Only three minutes more waiting time at Lurgan railway gates for new hourly Enterprise from Belfast to Dublin says Translink
An increase in the number of trains on the Belfast to Dublin route, started this week, comes with an estimate that the railway gates in Lurgan will be closed at least seven times a day more than before.
Translink’s hourly Enterprise services between the new Belfast Grand Central Station and Dublin’s Connolly Station began on Tuesdayand was hailed as “the most significant expansion of services on the route in over a quarter of a century”.
But with 15 services operating in each direction between Belfast and Dublin from Monday to Saturday (up from eight each way previously) and eight each way on Sundays (up from six previously) a lot of Lurgan people aren’t happy.
While some have welcomed the extra trains, a significant number of residents, and visitors to Lurgan, have taken to social media to voice frustration at the prospect of sitting in traffic in William Street, Lough Road, Bells Row and Lake Street, for longer each day.
One woman said: “I am used to sitting in traffic for a bit and have factored that into my commute to work and home again, but it is getting beyond a joke the amount of times I’m sitting in traffic.”
Another resident said: “The fumes of vehicles sitting at those gates waiting for trains to pass must not be good for your health.”
A Translink spokesperson said that, through careful timetable planning, they had worked to minimise the overall barrier-down times, with an average increase of around three minutes per hour to facilitate the enhanced Enterprise service, adding: “Plans are in progress to redevelop the existing Lurgan Train Station.
"Subject to funding and planning approval, the redevelopment project will see construction of a brand new rail passenger facility alongside enhanced park-and-ride and new active travel features. It is anticipated that construction could commence during 2027.”
The spokesperson also pointed out that the expansion in the Dublin service would “greatly enhance connectivity between two largest cities on the Island”.
It would, the company said, bring many benefits for business, retail and tourism, help tackle the climate emergency and provide an all-island economic boost.