£28m South Belfast Train Depot Opened

A new £28m Translink train depot has been opened at Adelaide in south Belfast.

The facility has been built to maintain the Translink NI Railways fleet of 20 new Class 4000 trains recently introduced on the railways network.

Transport Minister Danny Kennedy launched the new facility.

He said: "This new building is one of the components of the New Trains Two programme for which my Department and the Executive provided funding of some £150m investment.

"The programme delivered the purchase of the 20 new trains and the extension of around 20 platforms on the railways network to accommodate the new trains. Our aim is to deliver a high quality, accessible and comfortable public transport system and in doing so make it more attractive for people to use buses and trains.

"I believe we are delivering on this aim and the facts speak for themselves. Last year nearly 11 million passengers travelled by rail. This is the highest level recorded since 1967 and represents over 70% growth since 2002. I would encourage everyone to try public transport and see for themselves just how easy, affordable and hassle-free it can be."

The development was approved as maintenance facilities at York Road and Fortwilliam in Belfast are operating at, or near to, full capacity.

Catherine Mason, Translink Group Chief Executive, said: "The construction of this excellent new engineering facility is a tangible sign of our commitment to delivering high standards of quality and excellence and is an important addition to our rail network. The new depot also brings 14 new jobs providing opportunities for new people to learn new skills. This is great news as it helps us to benefit the wider local economy."

(IT)