Train travel in Northern Ireland is a convenient and painless way of getting around the region, where available.
Note: This page covers traveling by train in Northern Ireland. For Irish Rail intercity trains in the Republic of Ireland, please visit our dedicated info page for intercity trains in the Republic of Ireland.
Where do the trains run in Northern Ireland?
The NI Railways passenger network is concentrated on the city of Belfast, with services radiating out towards the south, the northeast, and the northwest. Prominent towns and cities served by NI Railways are Derry/Londonderry, Portrush, Larne, Bangor, Lisburn, Portadown, and Newry.
All NI Railways services begin and terminate at Belfast Grand Central station, the new centrepiece of NI’s transport network. This means passengers travelling to/from the south of NI by rail must now interchange at Belfast Grand Central.
There are no services to the western areas of NI. If you want to visit the west without a car, your best bets are to use the Goldliner intercity bus services operated by Translink.
Buying your tickets
There are 4 ways to buy your NIR tickets – buying them at the stations, buying them onboard the trains, buying them on the mLink app, and buying them on Translink’s website. Translink accepts only Pound Sterling for Northern Ireland Railways ticket purchases.
Buying your tickets at the train stations
Most major NIR stations feature a manned ticket hall. Tickets can be purchased either from counters or the ticket vending machines.
Both cash and card/contactless payments are accepted for ticket purchases. Apple Pay and Google Wallet can also be used to pay for your ticket.
Translink is in the midst of upgrading the NI Railways ticketing system. Other than the installation of the ticket vending machines, automated ticket gates will also be rolled out across the network (with the exception of un-staffed stations), and the first of these can be seen at the new Belfast York Street station.
Buying your tickets onboard the trains
Not all NIR stations are manned, and a large number of the smaller halts and stations feature only platforms and a waiting shelter. In those cases, you can approach the conductor onboard the train to purchase a ticket. This does require you to be honest and respectful of the importance of purchasing a ticket for your travel.
This situation will change upon the completion of the new ticketing system upgrades, where all stations will feature a self-service ticket vending machine, meaning you would be expected to buy a ticket from these machines before boarding.
Note: Trying to ride without a ticket is an exercise in futility as the conductor will find you. Fare evasion can result in you having to pay a GBP 50 penalty fare, plus the value of the full single fare of the journey you’re taking. Click here to read more about fare evasion on Translink services.
Buying your tickets on the mLink app
If dealing with paper tickets aren’t your thing, an alternative is Translink’s very own mLink app. This is a very simple app that allows you to purchase train and bus tickets for services throughout NI. It also saves you from having to explain to NIR staff that you were unable to purchase your ticket onboard the train.
The mLink app can be downloaded from both the Apple App Store and Google Play. You’ll need to sign up for an account with the app to be able to use it. I’m not a fan of the app, and once the new ticketing system is up and running you can just buy your tickets from a ticket vending machine instead.
Buying your tickets on the Translink website
This isn’t necessary for NI Railways services within Northern Ireland as the tickets don’t actually “run out”. But if you’re travelling on the Enterprise from Belfast (or Portrush, Newry) to Dublin, Dundalk, and Drogheda, you need to buy your tickets from the Translink website and to reserve a seat.
To purchase your train tickets on the Translink website, simply enter your origin & destination stations and your date & time of travel, and the website will present you with a selection of scheduled services. The process works the same as any other train ticketing website, and you should have a train ticket in your Inbox in no time.
For more information on the various types of tickets and discounted fares offered by Translink, visit https://www.translink.co.uk/usingtranslink/ticketsandtravelcards.
How are the trains like?
NIR operates a fleet of smart looking, modern diesel multiple units. These are classified internally as NIR Class 3000 and NIR Class 4000 respectively. The Class 3000 sets were first delivered in 2003, whereas the Class 4000s saw their first deliveries in 2010 with additional extension carriages ordered and delivered in 2021.
All trains have identical interiors. They are generally clean and comfortable, and feature accessibility conveniences like an accessible toilet, and a dedicated space for wheelchair users.
For more information on accessibility on NIR trains, please visit Translink's Accessibility Guide webpage, or Translink's Rail Accessibility webpage.
I personally like the seats on the trains. They are decently comfortable for the longer distance services to Derry/Londonderry, and Portrush, and in general are a good fit for NI Railways’ hybrid commuter-intercity services. Note that there are no seat reservations onboard, so getting a good seat is on a first come first serve basis.
Can I bring bicycles onboard?
Yes, you can, except on weekday services before 0930am.
There are dedicated spaces for bicycles onboard the carriages at one of the ends of the trains – look out for the bicycle icon or just ask the conductor. These only allow a maximum of 4 full sized bicycles, and are on a first come first serve basis.
There are no limits placed on foldable bicycles.
For more information on bringing your bicycles onboard, please visit Translink's conditions of carriage webpage.
External links
For more information and the latest travel updates, please visit –