TranslinkStrategy 'Get on Board' 2016-2021 Translink is ’s main At Translink, we are passionate about public transport provider. We are a public providing excellent public transport and this Introduction corporation which has a degree of commercial is endorsed by our guiding Values: Safety, independence, yet are governed in policy People, Innovation, Responsibility, Integrity Public transport is part of a shared mobility terms by the Department for Infrastructure. and Teamwork – this is the Translink ‘SPIRIT’. We provide an essential public service to the strategy that touches the lives of everyone in people of Northern Ireland which impacts Our Strategy sets out how we will deliver on everyone, supporting economic growth, results across four key objectives: Northern Ireland, not just those that use our social inclusion and the welfare of the local communities we serve. This supports the • To deliver excellent bus and rail service services. It is clearly crucial for our region’s growth and prosperity of Northern Ireland. performance. • To deliver outstanding customer future to develop and grow. Providing high quality public transport not satisfaction at every touch point. only enables a region to thrive, it also helps to • To grow the number of passengers using address the challenge of congestion and air public transport. quality, creating healthier towns and cities. • To deliver value for money. On an individual level it gives people choices, freedom and more opportunities in terms of We want the people of Northern Ireland to be business, education, shopping, travel, tourism proud of their local public transport services and leisure pursuits. and look forward to having your support to help us deliver our Vision. This 5 year Strategy entitled ‘Get on Board’ sets out a Vision for Translink: ‘Get on Board’ “To be Your First Choice for Travel in Northern Ireland.”

Our mission is to work innovatively and efficiently taking a collaborative approach with all relevant stakeholders to deliver a transformation in public transport, providing integrated services which connect people, enhance the economy and improve the environment, enabling a thriving Northern Ireland.

Frank Hewitt Chris Conway Chairman Group Chief Executive

3 Our Vision Our Values “To be Your First Choice for Travel in Northern Ireland.” The ‘Translink SPIRIT’ is a set of guiding principles that are a fundamental part of everything we do. These core values are embedded in the culture of our organisation Our Mission and enable us to lead, inspire and succeed in delivering our goals for Translink. “To deliver a transformation in public transport, providing integrated services which connect people, enhance the economy and improve the environment, enabling a thriving Northern Ireland.” Safety We put safety first by taking care of the people around us. Translink's Strategy Wheel People Our people make the difference in the service customers receive. We will respect one another and seek a committed, talented and diverse workforce.

Innovation We seek out new ideas and creative solutions to business challenges and are agile and responsive to the changing needs of our stakeholders.

Responsibility We are responsible for our actions. We are good neighbours and corporate citizens in the communities where we operate.

Integrity We do the right thing. Our actions are fair, ethical, trustworthy and straightforward.

Teamwork We work together to deliver the best results. We encourage collaboration to build and nurture valuable partnerships.

4 5 Enhancing local communities and Protecting the environment and The importance of Public Transport supporting social inclusion improving local air quality and health Public Transport is at the heart of communities; Efficient urban public transport offers energy This Strategy has been developed in the context of the bus and train stations are at the centre of our efficient and low carbon mobility. In addition, it Department for Infrastructure’s (DfI) Regional Development towns and cities and local people see them as an brings significant health benefits by facilitating important part of their community and daily life. more active lifestyles and fighting against climate Strategy 2035 and the draft NI Executive Programme for change, cutting congestion and reducing air and Government. 36% of households in noise pollution. do not have access to a car. Translink’s networks play a vital role in this The DfI Strategy and the draft NI Executive Bus priority, or better framed as bus passengers’ by creating a healthier region and offers an Programme for Government, recognises that priority, is hugely important for a modern, Public Transport provides vital services for energy efficient way to transport large numbers transport has a role to play in developing progressive city. Research by UK ‘Greener everyone, connecting people to work, education, of people. UITP, International Association of competitive cities and regions. An efficient Journeys’ has shown that every pound spent on hospitals, health centres, shops, social activities Public Transport, reports that on average, public transport infrastructure is not only important for a local bus priority infrastructure can generate up to and more. It also supports social inclusion for older transport consumes three to four times less energy successful economy but it can also help promote £7 of benefits. people, those with disabilities and the many people per passenger than cars for every mile travelled. social inclusion and build local communities’ by who don’t have access to a car, helping them to providing an affordable travel choice over the It is about changing hearts and minds in relation participate more fully in society and lead a more private car. The environmental benefits of an to bus lanes. If bus travel is more attractive then active and productive life. Active Travel and Health Due to our increasingly sedentary lifestyles, efficient transportation system are also more people will choose the bus and that will free obesity, heart disease, strokes, certain cancers fully recognised. up road space for those that do need to take their In addition, good public transport links encourage and diabetes are on the rise. car. If we want a bus service fit for modern living commercial businesses to locate within local The draft Programme for Government has that will drive real modal shift, enabling people to communities. This in turn helps generate local Public transport plays a central role in encouraging identified 14 strategic outcomes which set out the shop, live, learn, work and visit, then we have to employment and acts as a regenerative catalyst more active travel as most journeys require a walk ambition for Northern Ireland society. Providing maximise our existing road capacity. enhancing and increasing local property values. or cycle to the bus stop or train station. This fits a high quality public transport system impacts It also fosters more social interaction, helping in with aspects of our public health policy, while on many of the PfG outcomes and directly Supporting Retailers to create strong neighbourhood centres that are also has the potential to transform our cities into links to the Outcome: ‘We connect people and Local bus services make it easy for people to economically stable, safe and productive with greener, more prosperous places to live, work, opportunities through our infrastructure’. One of access local town and city centres to support local a sense of ‘place’ that can help make an area or learn, visit and do business. the key indicators for this outcome is to ‘Increase retailers; they are playing a key role in helping to community unique. the use of public transport and active travel’, which build vibrant, sustainable and successful towns The Belfast Bike Scheme already offers excellent links directly to this strategy. Some of the other and cities. Council Areas Community Planning sustainable links from public transport hubs outcomes in the PfG which link to this strategy are: The new statutory duty of Community Planning offering greener and active travel options for • We live and work sustainably – Independent research carried out in Belfast by requires the councils to engage with statutory citizens and visitors to get around the city. protecting the environment; PwC showed that customers are helping to bodies and other relevant regional and local • We enjoy long, healthy, active lives; boost retail sales in the city centre, with over 50% organisations within the community, to develop • We have a safe community where of shoppers using Metro services spending over and implement a shared vision for promoting the we respect the law and each other; £35 per visit. In addition, over 80% of those who social, environmental and economic wellbeing • We have high quality public services; use Metro to commute to work also shop in the of the council area. Our engagement with the • We have created a place where people city centre. UK ‘Greener Journeys’ research found Community Planning Partnership will act as a want to live, learn, work, visit and invest. that the bus emerges as a key mode of access to bridge to link regional and local public transport. towns and city centres. Bus has the largest market Tackling Congestion share of retail and leisure trips to city centres at Connecting to Education Research shows that in cities with a high 33% (versus 30% for car, and 22% for walking Everyday over 55,000 pupils travel to schools percentage of shared mobility (public transport, and cycling). around Northern Ireland using Translink bus and walking and cycling), the cost of transport for the train services. The network of school community can be as much as 50% lower than Supporting the Visitor Economy services is integrated with our rural transport cities where private car ownership dominates. Public transport plays a key role in the global services offering cost effective travel solutions for appeal of an area, as cities and regions that are the important rural and small urban communities. Rail makes the most efficient use of the space easy to move around are more attractive to available. By providing high capacity, frequent visitors. This in turn helps to support the role of Links to Health Care services at peak hours to and from urban hubs, tourism as an economic driver for Northern Ireland Translink has worked closely with the Health and along strategic corridors, it plays a vital role in in terms of generating wealth, jobs, exports, civic Social Care Trusts to provide a range of transport helping to reduce congestion, particularly in and pride and innovation. options to hospitals and health centres across NI out of Belfast. for day appointments and visiting.

6 7 replacement and retire older vehicles to maintain OBJECTIVE 1 our high standards of quality, comfort and Operational To deliver excellent bus and rail accessibility for all our passengers. Excellence Key Goals We need to ensure we are operating with the service performance. most environmentally friendly and fuel efficient vehicles across our fleet and will continue to Zero safety incidents At Translink we recognise that to achieve our Vision and invest in low emissions technologies in our future fleet procurement. deliver on our Mission we must offer an integrated service >95% Service Punctuality across our bus, coach and rail services that exceeds customer Network Resilience Our trains operate over 300 miles of track >99.5% Service Reliability expectations on punctuality and reliability. including many bridges, level crossings and signals and we routinely inspect and efficiently Safety These are built into our Passenger’s Charter maintain this infrastructure to high technical, Exploit technology for greater The safety and wellbeing of our customers, and independently monitored twice a year. The operational and safety standards. We will integration, operational and employees and the general public remains monitoring panel includes the Consumer Council renew assets as they approach the end of their planning efficiency central to Translink’s operations. A significant for Northern Ireland. useful life which is measured on a balance of work programme is in place to deliver, enhance safety, economy, availability, reliability and and maintain safe systems, a positive safety Exploiting Technology ongoing maintenance. This ensures we maintain Continuously invest in our bus culture, emergency preparedness and high We aim for continuous improvement by operational efficiency. and rail fleet profile public safety campaigns in support of this investing in the development and use of commitment. technology, enabling us to efficiently plan and We are also developing plans to upgrade the Invest in low emissions allocate all of our resources in terms of our bus rail infrastructure and improve journey times As a large and complex organisation with and train fleets and the people who operate our across the network, with work started on the technologies across our fleet responsibility for the safe transport of people business on a 24/7 basis, to ensure we deliver line between Lisburn and Lurgan. as they go about their everyday lives, we do not and integrate our timetabled services every day. Enhance network resilience leave safety to chance. Our Safety Management People and improve journey times System guides our organisation in everything Journey Time and other external We are proud to be recognised as an Investor in that we do and we strive to engage each and factors People (IiP) having attained a number of awards every one of our employees to live by the key To deliver excellent punctuality and reliability throughout the organisation. We will continue Investors in People Gold principles of behavioural safety. we adopt a multi-agency partnership approach to provide excellent learning and development to address external factors which can impact opportunities in order to give employees the Our safety management system aims to have on our services such as congestion, traffic opportunity to stretch themselves, to do more zero staff or passenger safety incidents. accidents, road works and track trespass. and new things.

Maintaining High Punctuality and Fleet Strategy We are committed to creating a diverse Reliability Standards We are continuing to work on bringing forward workforce as we recognise the benefits this We deliver 12,500 services every day, operating plans to improve the frequency and capacity brings to our organisation. By working together a fleet of around 1,400 buses, coaches and on the rail network and have a Rail Network to enhance our business environment, we can trains. These vehicles do 44 million miles Utilisation Strategy which prioritises our create a culture that inspires the best ideas, the per year on average and have become more investment needs arising from the Future Rail best people and best opportunity to thrive. technically complex over the years. This is a Investment Strategy. challenging task to deliver 100% consistently, but we recognise the importance of service, The Network Utilisation Strategy has been punctuality and reliability to our customers and developed to scope potential fleet investment in a highly skilled workforce is employed day and order to increase passenger capacity on the rail night to maintain the vehicles and the network network. and keep everything moving on the road and rail. In order to maintain the attractiveness of our We have set challenging goals to ensure that services, we aim to have a bus fleet with an more than 95% of our services are on time and average age of eight years. It is important we more than 99.5% of services operate reliably. establish a sustained programme of vehicle

8 9 Ticketing Technologies OBJECTIVE 2 Innovative ticketing solutions with a focus on Customer Satisfaction integration, flexibility and convenience play an To deliver outstanding customer important role in attracting more people on- Key Goals satisfaction at every touch point. board Translink services. Enhancements such as the acceptance of >85% Customer Satisfaction The Translink brand means that people should get a high contactless payment cards on-bus, e-purse payments, ticket vending machines at bus and quality, integrated presentation when they use our services rail stations and key stops, gated rail stations, <15 complaints per 100,000 and meet with our people. online/app ticket purchases and smartcard journeys top-ups plus provision of ticketing for Belfast Rapid Transit are all planned. We want to ensure everyone gets a Customer Driven Innovation Improve real time customer friendly, helpful and professional service Customer information is an important tool Accessible Transport Strategy information and be at the at all times. We know this is an essential for business growth. We want to be at the We are committed to delivering a modern, forefront of I.T. developments lever for improving customer satisfaction forefront of I.T. developments in transport. sustainable, integrated transport network that in transport and increasing trust, as well as being a Our priority is continued enhancement meets the needs of our community. Translink predominant factor in brand choice and loyalty. towards more accurate, individual and easy services play a vital role in this and over recent to use information about all our services. years there have been a number of accessibility Deliver innovative ticketing Customer satisfaction is built in to our This adds value and helps to generate enhancements. These include new vehicles, solutions with a focus on Passenger’s Charter and independently journeys and reduce cost of distribution. station improvements and upgrades to rail integration monitored twice a year. We have set a target halts, better passenger information and to achieve greater than 85% customer We will continue to improve access to employee training. These ensure that people satisfaction across all our services. timetables and in service information, with particular needs can participate more fully Make our services inclusive, incorporating real time data across a in society, reducing social isolation, boosting integrated and accessible to The key elements that drive customer range of internet accessible devices. wellbeing and enabling greater independence all satisfaction are punctuality, value for money, and a better quality of life. However, we know availability of seating, passenger information, To inspire new developments we have made there is more to do. passenger comfort, customer service and our data available on the Opendata platform Work with all stakeholders cleanliness. to allow third parties to develop commercial We will be working closely with Government to support social inclusion in applications, effectively promoting shared Departments alongside stakeholder and local communities mobility services. disability groups to deliver the Vision of the new Department for Infrastructure Accessible We will extend digital departure screens Transport Strategy 2025 to deliver a transport across the public transport network for next network in Northern Ireland that is inclusive scheduled and real time departures including and accessible to all. airports and park and ride sites. Social Inclusion Customer Complaints and Public transport helps to support social Compliments inclusion by providing access to employment, Our customers are very important to us and shops, education, health and social activities we welcome their comments and suggestions for people from all communities and on how we might improve our services. With backgrounds. We aim to make services over 1.5m people travelling every week, we inclusive for all and work to design our know there will be times when things go wrong. transport network and facilities to bring When they do, we will do our best to put people together, making use of new things right. Our Passenger’s Charter sets out technology where appropriate. our responsibilities and is a statement of our commitment to provide high quality bus and train services in Northern Ireland. We aim to reduce the number of complaints to fewer than 15 per 100,000 journeys.

10 11 Department for Infrastructure to explore additional OBJECTIVE 3 opportunities with road improvement schemes. Passenger Growth To grow the number of passengers Event Travel Key Goals The events industry is a key economic driver and using public transport. working closely with event organisers, Translink will play an important role in their successful delivery, Support modal shift towards We are committed to supporting an increase in modal shift helping to build NI’s reputation as a stand out sustainable transport location for great events. towards sustainable transport. Rail Service Developments Grow passengers journeys to We have developed long-term investment strategies North West Transport Hub We will continue to develop plans to enhance rail >85m per year for bus and rail services and will work with all key The North West Transport Hub in services across the network. stakeholders to develop funding plans and policy ~Londonderry is an important gateway to Deliver NI Executive flagship support to deliver passenger growth. the North-West, regenerating the local area. It will Major engineering work is complete on the encourage a modal shift from car to public transport construction of a passing loop and installation of a projects, the Belfast Successful delivery of these growth plans will and other sustainable modes by providing integrated new signalling and telecoms system on the Coleraine Transport Hub, the North contribute significantly to modal shift from private and convenient services to encourage more active to Derry~Londonderry line. The work secures the West Transport Hub and to public transport in Northern Ireland. travel for a healthier region. line’s future operation, enhances safety and reliability and enables the introduction of an hourly service Belfast Rapid Transit A number of exciting investment projects are already The plans for this are now well underway and subject between Derry~Londonderry and Belfast. underway that will contribute to the transformation to planning consent, construction could start in 2018. Enhance rail services across of our public transport network. Enterprise Service Developments the network Belfast Rapid Transit (BRT) All services are now operated with newly refurbished Translink continues to work on the delivery of BRT trains following completion of a major £12.2million ‘Weavers Cross’ has been revealed as the name for with the Department for Infrastructure. As one of the upgrade. The enhanced service looks and feels like Support station and park the exciting new city neighbourhood surrounding the flagship projects identified by the Northern Ireland a modern new train with the emphasis on comfort, & ride developments Belfast Transport Hub. Executive, the exciting new initiative will deliver an service and value. Translink will work in partnership with Irish Rail to make improvements in resilience and innovative, high capacity, public transport system Develop a long-term ‘Weavers Cross’ situated in the heart of Belfast is an in a more connected Belfast. It will help to address journey times and to develop a long-term strategic eight-hectare site linking the modern high capacity the current and future transport needs of the city plan for the cross-border Enterprise service, including strategic plan for the transport hub on the site of the existing Europa and support sustainable economic growth and bringing forward plans for an hourly service. Enterprise service Buscentre and Great Victoria Street stations, with regeneration. impressive mixed-use development proposals. Bus and Coach Service Developments As a transport-led regeneration project, it has As the first hybrid buses, they will be cleaner and Goldline services offer attractive express coach Enhance Goldline, been identified by the NI Executive as one of seven more environmentally friendly. This a dymanic travel with substantial passenger growth in recent Ulsterbus, Metro and flagship projects for funding, recognising its strategic project for the city and for public transport, and a years. The Goldline brand proposition has been Airport connections importance in supporting the growth of the local huge opportunity to attract and encourage even enhanced through new high specification fleet and economy. more people to travel using this new mode of modern further service enhancements are planned across the public transport. Goldline network. This impressive facility will be a catalyst for the regeneration of this area and ensure we have the The first routes will connect East Belfast, West Ulsterbus services will continue to work with other right infrastructure in place to encourage modal shift Belfast and Titanic Quarter via the city centre and shared mobility service providers in health, education and attract more people to use public transport. It are scheduled to be operational late 2018. and community transport to deliver rural and town will also act as an important gateway to Belfast as a services more cost effectively and create links to the modern, confident and progressive city and stimulate Expanded Park & Ride Programme inter-urban Ulsterbus and Goldline networks. further economic opportunities for Belfast and Park & Ride facilities continue to grow in popularity. Northern Ireland. We have opened a new purpose-built bus facility Metro quality bus corridors will continue to work at Ballymartin and recently extended facilities towards improving frequencies, to refresh bus stop It is envisaged, subject to planning consent and at Ballymoney and Whiteabbey Train Stations. infrastructure and information and to further simplify appropriate funding, that construction could start as Additional facilities at Ballynure, Ballyboley, and extend the network. early as 2018. Castledawson and Kilwaughter have also been added. Airport Services Gateways to Northern Ireland need to be effectively We have further plans for facilities at a number served with high quality public transport links to of train stations including Portadown, Moira attract business, leisure and tourism. Translink’s and Cullybackey and continue to work with the airport services are growing strongly each year and we aim to further develop and promote these routes. 12 13 We will work alongside partners like the OBJECTIVE 4 Consumer Council Northern Ireland to promote Value for Money To deliver value for money. best value. Key Goals Congestion The challenge for Translink is to work with all stakeholders to As well as affecting competitiveness and air agree a shared mobility model for Northern Ireland which quality, a congested town and city has both a To work with all stakeholders direct and indirect economic impact. to develop a shared mobility connects people and offers value for money. Translink will work with all key stakeholders to strategy for Northern Ireland tackle this issue and support the development There is global evidence that as cities become Cost Efficiency of a Transport Strategy for our cities and towns. Continuously focus on cost more urbanised and aided by technology, we We will maintain a strong cost and continuous efficiency are moving towards a shared mobility model, improvement focus towards driving business Cost Effective Rural Services an integrated transport proposition that uses efficiencies throughout the organisation in Public transport enhances rural economic technology to knit public transport together order to offer best value for our customers and growth in many ways, helping to increase the Maximise opportunities to grow with other modes – walking, cycling, car stakeholders and operate effectively. local customer base for a range of services such revenues from all assets sharing, taxis and anything else you can think of. as local shops. It helps to sustain rural and small We are also active in our efforts to minimise urban areas, supporting local employment and We have an ambitious vision to transform fuel consumption through the purchase of more encourages social inclusion by reducing the Consult with key stakeholders public transport to become the first choice for eco-friendly vehicles and have introduced a effects of isolation for the people living in these to review fares annually and travel in a shared mobility model in Northern range of best practice energy-saving measures communities. promote best value Ireland, growing passenger numbers through such as eco-driving programmes to improve a clear focus on our customers and delivering our fuel efficiency. These initiatives support Translink will continue to forge joint Work with key stakeholders to service excellence through our people. We want our efforts to manage cost, keep fares as low as partnerships with Community Transport to engage with all stakeholders to demonstrate possible and improve customer satisfaction on Organisations, education and health authorities develop a transport strategy the value of public transport and connect value for money. to find cost effective, integrated travel solutions for our cities and towns people to other sustainable modes of transport. for the local rural community to access local Revenue Generation market towns, health centres and other Forge partnerships to deliver Funding We aim to generate revenue to reinvest in services. Improved public transport in Northern Ireland frontline bus and rail services while keeping cost effective and integrated will require appropriate levels of public fares as low as possible. To achieve this, we will travel solutions for rural funding. The recent NI Audit Office report on maximise commercial opportunities and look at the ‘Effectiveness of Public Transport in NI’ innovative ways of generating revenue from our communities endorsed the need for additional spend on bus, rail and station infrastructures to invest in the delivery of public transport for Northern public transport. Ireland. Public transport expenditure levels, per head of population, in NI are around 60% of Fares Strategy that in England and Wales and 40% of that in We will work on an annual basis with key Scotland. stakeholders to review fares and maintain value for money for our customers. We will continue to work with all key stakeholders to develop funding plans and We also actively promote and encourage policy support to attract more people to public customers to get the best value deal to help transport and support modal shift. them save money. We have a range of special promotions and everyday value fares available There are many models across the world such as Smartlink and yLink, as well as other for funding public transport. However, multi-journey fares including rail weeklies whatever approach is adopted it is clear that and monthlies. We will continue to innovate passengers respond positively to high quality in this area and have introduced mLink and services. If the objective by all stakeholders iLink fares which offer customers more choice, is to transform public transport and enhance convenience and integration. economic development, then creating a stable environment to invest in services is required.

14 15 Recent Achievements 2016–2017

Safety Enterprise Passenger Management £12.2m mid-life Enterprise information An Integrated Safety refurbishment completed More online options with Management system across – passenger growth 7% in Google Transit and Opendata our network to maintain high last year. launched and creative Metro levels of safety and a positive wayfinding introduced. safety culture. Local Rail Enhancements Accessibility Employees £46.4m Derry~Londonderry All main bus and train Employee Engagement Survey – Coleraine passing loop facilities are fully accessible. completed with positive and signalling upgrade Regular engagement with a results for staff satisfaction, completed. New hourly range of senior and disability engagement, loyalty, service introduced Summer groups on passengers’ involvement and advocacy. 2017. needs. 1.5 Million Technology Connecting with Growth of over 1.5m Mobile ticketing now Customers additional fare paying available for Metro, N I Over 4,500 face-to-face passengers in 2016-2017. Railways, Goldline and P&R customer satisfaction services. interviews annually. Also 70% 9 Passenger Groups Over 50 Park & Ride sites Web Sales established and a Translink More customers buying available with over 8k spaces Youth Forum. and an average of over 70% tickets online with 18% utilisation. increase p.a. Responsibility Supported over 30 Digital Bus and Train Week community-led sponsorships NI’s first Bus and Train Week 1.2m visits per month with and a range of charity a key success, delivering over over 70% on mobile devices. initiatives. Appointed Action 140k additional journeys. Over 100k followers on social Mental Health as our main media. 35k Charity Partner. Track Over 35k young people are using our integrated yLink Awards £25.3m Knockmore to Success with top accolades discount card. Lurgan – Ballast Rehabilitation achieved at the UK Rail Project – phase 1 completed Business Awards and Arts & successfully. Rail New sandite train to improve Business. Fleet autumn/winter rail reliability. 85 new eco buses for Metro, Ulsterbus and Airport Express Environmental 300 services maintaining Top Platinum Award achieved quality, comfort and enhancing for NI Environmental capacity. benchmarking survey.

Public Transport plays a vital role in the future development and success of a shared mobility model for Northern Ireland. Translink has the Vision, the strategic plan and the track record of success, along with the right people with the right skills and expertise to deliver integrated bus, coach and train services to keep Northern Ireland moving and growing.