Translink has paid more than £1million to private bus hire companies to run rail replacement services during the closure of train lines this year.
Rail lines between Lisburn and Belfast have been closed since July as part of works associated with the new £340m Grand Central Station, with stations due to reopen as services begin at Grand Central Station this Sunday.
Rail replacement bus services have been in place since the closure of Great Victoria Street station - with the substitute buses stopping at the closed stations in Botanic, City Hospital, Adelaide, Balmoral, Finaghy, Dunmurry, Derriaghy, Lambeg, and Hilden.
Passengers on the Enterprise train between Belfast and Dublin have also had to use shuttle buses to connect with the rail service in Newry during the disruption.
Responding to an Assembly question from People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll, Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd confirmed the total cost paid to private hire companies for the replacement bus services until 13 September was £1,183,565.
Mr O’Dowd said the costs for the substitution services was part of the “overall project” for Grand Central Station.
The station opened last month but only included bus services, with the first trains to depart on Sunday, along with the reopening of stations between Belfast and Lisburn, and resumption of the Enterprise service in full.