NUS-USI has submitted responses to both public consultations on proposed changes to Northern Ireland’s bus and rail services. We’ve made the case for students who need affordable, reliable transport to get to education, placements and work, and to get home safely.
Translink is considering changes to evening services and fares and discounts. These are still proposals: Translink says no decisions have been made. Both consultations remain open until 5pm on Wednesday 30 September 2026.
Read our responses
You can find each of our responses here:
1) Bus and Evening Service Adjustments Consultation Response
What’s at stake for students?
A later bus or train can be the difference between getting home safely and paying for a taxi you cannot afford. An affordable fare can be the difference between attending class and missing it. These changes could hit students travelling to evening classes and placements, working shifts alongside their studies, or commuting from areas with few alternatives.
Our 2026 Cost of Living Report found that 51% of respondents use public transport to reach campus, a placement or an apprenticeship, while 17% had already missed class because they could not afford transport. Students are facing barriers before any further cuts are made.
Through both submissions, we have called for the impact on students to be taken seriously. Decisions about public transport must account for access to education and work, affordability, safety, and the needs of people who cannot simply choose to drive.
Our campaign doesn’t stop with a consultation response
NUS-USI will keep gathering students’ experiences and pressing for transport that students can afford and rely on. We’ll be stepping up the campaign in the coming weeks.
If you haven’t signed already, add your name to our petition to stop the transport cuts. Share it with a classmate, a colleague or anyone who depends on public transport. Every signature helps show the strength of the opposition to these proposals.
We’ve got students’ backs. Together, we’ll keep pushing until their voices are heard.
