Member's statement: Translink Cuts: Protest
Member's statement by Ms Connie Egan on .
- MLA
- Ms Connie Egan
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 12 October 2026
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Translink Cuts: Protest
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5785782
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Today, I will speak about the protest that I attended on Friday against Translink cuts, which was organised by students and trade unions. People across Northern Ireland have been stunned by Translink's recent proposals to cut services during the week; raise standard train and bus fares that are usually considered off-peak; and slash the young people yLink discount from 50% to 33%. Public transport is not a luxury; it is a lifeline for many, taking them to school, jobs, family and friends. The Department for Infrastructure already does not adequately prioritise public transport. It can and should be improved, not cut. The cuts will disproportionately impact on young people, people who work shifts and those in rural communities. People build their lives around public transport, including where it goes and what it costs. They decide what jobs they can take and what plans they can make on that basis. The proposals have caused a ripple of concern across my constituency of North Down at a time when the cost of living is exponentially on the rise. I have heard from many constituents who use the Bangor to Belfast train line for work on weeknights, whether that is in hospitality or healthcare, about how this will directly impact on the shifts that they can take and the money that they can bring into their household. Constituents in areas such as Groomsport, Millisle and Donaghadee have been in touch to ask why the proposals penalise those who enjoy living in the more rural parts of the constituency and rely on bus connections to Ards or Bangor.
Many young people and students have been in touch to highlight their concerns. My Alliance Party colleagues and I were proud to stand with them last Friday outside Grand Central station in Belfast to protest against the proposals. The building of a greener and more sustainable society relies on significant investment in public transport infrastructure, but the proposals take us in entirely the wrong direction. I wrote to the Minister for Infrastructure over a month ago to ask what steps she is taking to intervene in the looming crisis and what steps she has taken to support Translink and find more funds for public transport in Northern Ireland. The cuts to services and increases in fares will hold back our economy, our healthcare system and our education system. They will hold back our communities from reaching their fullest potential. I was proud, on Friday, to stand against those cuts.
413 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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