Other News In Brief

Tributes Paid To Former NIO Minister

Alliance Carrickfergus Councillor Sean Neeson has paid tribute to former Northern Ireland Office Minister Sir Rhodes Boyson who has died at the age of 87.

Sir Rhodes was an MP between 1974 and 1997 and was in the NIO between 1984 and 1986.

Cllr Sean Neeson said: "I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Sir Rhodes. I got to know him quite well during the 1980s when he was a Minister in the Northern Ireland Office.

"I would like to pay tribute to the work he did here. It was obviously a difficult time but he put forward a number of innovative proposals to help get our economy moving forward."

More Park & Ride Spaces For Antrim

Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy arrived on a new train to open extended Park & Ride facilities at Translink's Antrim station today.

The Minister travelled on the last of the twenty new trains to enter service, to open Antrim station's Park and Ride.

The extended Park & Ride facilities will provide a total of 180 car parking spaces for commuters using the Antrim station. This extension is part of a wider £2.9million investment to deliver Translink’s integrated rail and bus facility, which is part-funded through the Sustainable Stations Project (SUSstations), with EU Interreg IVB North West Europe Programme (NWE) support of €660,000 (£568,194).

The Minister said: "The 20 new trains, which are part of the £150million investment in the New Trains Programme, are now in passenger service on busy commuter services across Northern Ireland, including the Antrim line. The new trains will pave the way for increased frequencies and capacity on the network."

Officially opening the Park & Ride, Danny Kennedy said: "Today's announcement sees the completion of the first two phases of the £2.9million redevelopment of the integrated Antrim Rail and Bus Station. The newly extended Park & Ride facility will provide a total of 180 much needed spaces for commuters using this busy station. An extension to the bus yard and Belfast bound platform waiting area has also been completed."

(CD/GK)