Belfast Rapid Transit - Glider Introduction
The Belfast Rapid Transit Phase 1 (BRT1) pilot route network and service operated by Translink opened on 3rd September 2018 under the Glider brand and provides a rapid transit service between East and West Belfast through the City Centre, with a link to Titanic Quarter.
The Glider largely replaced the Metro bus service on the Falls Road and Upper Newtownards Road corridors (which previously terminated in the city centre) with two new services namely:
G1 – McKinstry Road – City Centre – Dundonald Park & Ride
This service runs cross city between McKinstry Road roundabout in west Belfast and Dundonald Park & Ride travelling via the Stewartstown Road/ Falls Road, through the city centre, Albertbridge Road, Upper Newtownards Road.
G2 – City Centre – Titanic Quarter
This service operates between the city centre and the Titanic Quarter (Queen’s Road).
The overall vision was to develop a rapid transit system for Belfast which would provide “a customer-focused, high quality integrated public transport system, which is sustainable, provides good value for money, enhances competitiveness, helps sustain economic growth, promotes regional development and contributes to social inclusion”.
Patronage on the BRT corridors pre-pandemic compared to the baseline figure (prior to the commencement of the BRT implementation works) has shown an increase of some 70% (5.6m to 10m journeys per annum).
Building upon this success the Department for Infrastructure identified the potential to further extend the Belfast Rapid Transit network to North and South Belfast, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council areas. In addition, the existing Glider G2 route (which currently serves Titanic Quarter) may also be extended to link with Queen’s University and Belfast City Hospital. The project is referred to as Belfast Rapid Transit Phase 2 (BRT2)