Ballymena and Whitehead among local stations competing for top Translink honours

Translink’s Ballymena Rail and Bus Centre

Northern Ireland’s bus and rail network is preparing for a summer-long showcase of community pride, environmental action and workplace excellence, with several facilities across the Ballymena and East Antrim area among 37 locations entering the 2026 SPIRIT of Translink Facility Awards.

Among the local facilities taking part are Ballymena Bus and Rail Centre, Whitehead Station, Larne Buscentre, Larne Town railway station, Greenisland Station and Carrickfergus Station.

The annual initiative, delivered by Translink in partnership with Live Here Love Here, recognises staff who go beyond their day-to-day responsibilities to improve stations and transport facilities for passengers, colleagues and the wider community.

Rather than focusing solely on operational performance, the awards assess how facilities contribute to safer, cleaner, greener and more welcoming environments across Northern Ireland’s public transport network.

What the awards look for

The awards are independently assessed by Live Here Love Here, formerly known as Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

Facilities are judged across a broad range of criteria designed to measure both environmental performance and community impact.

Areas assessed include:

• Resource efficiency

• Energy use and carbon reduction

• Biodiversity initiatives

• Health and wellbeing activities

• Community engagement

• Stakeholder involvement

• Employee culture and leadership

• Workplace behaviour and environmental responsibility

The programme is intended to encourage a culture of continuous improvement throughout the Translink network while highlighting examples of best practice being delivered by frontline staff.

Recognition for staff efforts

Pictured at the launch of the SPIRIT of Translink Facility Awards 2026 are Helen Allen, Translink Duty Lead; Chris Allen, Translink’s Environment, Social and Governance Manager; Jacqui Kennedy, Translink’s Chief People and Corporate Services Officer; Claire Irwin, Head of Communications, Live Here Love Here and Bridgeen Torrens, Translink Duty Lead

Launching the 2026 awards, Jacqui Kennedy, Translink’s Chief People and Corporate Services Officer, said employees play a central role in shaping passenger experiences and helping the organisation achieve its wider goals.

She said:

“We’re committed to leading the transformation of transport in Northern Ireland and keeping everyone Better. Connected. Our people and facilities play a crucial role in achieving this every day.

“The SPIRIT of Translink Facility Awards inspire colleagues across the business to make things even better for everyone who uses our services and works at our stations, and I’d like to wish everyone good luck in this year’s awards.

“Embracing four key themes around Safety, Environment, Health and Community, staff create a positive culture and display a real sense of pride in their workspace and its place within the local community.”

Kennedy said those efforts help enhance the passenger experience, encourage greater use of public transport and contribute to broader sustainability goals.

She also highlighted the role that attractive and well-maintained facilities play in welcoming visitors to Northern Ireland, particularly during the busy summer tourism season.

Passengers planning summer journeys can find travel information and destination ideas through Translink’s Days Out guide at www.translink.co.uk/daysout.

Public transport’s role in tackling environmental challenges

Pictured at the launch are Jacqui Kennedy, Translink’s Chief People and Corporate Services Officer; and Claire Irwin, Head of Communications, Live Here Love Here.

Live Here Love Here Chief Executive Eric Randall said the awards highlight the importance of maintaining strong and accessible public transport infrastructure as Northern Ireland continues to address environmental challenges.

He said:

“Live Here Love Here is delighted to partner once again with Translink for the SPIRIT of Translink Facility Awards.

“At a time when we are having serious debates about how to fight the climate emergency, it is critical that our public transport system is supported and accessible.

“These awards celebrate the best of our public transport facilities across Northern Ireland.”

Randall said staff and passengers alike were helping create cleaner, greener and more inclusive transport facilities and encouraged people to consider travelling by bus or train during the summer months.

Local facilities in the spotlight

For Ballymena, Whitehead, Larne, Greenisland and Carrickfergus, the awards provide an opportunity to showcase the work taking place behind the scenes to improve facilities used by thousands of passengers every week.

The initiative also shines a spotlight on the often unseen efforts of station and depot teams who maintain facilities, support community projects, promote sustainability initiatives and help create a welcoming environment for residents and visitors alike.

With judging now underway across all 37 participating facilities, the winners of the 2026 SPIRIT of Translink Facility Awards will be announced in September.

The results will reveal which stations and transport centres have most successfully demonstrated excellence across the four core themes of Safety, Environment, Health and Community.