With no statutory obligation to deliver Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), Translink voluntarily leads on ecological regeneration, positioning itself as a pioneer in nature-positive infrastructure.

What Translink did

In 2024–25, Translink launched its Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2030, committing to a voluntary 10% BNG across its infrastructure by 2035. This strategy integrates biodiversity into planning, capital delivery, and policy advocacy, led by Biodiversity Manager Dr. Suzanne Sinclair.

Key initiatives included:

• Rewilding railway corridors: Planting 30,000 native trees across Antrim, Ballymena, and Lisburn to restore habitats and support species movement
• Creating biodiversity hubs: Transforming York Street Station with wildflower meadows, living walls, and a green roof, resulting in a 50% energy reduction and increased passenger satisfaction
• Innovative infrastructure: Building the Muckamore Bat Barn to protect displaced bat colonies and launching Northern Ireland’s first green-roofed bus shelters to support pollinators and urban resilience
• Community engagement: Partnering with over 100 volunteers, schools, and environmental NGOs to co-create green spaces and deliver biodiversity education
• Eco Hero programme: Educating over 2,000 Key Stage 2 pupils through a curriculum-aligned toolkit, fostering youth involvement in nature recovery

Translink’s governance model now includes biodiversity appraisal in all new projects, quarterly reporting via SustainIQ, and collaboration with DAERA and DfI on regional policy development.

Key Impacts and Outcomes

• 30,000 native trees planted to restore ecosystems and connect habitats
• 21 Biodiversity Focus Areas established and monitored through citizen science
• Return of the pine marten, a rare native species, captured on Translink land
• Muckamore Bat Barn now home to multiple protected bat species
• Green-roofed bus shelters introduced, enhancing biodiversity in urban areas
• All interventions tracked via SustainIQ for measurable ecological outcomes and quarterly ecological reporting and expert assessments standardised
• Over 2,000 pupils engaged through the “How to Be an Eco Hero” programme and children involved in wildflower planting, pollinator surveys, and habitat protection
• York Street Station redesign led to a rise in passenger satisfaction from 61% to 96%
• Infrastructure projects now deliver wellbeing benefits alongside environmental gains
• Biodiversity embedded into all infrastructure projects from design stage
• Influenced regional biodiversity metrics and policy through NICCAP3 contributions
• Presented best practices to UK and Irish transport bodies, shaping national strategies
• Biodiversity outcomes reviewed at board level, reflecting strategic priority

What the Judges said:

“Translink is committed to nature and biodiversity, embedding this within overall strategic targets and corporate strategy, as well as commitment to education and awareness. Through its Eco-Hero project, Translink has reached 5000 children already, with plans to roll out the initiative across NI.”

Highly commended in the Nature & Biodiversity Award category: Heron Bros Ltd