When Grand Central Station finally opened its bus lanes on eighth September 2024 and rolled out rail services five weeks later, Belfast admired the shiny 340 million Euro jewel at Weaver’s Cross. Yet the ringing of that inaugural bell only marked the beginning of years of graft. Stroll through the concourse this week and you’ll feel the full fluidity of the service: bags roll effortlessly, announcements ring clear. Yet an invisible swarm of engineers, electricians and landscapers works the margins, unsung and unnoticed. Every foot of the public plaza, each turn in the pedestrian route and the clipped hedges seeding the new public square are being redesigned one last time to rub democracy, the seamless passage of every commuter, every tourist, every gig worker coming from Antrim this wet Monday against that radical steel-and-lattice drama of a roof one last time.
Phase One: Ongoing Public Realm Works
According to Translink’s official updates, public realm works are continuing through 2025 in order to significantly upgrade street spaces and improve pedestrian safety around the station. Durham Street, from Grosvenor Road to Hope Street, remains fully closed to vehicles and pedestrians to allow dismantling of the 1936 Boyne Bridge as part of phase one works. Translink is working with the local community to preserve elements of the old bridge for reuse in arts and heritage projects.
Phase Two: Upcoming Works on Great Victoria Street & Glengall Street
Looking ahead to early 2026, Translink has confirmed that phase two of public realm works will ramp up. From January to April, there will be kerb realignments outside the Europa and Northern Mall, work on the Amelia Street entrance, and new paving in front of the Grand Opera House and the Fitzwilliam Hotel measures intended to enhance accessibility and aesthetic appeal
Weaver’s Cross and Saltwater Square Remain a Work in Progress
Beyond the street works, development of the surrounding Weaver’s Cross area is ongoing. As reported by the Strategic Investment Board, the broader project includes cycle and taxi provisions, a new public square (Saltwater Square), pedestrian improvements, and a reconfiguration of road layouts, which are all yet to be completed. Tourism Ireland notes that Saltwater Square with its heritage and artistry focus, designed to reflect the area’s history, present and future is still under development.
Irish-Language Signage: Delayed by Legal Challenge
In March 2025, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins announced that bilingual Irish-English signage would be installed including wayfinding, safety notices, passenger information, and ticket machines at the station later in the year. However, a legal challenge by loyalist activist Jamie Bryson resulted in a judicial review, delaying the project by at least six months, and the full hearing is scheduled for September 2025.
What Does This Mean for Passengers and Tourists?
For most travellers, the station facility remains fully operational and accessible, with eight platforms, 26 bus stands, retail outlets like M&S Food, BrewDog, Starbucks and Pret A Manger, and excellent accessibility features. Pick-up/drop-off is managed via Glengall Street, accessible to taxis and vehicles for those with mobility needs. Disruptions are largely confined to outside public areas, they do not affect train or bus services, and passengers are advised to continue using journey planners and allow a little extra time, particularly if approaching by car.
Summary of Remaining Works
| Area | What’s Remaining |
|---|---|
| Durham Street / Boyne Bridge | Completion of dismantling and heritage integration |
| Great Victoria Street / Glengall Street | Kerb works, paving, entrances enhancements (phase two Q1-2026) |
| Weavers Cross / Saltwater Square | Full creation of public square, mixed-use development |
| Irish-language signage | Installation pending legal outcome in September 2025 |
What Next?
Belfast Grand Central has not just opened; it has redefined the entire rhythm of moving into the city. With its polished architecture and streamlined links, it marries modern efficiency with green design, drawing in both commuters and sightseers. Yet, walk fifty steps outside the mezzanine and the scene shifts to controlled ambition; pathways are aunfolding, plazas are being widened, and planting beds of lavenders still need the labour of a leisure afternoon. Railing and lighting installations move at the measured pace of a statue being chiselled free from marble. Meanwhile, digital messages keep corridors orderly, escalators ferry luggage as if it were feathers, and local and intercity services glide in and out precise, polite. Even the most unfinished edge whispers the same promise: in the months to come, the station will pulse as the animating centre not just of gates and wait rooms, but of the entire downtown neighbourhood it quietly draws into its orbit.
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via >EPR
