Translink issues nearly 8,000 for fare dodging on Belfast Glider and NI rail services | Belfast Live

The figures emerged through a Freedom of Information request by Belfast Live

Translink has handed out almost 8,000 fines for fare dodging in the past five years on its Glider and railway services.

A total of 7,859 penalties of around £50 have been issued for riding without a ticket on the Glider from April 2021-April 2025. Belfast's rapid bus link began operating in September 2018.

The total amount of penalties to date issued for riding without a ticket on the Glider since it began operating in September 2018 stands at 11,485.

Fare evasion on train services led to 362 fines being handed out between April 2021 and 2025, according to exclusive figures obtained by Belfast Live through a Freedom of Information request. Similar incidents on Glider services in the same timeframe stood at 7,497.

But when asked, the company did not disclose the number of people who have been convicted in court for fare dodging related to Glider and rail services in the past five years.

A Translink spokesperson said: "Each passenger requires a valid ticket for their journey, and Translink has a range of different ticket types to suit our customer requirements. In the period cited under your requests, we have carried millions of passengers across the network (including millions on Glider services). In this context, the level of fare evasion is very low.

"Translink takes proactive steps to deter this behaviour and actively prosecute offenders where appropriate. Ticket inspections are carried out regularly on-board Glider services and at other locations across our network.

"Any person unable to produce a valid ticket whilst travelling is in violation of Translink’s Terms & Conditions of Carriage, and therefore automatically becomes liable to receive a penalty fare. This currently stands at £50 plus the price of a single ticket.

"Fare evasion, which remains at a low level, is a criminal offence and can lead to a court appearance and a fine of up to £1,000."

The figures come as Translink has announced an increase in the number of Gliders that will service the Titanic Quarter.

The changes to the G2 service, which operates between Belfast city centre and Titanic Quarter (Queens Road), will come into effect from Monday, January 5, 2026.

Monday to Friday peak time services will operate every ten minutes, with an off-peak frequency of every 20 minutes. On Saturday, G2 services will be enhanced to operate every 20 minutes from mid-morning into early evening.

A spokesman from Translink reminded customers to buy their ticket before they board from Ticket Vending Machines, or via the mLink app. Smartcard/Smartpass tickets can be validated at the platform validator before boarding.

Passengers are advised to plan their journey in advance using the Journey Planner App. Timetables are also available on Translink’s website www.translink.co.uk.

by Portal_Jumper125

10 comments

  1. What a dog shit headline, did an editor even review that?

    (OP has copied it correctly)

  2. I’ve never seen a rapid transport system with so many inspectors. If you go to any other city with trams, light rail or glider equivalent, it would be rare to see an inspector. In Belfast it’s about 50% of the time.

  3. Translink have a brass neck for running such an overpriced and shite service then chasing folk for fare dodging. We should be fining them.

    P.s Not to mention the suspicious amount of last minute cancelled train services when the schools are off. Like they can’t operate without the subsidies

  4. It’s just frustrating that we downgraded the pink bus system so that we could get the gliders which seem to cause nothing but trouble. I remember shortly after the gliders were introduced, Translink representatives came to my school and threatened to pull the gliders out of West because students were graffiting and dodging fares.

    Obviously it was an issue with the old system too, but I feel like it was really obvious that it would be far worse with gliders and yet they continued to go ahead with that plan anyway. And the new nightbus system is so stupid as well from what I can tell. They just can’t do anything right at all

  5. So they made about £400k in 5 years, which is pretty low when you see how many inspectors there are. It’s actually pretty crazy how often you get asked to show a ticket on the train and stupid. Like I got on at grand central the other day where I had to use my ticket to get past a security gate an inspector had asked to see my ticket before the first stop.

    It’s all just so inefficient

  6. “Lads, since we are changing the timetable, shall we make G2 go to Grand Central so people coming from far away by train can get to the science park easily?”

    Translink management: No, why would we want transport options to be linked up.

  7. I got the train from portadown to belfast for the first time ever ticket was checked getting on the train, ticket was checked half way to belfast and I threw it in the bin getting off at Europe station right before getting to the desk and was asked for ticket and surrounded by 3 security guards when I said I just threw it away they threatened me with police and fine if I didn’t buy a new ticket so I went to the ticket office and asked for a ticket and he said we’re to and I said I don’t no I’m not going anywhere I’m being made to buy a ticket again ended up paying tenner extra

  9. God bless their spokesperson having to put out that statement. Their level of detection is clearly abysmal if they’re issuing just ~5 fines a day in Belfast. You always see inspectors about, but they must do the bare minimum and seemingly target rush-hour and drunks chancing their arm.

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