The East Belfast MLA spoke following a tour of the newly built central station: “The new Belfast Grand Central Station is an exciting new hub for Belfast and I was pleased to have been invited for a tour of the site before its official opening on Sunday. 

“This new station represents a significant step forward for the provision of sustainable transport and active travel in Northern Ireland.

“Having a strong public transport network is crucial for boosting our local economies, connecting communities, and protecting the environment. The investment into Grand Central will have enormous economic and social benefits that will stretch far beyond Belfast, enhancing access to jobs, education, and training, improving public health, by encouraging people to leave their cars at home, and alleviating congestion and air quality in a densely populated urban area.

“Public transport is a key element in furthering green growth, and the new transport hub will help cut down carbon emissions and chart a course towards net zero in the transport sector. Going forward, we must continue to promote long-term and sustained investment in public transport to fully realise the benefits of an efficient and reliable public transport system that serves the needs of the people in Northern Ireland and encourage sustainable travel.”