Translink to cater for Larne pupils after concerns over ‘not suitable timings’

Stating the provision will be in place from next week, a Translink spokesperson said: “We can confirm that an after-school bus will collect students from Larne Grammar School and Larne High School servicing train stations to Whitehead from Monday, September 7.

“A bus will also operate from Larne to Ulidia Integrated College (Carrickfergus) each morning.

“We would ask parents/carers and schools for their patience at this time as every year it takes a bit of time for the school traffic to settle into a pattern and this year is even more challenging as we work through the impact of this pandemic.”

The move came after the mother of a Larne Grammar pupil contacted the Larne Times to voice concerns about a new timetable.

The Whitehead resident, who asked for her name to be withheld, said: “A revised timetable has been brought in and the new timings are not suitable for the pupils who attend Larne Grammar School from Whitehead.

“Calls have been made in the past for a Translink bus service to cater for the approximately 50 students who live in Whitehead, but this had not been given the green light.

“The new train times mean that there is only a window of eight minutes between my son’s classes finishing and the Whitehead train leaving Larne Town at 3.28pm. It is impossible for students to make it from the school to the train station. Students are then having to wait around 40 minutes for the next train.”

Following the transport provider’s update, the woman welcomed the development.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Lower Cairncastle Road school said: “Earlier in the week, the school became aware that a change in train timetables, which came into effect on August 31, means that Larne Grammar School pupils have to wait for an hour after school for the train to take them home to Whitehead/Carrickfergus.

“This is clearly not an acceptable situation. The school has been in contact with Translink over the course of recent days and, with the support of political representatives, we are pushing for a solution to this matter.

“Having seen a significant increase, in recent years, in the number of pupils travelling to Larne Grammar School from Whitehead, the school’s position remains that the optimal solution is the provision of a dedicated Whitehead bus to service the two post-primary schools in the town.

“In the meantime, pupils are welcome to wait in school at the end of the day, until it is time to leave for the train.”

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