iLink Smartcard | Bus and Rail Travel Across NI

The iLink smartcard gives you unlimited bus and rail travel for a day, week or month within selected areas of Northern Ireland.

iLink is ideal if you regularly travel by bus and train and when you need more travel you simply top-up! iLink is available for travel on Metro, Glider, NI Railways and Ulsterbus services within 5 zones in Northern Ireland: Zones 1, 2, 3, 4 and the North West Zone.

What are the Benefits?

It saves you money. If you travel regularly by bus and train, iLink may cost less than buying separate tickets.
You can make as many journeys as you wish on your iLink card within the Zone and time period your card has been issued for.
It is a safer, cash free way to make your daily bus and rail journeys.
iLink helps speed up boarding times on buses making overall journey times faster for everyone.
If your iLink card is lost, it can be blocked so nobody else can use it.
iLink cards can only be used by one person per journey, but you can pass your card to someone else to use if they are travelling at a different time within the same zone.

Buying and Topping-Up

You cannot top-up your iLink card online. You can top-up and/or buy iLink with day, weekly and monthly travel at

Main Translink bus or train stations
PayPoint Agents across Northern Ireland (top-up only)
Visit Belfast, Donegall Square North, Belfast
Belfast International Airport Welcome Centre
Visit Derry, Waterloo Place, Derry~Londonderry
On board Ulsterbus, Goldiner and NI Railways services using cash (day and week top-up only / not available on board Metro services).

You can top up your iLink card at ticket machines at Glider stops. You can add 1 day, 1 week or 1 month of travel. You can also add different travel periods, such as 1 week followed by 1 month. Your travel starts when you first use your card on a bus or train.

When you add more travel to your card, the new days are added straight away. For example, if you have 3 days left and add 7 more days, your card will be valid for 10 days from the date you top it up.

Using Your Card

On Bus

Hold your iLink card to the target on the ticket machine reader with the front of the card facing upwards.
When the card reads successfully, the machine will bleep once and the green light will light up.
The machine will issue you with a paper ticket showing the details of your journey. The ticket must be retained for inspection
If the red light appears, remove your iLink card, then hold it to the target and try again.

On Glider

Top-ups are available at Ticket Vending Machines at Glider halts, then simply tap your card at the validator before boarding.

At Rail Stations

iLink card readers are available at some NI Railways stations. If a card reader is available, you must tap your iLink card before each part of your journey. If there is no card reader at the station, a member of staff will check your card for you.

Hold your iLink card to the target at the bottom of the validator machine.
When the card reads successfully, the machine will bleep once. A green light will light up and a ? symbol will appear on the screen at the top.
If a red light appears and an X symbol appears on the screen at the top, remove your iLink card and speak to a member of staff.

The validator machine does not issue a ticket or receipt. It simply checks that your iLink card is valid to make a journey. No cash is accepted or stored in a validator machine.

On Board Trains

Hand your iLink Card to the conductor.
The conductor will validate your iLink card for you. A ticket receipt will not be produced.
If a red light appears and an X symbol appears on the screen at the top, remove your iLink card and speak to a member of staff.

You are required to present your iLink card to any authorised member of Translink staff when requested. If your iLink card does not read on a Translink ticket machine you must pay full fare for the journey and phone Translink’s SmartPass Office on 028 9075 9129 to obtain a replacement card.

iLink Zone Information

iLink is available for travel within 5 Zones in Northern Ireland, Zones 1, 2, 3, 4 and the North West Zone.

Zone	Validity
Zone 1 - Greater Belfast Area	Valid on: Bus: All Metro/Glider services in Belfast. All bus services which pick up and set down passengers within the Metro operating area. Town Services in Newtownabbey. All services between Belfast and Holywood, Newtownabbey and Derriaghy. Airport Express 600 services to/ from Belfast and George Best Belfast City Airport Rail: Train services between Belfast and Cultra, Jordanstown, Mossley West and Derriaghy and all stops in between.
Zone 2 - Permits travel in zones 1 & 2	Valid on: Bus: All Metro/Glider services in Belfast. All bus 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. Rail: Train services between Belfast and Bangor, Carrickfergus, Downshire, Antrim, Lisburn and all stops in between.
Zone 3 - Permits travel in zones 1, 2 & 3	Valid on: Bus: All Metro/Glider services in Belfast. All bus 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. Airport Express 300 services to/from Belfast and Belfast International Airport. Rail: Train services between Belfast and Moira, Lurgan, Portadown, Larne Town/ Harbour, Ballymena, Bangor and Cullybackey and all stops in between.
Zone 4 - Permits travel in zones 1, 2, 3, 4 & North West (All Northern Ireland)	Valid on: All Translink bus and rail services throughout Northern Ireland.
North West Zone - Permits travel in North West	Valid on: Bus: All Town/City services within North West Zone including those in Ballymoney, Coleraine, Limavady, Derry/ Londonderry and Strabane. Other bus 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. Rail: Train services between Ballymoney, Coleraine, Derry/ Londonderry, Portrush and all stops in between.

iLink Fares

Prices for topping up an iLink card for adults and children:

iLink Adults

	Zone 1	Zone 2	Zone 3	Zone 4	Zone NW
	Top Up*	Top Up*	Top Up*	Top Up*	Top Up*
1 Day	£6.00	£11.00	£15.00	£19.00	£15.00
1 Week	£21.00	£42.00	£55.00	£66.00	£55.00
1 Month	£75.00	£145.00	£195.00	£230.00	£195.00

iLink Child

	Zone 1	Zone 2	Zone 3	Zone 4	Zone NW
	Top Up*	Top Up*	Top Up*	Top Up*	Top Up*
1 Day	£3.00	£5.50	£7.50	£9.50	£7.50
1 Week	£10.50	£21.00	£27.50	£33.00	£27.50
1 Month	£37.50	£72.50	£97.50	£115.00	£97.50

*Plus £1.00 initial card purchase. All fares are subject to alteration.

Lost or Stolen Cards

If your iLink card is lost or stolen, call Translink on 028 9075 9129 as soon as possible. We can block the card so that nobody else can use it. Keep a note of your iLink card number, which can be found on the back of the card and on your ticket receipts.

It can take up to two working days for a reported card to be blocked. Until the card is blocked, it may still be used by someone else. Once a card has been blocked, it cannot be used again and cannot be reactivated. Any blocked card that is presented for travel will be kept by Translink staff.

Faulty or Damaged Cards

If your iLink card is faulty or damaged and does not work on the bus or train, the appropriate full fare will be charged. You should return your card to; Refunds, SmartPass Office, Translink, Floor 1, 22 Great Victoria Street, Belfast, BT2 7LX.