Translink has announced the early suspension of multiple bus and rail services across Northern Ireland on Thursday evening.

All Metro, Glider and Ulsterbus services in Belfast will cease after 5.30pm. Train and Goldliner coach services will continue for slightly longer, with the last trains departing Grand Central Station shortly after 8pm and no Goldliner departures after 7.30pm.

Enterprise services between Belfast and Dublin will run on a reduced timetable, with the final trains in both directions leaving around 7pm. The last service from Belfast to Portadown is scheduled for approximately 8pm.

Outside the capital, local Ulsterbus routes are expected to operate largely as normal, though with some adjustments. Foyle Metro services in the Derry area will also run normally. Buses from Belfast International Airport to the city centre, as well as cross-border coach services to Dublin Airport, are unaffected.

The publicly owned transport company said the safety of staff and passengers remained its highest priority. It thanked customers for their patience and advised them to check the latest travel information on its social media channels, website and Journey Planner app.

The service reductions follow days of violent disorder in Belfast after a knife attack in the north of the city on Monday. A 30-year-old Sudanese national has been charged with attempted murder. On Tuesday night, a Glider bus was set alight in east Belfast during protests, and several houses and vehicles were damaged. Translink suspended all Northern Ireland services that evening. On Wednesday, bus services in Belfast were halted from early afternoon, with a full province-wide shutdown by 5pm and trains cancelled from 6pm.

Thursday’s targeted suspensions aim to maintain safe operations while avoiding a complete network closure. Translink did not confirm whether further early shutdowns are planned for subsequent days.