The Europa Bus Centre has served as Belfast’s main bus station since 1991. After 33 years of service, it is due to cease operations on 8 September 2024 and all of its bus services will be shifted across to the new Belfast Grand Central station.
What you should know
- 7 September is the last day of bus operations at the Europa Bus Centre.
- All Europa bus services will be shifted to Belfast Grand Central on 8 September.
- NI Railways services will start running at Belfast Grand Central from 13 September onwards.
Click here for Translink’s webpage on Belfast Grand Central updates.
Why is this happening?
Belfast is getting a brand new bus & train station called “Belfast Grand Central”, replacing Europa and the 1995-built Great Victoria Street railway station as the main gateway into the city. The new Grand Central boasts 26 bus stands and 8 train platforms, a big increase from the 17 bus stands and 4 platforms of Europa and the old Great Victoria Street station respectively.
The new Grand Central will be able to handle more buses and train services into Belfast, alongside an improved passenger experience within its spacious halls. All in all, visitors arriving by bus & rail can expect a much better first impression of Belfast, and the everyday user will have a more dignified commute to and from the city.
What will happen to Laganside Bus Centre?
The short answer is that nobody knows except for Translink. There are currently no news on any closure of Laganside, which means Laganside is very likely to continue in operation for the time being.
Looking back on the Europa Bus Centre
I don’t usually get sentimental over bus stations, but the Europa Bus Centre might just be an exception. This was the bus station that I passed through most often as a university student in Belfast on my way to sunnier destinations, often via the Airport Express 300 to Belfast International Airport and the occasional bus to and from Dublin Airport.
Europa isn’t a good looking piece of infrastructure, but it scores points for its compact size and ease of use. Ticket counters were conveniently placed in the centre of the bus hall, making it very visible for the first-time user in need of a bus ticket. Access from Great Victoria Street also took a 2 minute walk through the sleepy Great Northern Mall, meaning it was very much possible to dash from your Metro bus to your Goldliner or Ulsterbus service waiting at one of Europa’s 17 stands.
Nothing, however, could change the fact that the Europa was getting old. As bus passengers increased year after year, it also became clear that Europa was just too small for the future. All of that, combined with the generally uninspiring architecture, made Europa a less than impressive gateway for Belfast. I passed through Europa one last time during a recent trip in July, and while it was great nostalgia trip for me it was clear that the 33 year old facility was already worn out and overdue for a replacement.
So goodbye Europa, and thank you!
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