Bus and rail passengers across Northern Ireland are set to benefit from a new enhanced range of integrated bus and rail iLink Smartcards, with the introduction of two new Zones from Monday 5th December 2011 giving customers a total of 5 Zones to choose from.

Catherine Mason, Group Chief Executive for Translink explained,

“Our innovative iLink products are easy to understand, easy to purchase and top up and easy to use and have proved extremely popular with our customers.  Since we launched 2 years ago there have been thousands of cards issued and now with 2 new Zones giving our customers even more choice, flexibility and convenience we hope we can attract yet more users who want to use a mix of bus and train services. 

“Valid for unlimited day, weekly or monthly travel on Metro, N I Railways and Ulsterbus services, there will now be 5 specified zones including a new Zone 3 and a new North West Zone – these additions reflect feedback from our customers, employees and other stakeholders.    There will be no change to Zones 1 and 2 and Zone 4 will replace the old Zone 3 and cover all Translink bus and rail services across Northern Ireland.

“This will mean some ilink customers transferring into the new Zone 3 will benefit from lower fares including passengers travelling on the Airport Express 300 service from Belfast International Airport to Belfast. 

“We are particularly pleased to launch a new iLink card for the North West area which will include travel between Derry/Londonderry, Limavady, Coleraine, Dungiven and the Giants Causeway.  This new product will give our North West customers all the great benefits and value of integrated bus and rail travel.  It will also serve as an excellent tourist ticket for people visiting this area particularly ahead of the opening of the new Causeway Visitor Centre next summer and Derry/Londonderry City of Culture.

“We want to provide integrated travel solutions that are attractive, sustainable and good value and iLink together with our range of other integrated smartcard products including concession smartcards mean around 98% of journeys made in Northern Ireland can be purchased on a single integrated smartcard.

“Delivering innovative ticketing solutions like these demonstrate our commitment to practical and meaningful integration for our customers together with improved links across our network, facilities, information and customer service. 

“We will continue to look at ways we can enhance our services to make the bus and train the better choice for individuals for the community, for the environment and for sustainable development for all” she concluded.  

New iLink cards are available online at www.translink.co.uk, from main bus and rail stations; from the Metro Kiosk, Donegall Square West; Belfast International Airport and George Best Belfast City Airport, Belfast Welcome Centre, Derry Visitor and Convention Bureau and Queens University Student’s Union. 

To encourage passengers to go iLink the initial £1.50 charge for the smartcard is being waived until 31 January 2012.

For further information visit www.translink.co.uk or contact the Translink Contact Centre on 028 9066 6630

EndsFor further press information contactLouise Carson or Patrick Finlay at Aiken PRTel: 028 90663000 or e mail Patrick@aikenpr.co.uk

Notes to the Editor

iLink is available for travel within 5 Zones in Northern Ireland.Full details of iLink Zones are available at www.translink.co.uk

The iLink ticket is available for both adults and children and is ideal for customers who combine bus and train services regularly.  iLink is easy to use and can be topped up repeatedly at designated sales outlets. iLink cards can be purchased for unlimited day, weekly or monthly travel on Metro, NI Railways and Ulsterbus services.

Benefits with the iLink Smartcard include:• It saves money. If you travel by bus and train within specified zones, using iLink could offer better value for money• No restrictions on the number of journeys you can make within the zone you have purchased• More convenient, safer, cash free way to travel   • Helps speed up boarding times on buses making overall journey times faster for everyone• More flexible - iLink Cards can be passed to other family members or friends if they are travelling at a different time within the same zone• If an iLink Card is lost or stolen it can be ‘hotlisted’ (electronically deactivated) to prevent anyone else from using it fraudulent

A summary of zone boundaries is detailed below:

Zone 1 (no change) 

Valid on:• Metro:  All Metro services in Belfast.• NI Railways:  NI Railways services between Belfast, Holywood, Cultra, Jordanstown, Mossley West, Derriaghy and all stops in between.• Ulsterbus:  All Ulsterbus services which pick up and set down passengers within the Metro operating area.  Ulsterbus Town services in Newtownabbey.  All Ulsterbus services between Belfast and Holywood, Newtownabbey and Derriaghy.• Airport Express 600 services to/from Belfast and George Best Belfast City Airport.

Zone 2 (no change)

Valid on:• Metro:  All Metro services in Belfast.• NI Railways:  NI Railways services between Belfast and Bangor, Carrickfergus,  Downshire, Antrim, Lisburn and all stops in between.• Ulsterbus:  Ulsterbus services within the following towns and to/from Belfast and the following towns:  Bangor, Antrim, Carrickfergus, Lisburn, Hillsborough, Crumlin, Glenavy, Ballyclare, Templepatrick, Ballynahinch, Ballygowan, Newtownards, Comber, Saintfield.

Zone 3 (New Zone)

Valid on:• Metro:  All Metro services in Belfast.• NI Railways:  NI Railways services between Belfast and Moira, Lurgan, Portadown, Larne Town/Harbour, Ballymena, Bangor, Cullybackey and all stops in between.• Ulsterbus:  Ulsterbus services within the following towns and to/from Belfast and the following towns:  Whitehead, Islandmagee, Larne, Ballymena, Cullybackey, Ahoghill, Randalstown, Toome, Craigavon, Portadown, Lurgan, Moira, Banbridge, Dromore, Loughbrickland, Dundrum, Castlewellan, Downpatrick, Portaferry, Donaghadee, Killough, Ardglass, Strangford, Ballywalter, Greyabbey and Gilford.

Zone 4 (Old Zone 3 – Renamed Zone 4) 

Valid on:• All Translink bus and rail services throughout Northern Ireland.

Zone North West (New Zone)

Valid on:• NI Railways:  NI Railways services between Ballymoney, Coleraine, Derry/Londonderry, Portrush and all stops in between.• Ulsterbus:  All Ulsterbus Town/City services within the North West Zone including those in Ballymoney, Coleraine, Limavady, Derry/Londonderry and Strabane.  Other Ulsterbus services within the North West Zone boundary between the following towns:  Ballymoney, Coleraine, Portrush, Portstewart, Castlerock, Downhill, Magilligan, Limavady, Greysteel, Strabane, Claudy, Dungiven, Macosquin, Giant’s Causeway and City of Derry Airport.

Buying & Topping-up iLink

You can buy an iLink Card and first top-up of day, weekly or monthly travel, within a specific zone, online at www.translink.co.uk and also at:• Main Translink bus or train stations• Metro Kiosk, Donegall Square West, Belfast• Belfast Welcome Centre, Donegall Place, Belfast• Belfast International Airport Welcome Centre• George Best Belfast City Airport Welcome Centre• Derry Visitor & Convention Bureau• Queen’s University Students’ Union

You can top-up iLink with day, weekly and monthly travel only at:• Main Translink bus or train stations• PayPoint Agents across Northern Ireland• Smartlink Agents within Greater Belfast• Metro Kiosk, Donegall Square West, Belfast• Belfast Welcome Centre, Donegall Place, Belfast• Belfast International Airport Welcome Centre• George Best Belfast City Airport Welcome Centre• Derry Visitor & Convention Bureau• Queen’s University Students’ Union

You can also top-up day or weekly travel with the driver or conductor on board Ulsterbus and NI Railways services. 

You cannot top-up an iLink Card on board a Metro service.

Monthly iLink top-ups are not available on board NI Railways and Ulsterbus services but are available at all other Translink sales locations listed above.

Customers that already have an old iLink Zone 3 card have 3 options:1. Swap to a new iLink Zone 3 Card2. Swap to a new iLink Zone 4 Card3. Swap to a new iLink North West Card