Newry Bus Station has scooped the top Platinum standard in this year's SPIRIT of Translink Facility Awards with Newry Train Station also achieving Silver.
The annual initiative supports Translink staff in developing a culture of continuous improvement, giving official recognition to everyone going that extra mile to create a more attractive environment for passengers, colleagues and the wider public. Assessed by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, each facility was judged across a set of key criteria relating to resource efficiency, energy and carbon, biodiversity, health and wellbeing, stakeholder, employee and community engagement, health and safety culture and behaviour, customer experience, regulatory requirements and leadership.
A total of 18 facilities achieved the top Platinum award, with 12 obtaining Gold standard and a further six winning Silver. One stand-out result this year was that all facilities who entered received top marks in the health and safety culture and behaviour assessment criteria.
Chris Allen, Translink ESG Manager, said the SPIRIT of Translink Facility Awards celebrate the hard work and commitment put in by SPIRIT Ambassadors and their facilities who embody the corporate responsibility themes of Go Safe, Go Eco, Go Healthy and Go Together. "These awards recognise the dedication shown by staff in making our facilities safer, greener, healthier, and more inclusive for everyone by embracing our SPIRIT values – Safety, People, Innovation, Responsibility, Integrity, and Teamwork," he said.
He added that public transport plays a key role in connecting communities and supporting environmental, social and economic wellbeing. "Through leadership and commitment, we aim to inspire continued progress and make public transport the first choice for travel, today for tomorrow. Congratulations to all our SPIRIT Ambassadors and their facilities," he said.
Sinead Murray, Local Environmental Quality Manager at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said the awards are an important symbol of environmental excellence for public transport facilities in Northern Ireland. She said Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is delighted to be working once again with Translink to ensure high standards are maintained in bus and train stations. "As an environmental organisation, we understand the critical role that public transport plays in helping fight back against the climate emergency, and we want to see a thriving public transport network across Northern Ireland. I want to thank the hard work of the staff at these sites who are making this happen and congratulate them on their well-deserved success in this year's awards," she said.


