iLink and Enterprise

[BBF3]

Need some help here. The iLink ticket looks like a good value option for a day's train travel in Northern Ireland, but I'm not sure the Translink website is too clear about how it works.

Couple of questions, if anyone can help please:

1) Is it valid on the Enterprise within NI? Website says 'not on cross border trains' but the journey planner still gives it as a fare on the Enterprise service.

2) Are they easy to buy on the day of travel as a normal paper ticket, or do you have to order a smarcard in advance? Alternatively, can you load it on to a phone app?

Apologies if these are daft questions.

 

[danm14]

Need some help here. The iLink ticket looks like a good value option for a day's train travel in Northern Ireland, but I'm not sure the Translink website is too clear about how it works.

Couple of questions, if anyone can help please:

1) Is it valid on the Enterprise within NI? Website says 'not on cross border trains' but the journey planner still gives it as a fare on the Enterprise service.

2) Are they easy to buy on the day of travel as a normal paper ticket, or do you have to order a smarcard in advance? Alternatively, can you load it on to a phone app?

Apologies if these are daft questions.

1) Yes, as far as Newry. You will not in a million years have any issue using it either.

2) Smartcard only. Buy online, or at a railway or bus station (£1 extra to buy in person at a railway or bus station). They can't be bought on board services, but if you're boarding a bus at a bus stop or a train at an unstaffed station and don't have a card, you can in theory request an "iLink single" which is the same price as an ordinary single ticket but is redeemable towards an iLink card at a station. Not sure how likely actually getting one is, as they're completely unadvertised.

If you're travelling on Sunday, there's an £8.00 paper ticket called a Tracker which is valid on all trains in NI all day (and becomes valid on buses for journeys that could be made by rail at 6:30pm) and a £9.50 paper ticket called a Rambler which is valid on all buses in NI from 9:15am (and becomes valid on all trains from 6:30pm).

 

[BBF3]

That's great. Thanks Danm14.

 

[185143]

They will send the smartcard to you for free if you order one online in advance, even to England which I was impressed with.

You don't have to select your dates either if you buy in advance, it's valid for however many days you purchase and activates only when you first tap in on a bus/at a station.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

They will send the smartcard to you for free if you order one online in advance, even to England which I was impressed with.

You don't have to select your dates either if you buy in advance, it's valid for however many days you purchase and activates only when you first tap in on a bus/at a station.

Bearing in mind postage is the same rate anywhere domestically within the UK I’d have been more surprised if they wouldn’t post it to another part of the UK!

 

[bangor-toad]

2) Are they easy to buy on the day of travel as a normal paper ticket, or do you have to order a smarcard in advance? Alternatively, can you load it on to a phone app?

Apologies if these are daft questions.

Hi there,
Actually buying a physical iLink smartcard can be surprisingly difficult in person. Very few of the railway stations ever have them available it seems. As you find in much of NI, if it says it on the website it's often just a 'suggestion' and the actual approach needed is rather different...
If you can, do order it online first and get it delivered.

If you can't do that there were pre-Covd Translink information desks at both Belfast airports where you could buy them, I have no idea if they are open again now though.
When I've picked up cards for visitors I've always gone into the main Belfast Tourist information office in the city centre. There's a Translink desk at the back which seems to be the main and easiest way to deal with any problems. They're helpful and friendly too...

Whilst getting hold of the card can be a bit annoying, actually using them is easy. I've topped up day tickets on the first bus of the day or at any station. It's all just tap in on the reader in the bus or at the machine on the railway platform. If there's no reader at the station you use don't stress - the Translink guards are friendly and will just read the card when they wander around.
The only variation with iLink is if you're using the Belfast Glider bus - you have to tap in at the machines on the stops before you get on the bus.

The iLink cards are great and don't have any time restrictions. Back in 2020 I used one for my commute and it's all easy enough.
Have a good trip,
Mr Toad

 

[Ken_Ilworth]

They will send the smartcard to you for free if you order one online in advance, even to England which I was impressed with.

You don't have to select your dates either if you buy in advance, it's valid for however many days you purchase and activates only when you first tap in on a bus/at a station.

I second that experience. I had 3 x iLink cards (loaded with 1 days travel each) delivered to me in England in February 2020. (They were to be used for a planned trip to the province later in 2020.) I've still got them, and we now plan to use them in 2022. Translink advised me:
"Thank you for your email. If the travel on the cards has not been already been activated, the cards remain valid indefinitely"

 

[BBF3]

Thanks all for the helpful replies.

 

[johncrossley]

"Thank you for your email. If the travel on the cards has not been already been activated, the cards remain valid indefinitely"

I had an iLink card sent to me a couple of months ago and the bit of card holding the card says:

Adult/Child: 1 Adult
No. of Journeys: 0
Cost: £16.50
Your reference:
Expires: 2 May 2022

suggesting the card had a one year validity.

 

[Ken_Ilworth]

I had an iLink card sent to me a couple of months ago and the bit of card holding the card says:

Adult/Child: 1 Adult
No. of Journeys: 0
Cost: £16.50
Your reference:
Expires: 2 May 2022

suggesting the card had a one year validity.

Interesting - I will be sure to carry their eMail when I eventually make the journey!

 

[Ken_Ilworth]

Just to report uneventful and successful use of a zone4 1-day iLink card on 8 Jun 2022. Originally purchased in March 2020 for a trip planned for June 2020. The expiry date on the accompanying card was 15 Mar 2021. Tapped in successfully at Great Victoria Street, and also checked on the train, again with a successful confirmation. (And tapped ok onto a no.402 bus also.)

 

[danm14]

Just to report uneventful and successful use of a zone4 1-day iLink card on 8 Jun 2022. Originally purchased in March 2020 for a trip planned for June 2020. The expiry date on the accompanying card was 15 Mar 2021. Tapped in successfully at Great Victoria Street, and also checked on the train, again with a successful confirmation. (And tapped ok onto a no.402 bus also.)

As far as I am aware, the only Translink smartcards which have an actual expiry date where unused travel can be lost are Ulsterbus/Metro Multi-Journey Smartlink cards. With these cards, journeys are valid for six months from the date of purchase, and topping up extends the expiry date of all remaining journeys that have not yet expired to six months from the date of top-up. Once six months passes without topping up, any unused journeys are lost permanently.

For all other smartcards, (including iLink, dayLink and Metro Smartlink Travelcards) I don't believe there is any actual expiry date whatsoever, regardless of what is stated on the letter sent with them.

 

[The exile]

Having just received one that I ordered, I was surprised to see that the smart card actually has the zone printed on it ( in my case Zone 3) Does that mean I need separate cards for days I want Zone 4, or can I load a Zone 4 ticket on to a Zone 3 card. If the latter is the case - it’s not very “smart”!

 

[danm14]

Having just received one that I ordered, I was surprised to see that the smart card actually has the zone printed on it ( in my case Zone 3) Does that mean I need separate cards for days I want Zone 4, or can I load a Zone 4 ticket on to a Zone 3 card. If the latter is the case - it’s not very “smart”!

Yes, you need separate cards - however you can (in theory) exchange one card for another free of charge at any bus/rail ticket office or the Visit Belfast centre at City Hall as necessary.

 

[The exile]

Yes, you need separate cards - however you can (in theory) exchange one card for another free of charge at any bus/rail ticket office or the Visit Belfast centre at City Hall as necessary.

Thanks for that - still got time to order a second one and hope that Squeezyjet get me there!