Belfast’s new station opens and will be Grand when it’s finished

Despite what you may have heard from HS2, the biggest station to be completed in the UK this decade will not be in a west London industrial estate. It will be in the heart of one of the biggest, and possibly most overlooked, city in the UK. Belfast is on the cusp of an Irish unification which no one ever thought possible. The capital of Northern Island is about to see its rail services come under one roof, for the first time in history. And it’s all getting underway this Sunday.

There’s an orange order on quick march through Belfast. This though is no sectarian celebration of fealty to King William. The only religious zeal on display is the devotion to the completion of Belfast Grand Central. An army is on the march, but this is an army of contractors, decked out in their high-visibility jackets, making them the modern-day navvies for this very modern terminus.

Grand Central emulates Grand Designs

The station is more than just a terminus for Northern Ireland’s trains. It’s a transport hub for bus services too. It connects railway passengers with other parts of Ulster and Ireland at large. The customer services desk is staffed by pleasant officers. They take great pride in asking you to specify for which of Belfast’s two airports you require a travel ticket. Take note, you out-of-Ireland visitors. There’s Belfast City (also named for the footballing icon George Best) is a short hike across town, and Belfast International (once called Aldergrove) is an hour-long road trip. Long terms plans may well have both connected to the rail network.

There is a vast and airy, if somewhat surprisingly serene, plaza that connects the rail platforms with the bus apron. On that plaza, a source at Belfast tourism information ventured that the first trains were expected to run in a month from now. Translink shortly afterwards went public and said it would be this coming Sunday, 13 October. However, the state of readiness suggests it may be much later before the station is finished. Grand Central is like an episode of Grand Designs, where the presenter calls in on the eager couple, whose dream home is almost ready for the TV cameras.

Trains transfer from Sunday

From this coming Sunday, the Belfast – Dublin “Enterprise” services, and the domestic NI Railways services will commence from Belfast Grand Central Station. Timetables and online purchases have been made available from the combined road and rail agency, Translink. It’s the end of the line Lanyon Place, a smaller and outdated station, which was existing terminus for the cross-border service.

The enabling works at Grand Central have necessitated the temporary closure of suburban stations at Botanic and City Hospital stations. These will reopen at the same time as the inauguration of Grand Central. “Bangor line [and Portadown services will now terminate at Grand Central,” says a statement from NI Railways. “All former through services will also now require a change.” The opening of the new station cements Belfast as the heart of the rail network in Northern Ireland. The terminus design of the station is certainly intended to be a confluence of all travel. It’s a grand unification in more than just name. Time will tell how successful.

The question has been asked if trains can run into Grand Central. The answer has been given in the affirmative, despite more than a few fixtures and second fittings to be concluded. One endearing design adopted into the new building may well raise the loudest cheer. The concourse is mercifully free from the bane of modern rail travel. Belfast Grand Central is a designated quiet station. No public address announcements will be made. Not even those in an endearing Belfast accent.