Translink has defended the absence of newspapers and magazines for sale in the £340 million Grand Central Station in Belfast, stating its retail offering was the subject of a comprehensive marketing and tender process.
Launched in September 2024 as the largest transport hub on the island of Ireland, the massive publicly-funded integrated rail and bus station is also thought to be one of the few major transport hubs in Europe where patrons cannot purchase print publications.
The £340m hub replaced the much smaller Europa Bus Station, which featured two newsagents.
As it stands, the only retail offering inside the new Grand Central Station is a Marks & Spencer supermarket operated on a franchise basis by the SSP Group, which also operates the BrewDog pub and two Starbucks outlets within the station.
In a departure from the 22 supermarkets M&S owns in Northern Ireland, the shop in Grand Central does not sell any newspapers or magazines.
Belfast’s Grand Central Station opened in September 2024 at a cost of around £340 million.
The nearest retailers selling publications are located around 300 metres away on Great Victoria Street.
Both SSP and M&S declined to comment when contacted by The Irish News.
SSP, which specialise in travel retail in airports and other major transport locations, operate around 50 M&S stores in Britain.
The Grand Central Station store is its only M&S in Northern Ireland.
It’s understood the travel retailer does not stock newspapers or magazines in any of its franchised M&S stores.
Asked about the planning around the retail provision in the transport hub, a spokesperson for Translink said: “Opportunities for retail outlets in Belfast Grand Central Station were widely advertised through a local letting agent; and a comprehensive marketing and tender process was completed.
“Although Translink does not determine the product lines of tenants, we would welcome the sale of newspapers and magazines and we continue to look at any suitable opportunities.”