Translink and IKEA join forces to encourage use of new public transport services to new store
4th December 2007:
Pictured celebrating the new Translink services to IKEA are ABBA's Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog (aka Catherine Byrne and Amy Hunter) with Translink's Sean Falls and IKEA's David Meers.
As the countdown to the opening of Ireland’s first IKEA store at Holywood Exchange gets underway Translink has introduced new Ulsterbus Goldline special services from across Northern Ireland, serving Enniskillen, Coleraine, L'Derry, Omagh, Cookstown, Armagh, Newry, Newcastle and Downpatrick.
With both companies championing environmental responsibility, Translink and IKEA – which opens its Belfast store at 10am on Thursday 13th December - have been working together to encourage customers coming from Enniskillen to the new service as often as possible when visiting the store.
Translink’s Sean Falls said: “We want to make it easy to visit IKEA Belfast by delivering realistic and cost effective public transport. To this end, we have introduced dedicated IKEA Ulsterbus Day Tours that will operate on Saturdays beginning on Saturday 15 December. In addition, a new Metro shuttle service operating every 30 minutes from the City Centre and also serving Belfast Central Station for rail passengers, will operate from opening day on Thursday 13 December.
“Tickets for the Saturday Day Tours must be pre-booked. However, for passenger convenience we are introducing new online booking for these tours. Passengers simply book their seat on their selected service and they will receive their booking reference by email. Alternatively bookings can be made through the main bus station”.
Full service details include:
From Saturday 15 December:
- Ulsterbus ‘IKEA special’ routes 1 – 9 will run from across Northern Ireland to IKEA entrance/exit. Adult Day Returns cost £10; Concession Day Returns cost £5. Tickets must be pre-booked, from Monday 3 December, online at www.translink.co.uk/IKEA or through main bus stations;
- Tickets can be purchased until 12noon on the Thursday before travelling if booking online, or until 12 noon on the Friday before if booking in person at the bus station;
- Each Ulsterbus Day Tour will provide 5 hours in store time;
- Each booking will be subject to availability and passengers are encouraged to book early.
From opening day, Thursday 13 December:
- A new, Metro 28A shuttle service will operate from Donegall Square West via Belfast Central Station to IKEA entrance/exit, approximately every 30 minutes from 08.23 to 22.15, Monday to Saturday;
- Metro services 26, 27, 28 and 29 will also serve Holywood Exchange;
- The most cost effective travel is with Metro Day ticket costing £2.50 when purchased after 10am.
“For those purchasing soft furnishings, small flat-pack and household items, using public transport is a sensible option and, even for the larger purchases or bulky flat pack products, we would encourage people to still take the bus or train and take advantage of IKEA’s home delivery service”, added Sean.
David Meers, IKEA Services Manager said, “We want to make IKEA accessible to as many people as possible and we are delighted to be working with Translink to develop regular, affordable public transport services to the store. It is good news that Translink is offering a province-wide service to the IKEA Belfast store – we are keen for visitors to come from throughout Northern Ireland and have the opportunity to see the excellent range of stylish, functional and affordable products IKEA has to offer.”
Ends
For further information please contact Keelin Kelly or Nicola Adamson at Morrow Communications on 028 9039 3837 or email n.adamson@morrowcommunications.com
For further information on IKEA Belfast, please contact Kathryn Kirk, JPR, kathryn.kirk@jprni.com or 028 9076 0066
Notes to Editor
- Full details regarding IKEA Belfast’s home delivery service are available in store.
- Passengers are encouraged to bring small items and flat-packs that they are personally able to carry on-board. Any items placed in the boot space of the coach will be at passengers own risk. Translink does not recommend passengers bring mirrors or large items of glassware which could be damaged.
- The IKEA Belfast store is considered one of the most environmentally friendly stores in the UK and will recycle 90% - approximately 1500 tons - of its waste in 2008. IKEA Belfast will also have a rain water collection system for flushing lavatories, a biomass system that will provide a wood pellet central heating system for the entire store and a customer recycling service for a range of products including glass, plastic, batteries, low energy lighting and cardboard packaging.
- The IKEA Belfast store opens on Thursday 13th December at 10am. It is the first store on the island of Ireland and will have the largest selling space of all IKEA stores in the UK. IKEA Belfast will also have the largest restaurant in Northern Ireland (570 seats). IKEA Belfast will be one of IKEA’s flagship stores and will stock the full range of IKEA products totalling 9,500 items. IKEA Belfast will employ 400 people with a further 100 people employed in outsourced services.
Ulsterbus Saturday Day Trip Service Routes can be accessed by this link:
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