniversary, it has launched a public appeal for photographs, stories and personal memories that can help rebuild a record stret

(L-R): Siobhan Downey, OCS Airport Services manager, Niall McElkearney, BIA Terminal Operations Manager and Una McKeown – BIA Operations Manager Belfast International Airport has secured a “Very Good” accessibility rating from the UK Civil Aviation Authority as the number of passengers requiring additional assistance reaches its highest level on record. Around 120,000 passengers used assistance services at the airport during 2025, an increase of 8% on the previous year, under

Motorists travelling through Rasharkin are being advised to allow extra time this evening as road closures are put in place for an annual band parade expected to involve 25 bands. Ballymaconnelly Sons of Conquerors Flute Band will hold its annual parade through the village tonight, Friday 21 August, beginning at 7.15pm and expected to finish by 9pm. Parade route through Rasharkin The parade will leave the Turnpike at Church Road before proceeding along Main Street, Moneyleck

The newly resurfaced Galgorm Road in Ballymena The resurfacing of a key route from Galgorm into Ballymena has been completed, bringing an improvement to a stretch of road which local representatives say had caused concern among residents for some time. TUV councillors Stewart McDonald and Matthew Armstrong have welcomed the completion of the works on the main road into the town, saying carrying out the scheme during the summer holidays helped avoid some of the worst potential

Passengers travelling between Derry~Londonderry and Coleraine are being urged to plan ahead as essential engineering work will close the railway line across two weekends in September. Rail replacement buses will operate during the closures, while early-morning services will also face changes on the following Tuesdays. Dates passengers need to know Engineering work will take place on: Saturday 19, Sunday 20 and Monday 21 September Saturday 26, Sunday 27 and Monday 28 September

Heavy showers and thunderstorms could cause travel disruption and flash flooding across Northern Ireland today after the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning. The warning takes effect at 12 noon today, Wednesday 19 August, and remains in place until 11.59pm tonight. Some areas could receive up to 20mm of rain in an hour or less, while a few places may see as much as 30mm within two hours. Heavy showers moving from west to east According to the Met Office, a band of heav

CGI of new multi-purpose berthing facility for cruise ships to the city at land on Airport Road West in the Harbour Estate. Belfast’s facilities for welcoming cruise passengers are set to be expanded after councillors approved amended plans for a multi-purpose berthing facility within the Harbour Estate. Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee gave the application from Belfast Harbour Commissioners the green light on Tuesday evening, 18 August. The development, on land at A

Motorists heading to Ballycastle for this weekend’s Ould Lammas Fair are being urged to plan ahead, with major road closures, limited parking and changes to bus stops expected as thousands of visitors arrive in the town. The PSNI has confirmed traffic restrictions across the four-day event, running from Saturday 22 to Tuesday 25 August, including extensive closures on Sunday evening and throughout Monday and Tuesday. Visitors are being strongly encouraged to consider public t

Motorists travelling through Belfast are being warned to allow extra time over the next three weekends as major maintenance work on the M3 Lagan Bridge brings slip-road closures, lane restrictions and lengthy diversions. The first restrictions begin at 9pm tomorrow, Friday 14 August, and remain in place until 6am on Monday 17 August, with drivers heading from the Sydenham Bypass towards the Westlink, north Belfast and west Belfast among those affected. Further weekend closure