Translink has launched a community engagement programme alongside the development of a new 480-space Park & Ride facility at Moira Train Station, bringing together hundreds of young people, artists, engineers, and educators to explore how public transport, nature and creativity connect.

The programme puts young people at its heart, with over 300 pupils from seven local primary schools across the Moira and Lurgan area taking part in biodiversity-inspired art workshops with Translink Artist in Residence Ed Reynolds, alongside STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Build a Bridge sessions delivered by contractor, FP McCann.

Recently, as part of the programme, pupils visited Moira Park & Ride to see the construction work underway and to understand where their artwork will be permanently installed.

Terence Quinn, Project Manager for Moira Park & Ride, said: “As part of the Moira Park & Ride project, we are working with the local community to showcase how public transport can become a place that people feel connected to and proud of.

Artist in Residence Ed Reynolds, representatives from Translink and contractor FP McCann, and pupils from Ballinderry Primary School, Moira Primary School, Rowandale Integrated Primary School, and St. Patrick’s Primary School at Moira Park and Ride. Pic credit: Translink

placeholder image — Artist in Residence Ed Reynolds, representatives from Translink and contractor FP McCann, and pupils from Ballinderry Primary School, Moira Primary School, Rowandale Integrated Primary School, and St. Patrick’s Primary School at Moira Park and Ride. Pic credit: Translink

"By working directly with local schools, we’re ensuring this site reflects the communities it serves, while also helping young people understand how sustainable travel, biodiversity and everyday journeys all are linked.”

Through the workshops, children are invited to look closely at the world around them – the movement of buses and trains, the patterns of wildflowers, the flight paths of bees and birds – and explore how journeys through nature and place mirror their own everyday travel.

“It was incredible to watch the pupils make the connections between travel, biodiversity, and their own daily journeys, said Teacher Holly Hutchison, Moira Primary School. “Translink’s art workshop helped bring all of that together in a way they really understood.”

Ed Reynolds, Translink Artist in Residence, said: “The artwork starts with what the children notice. They see the light, the plants, the journeys — things adults often pass by. My job is to listen and help shape their ideas into something that belongs to them and to this place.”

Local pupils visit Moira Park and Ride. Pic credit: Translink

The ideas, drawings and conversations from every school will be brought together by Ed Reynolds into a single collaborative artwork, inspired entirely by the children’s input.

The original artwork will be displayed in a local station, while a large-scale reproduction will be permanently installed at Moira Park & Ride. Each school will also receive a printed copy of the final artwork, ensuring every pupil can see how their contribution helped.

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Alongside the artwork and Build a Bridge Project, the community engagement programme includes tree planting at each participating school and the installation of swift nesting boxes at each school and Moira Park & Ride.

These living legacies reinforce learning around biodiversity and environmental stewardship, showing how small actions can make a real difference to wildlife.

This project demonstrates how transport spaces can be shaped with communities, not just built for them. By involving young people across local schools, it supports wellbeing, pride of place and positive early connections with sustainable travel.

The journey from classroom ideas to a permanent artwork at Moira Park & Ride shows how public transport can become a place of creativity, learning, and belonging.