16th September 2026
Belfast’s late-night bus pilot will be hailed as a success at Stormont today (16th September), as the Belfast Night Czar calls on the Northern Ireland Executive to continue its support and secure the future of late-night public transport in the city.
The pilot followed an 18-month campaign led by the Belfast Night Czar, Belfast’s three Business Improvement Districts – Belfast One BID, Cathedral Quarter BID, Linen Quarter BID and the Purple Flag partnership. It received £650k funding support from the Executive Departments and Belfast City Council.
More than 43,000* journeys have now been made on the service, demonstrating the significant role late-night public transport has come to play in the city. The pilot has also supported more than 100 major events and festivals in Belfast, helping the city welcome visitors and ensuring workers and attendees have a reliable way to travel home.
The current pilot provides additional Metro services every Friday and Saturday night across 19 routes, with services running into the early hours.
The additional late-night services have provided thousands of people with a safe, reliable and sustainable way to travel home, supporting night-time economy workers, residents, students and visitors. Late-night transport is particularly important to people working in hospitality, entertainment, retail, security, cleaning, and other sectors, many of whom finish work after midnight. It also supports Belfast’s wider night-time economy by making it easier for people to stay in the city later and travel home without relying on private cars.
The late-night bus pilot was the result of sustained campaigning led by the Belfast Night Czar and Belfast’s three Business Improvement Districts, with support from Belfast’s wider night-time economy and business community. The campaign secured the support of more than 1,000 businesses and involved numerous meetings with Ministers, MLAs and senior officials, alongside extensive engagement with the media, in the drive to improve late-night transport in Belfast.
The event at Parliament Buildings (16th Sept) will bring together representatives from Belfast’s night-time economy and business community to highlight the impact of the pilot and make the case for its continuation.
The Belfast Night Czar is calling on the Executive, Department for Infrastructure and Translink to work with Belfast City Council, the three BIDs and the wider business community to ensure the services continue beyond the current pilot.
Minister Kimmins said:
“It is clear to me that the pilot has been a huge success, it has taken people home from concerts, festivals, the Fleadh, the cinema, or their late-night shift. The pilot has ensured that people know when they’re leaving home to go out that they have options to get home again. That certainty brings people into the city and lets them relax and stay out later. I am delighted to have been the Minister overseeing this scheme. Putting this on a permanent footing could be a game changer for the city, in terms of boosting the night-time economy and that is why I have asked officials to begin work with Translink to make this pilot permanent. I will work with my Executive colleagues and the Council on this.”
Michael Stewart, Belfast Night Czar said:
“The message from Belfast is clear – these services work, people are using them, and we need to keep them running. With thousands of people using the services it shows the strength of demand for public transport after midnight. This is about much more than getting home after a night out; it is about workers finishing shifts, people visiting Belfast, businesses attracting customers and giving people a safe and sustainable way to travel home. Thanks to the support from the Executive departments, Belfast City Council and Translink we have demonstrated the demand, and we have demonstrated the benefits. Momentum gets us started but habit keeps us going. We have built the momentum with the pilot scheme, and now we need to develop the habit. We need to build on that success and give passengers, workers and businesses certainty by continuing to support these services.”
Ian Campbell, Director of Service Operations, Translink, added:
“The late night bus services pilot continues to offer people safe, convenient and reliable journey options and, since its launch last year, more than 43,000 journeys have been made on the service with high customer satisfaction levels recorded. Operating every Friday and Saturday night across 19 routes, it is supporting the night-time economy by helping people extend their night and get home safely again after work or socialising. The pilot has also supported delivery of more than 100 big events and festivals in the city so far, providing spectators with an attractive alternative to private car use. We continue to promote the service and work closely with our city partners to encourage everyone to make use of it as the busy autumn period progresses.”
The late night bus pilot has been operating since January 2026 and runs until the end of 2026. For further information visit www.translink.co.uk/latenightservices
