Metro buses run more than half of morning peak G2 trips to Titanic Quarter
Eight of 15 morning peak G2 trips in each direction use Metro buses, with Translink saying the extra services were planned that way.
Metro buses have operated just over half of morning peak journeys on Belfast’s G2 Glider route since January 2026, The Irish News reports. Eight of the 15 departures in each direction between 6.50am and 9.25am use Metro vehicles on the Titanic Quarter service. Translink says these were planned as bus services, rather than replacements for Gliders.
Across the G2 timetable as a whole, Metro vehicles account for one in five journeys. The additional departures were introduced at the start of the year to meet growing demand linked to the Loftlines housing development.
Translink told The Irish News: “These services were designed to operate using a standard Metro bus and therefore should not be considered bus substitutions.”
Fleet reduced after vehicle destroyed
Translink says it deploys every available Glider on the G2, with zero-emission buses providing extra capacity during peak periods. Its latest accounts recorded 34 Gliders in 2025, but one was destroyed during civil unrest in June 2026.
Obtaining more of the same vehicles is no longer an option: manufacturer Van Hool went bankrupt in 2024 and, despite its takeover by HESS Belgium, production of the Exqui.City model has ended.
Circle Line Belfast campaigner Aaron Vennard welcomed the extra services, particularly with a consultation on service cuts under way. He said buying new vehicles would take time because of tendering and capital requirements.
For passengers, he highlighted a difference at stops: Gliders have three doors to help people board and leave more quickly, while conventional Metro buses have one or two. He argued that Gliders remained the best vehicles for the route.
Expansion plans
The Department for Infrastructure’s latest update includes extending G2 south to Queen’s University and City Hospital.
The separate north–south Glider route, originally planned for 2027, is not expected before 2033, following an announcement in February 2026. Translink says it continues to discuss funding for that project with the department.
Source: The Irish News
