Bus from Belfast to Castlereagh
7 direct routes · 10–34 min · first bus 05:02, last bus 23:07 (weekdays); night service n6 runs at 01:05.
Next buses to Castlereagh as of 14:40
Scheduled times at the boarding stop in Belfast, from the operators' timetables — they update automatically. Open the stop for live tracking.
Direct routes
| Route | Operator | Journey time | Weekday journeys | Days | First | Last | Board at | Get off at | Calls at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5a | Metro | ~10 min | 60 | Sat 51 · Sun 21 | 05:02 | 23:07 | Mountpottinger Link | Clonduff | Ballymacarrett, Cregagh & Braniel |
| 512 | Ulsterbus | ~12 min | 9 | Sat 12 · Sun 5 | 09:30 | 22:50 | Laganside Bus Station | Clonduff | Willowfield, Ballymacarrett, Cregagh & Braniel |
| 12 | Ulsterbus | ~12 min | 8 | weekdays only | 07:30 | 17:45 | Laganside Bus Station | Clonduff | Willowfield, Ballymacarrett, Cregagh & Braniel |
| 5c | Metro | ~16 min | 4 | weekdays only | 07:34 | 16:42 | Waterfront | Clonduff | Willowfield, Ballymacarrett & Cregagh |
3 occasional services — once or twice a day · 7g, 7h, n6
Often school, college or market-day journeys — check the route before relying on one.
| Route | Operator | Journey time | Weekday journeys | Days | First | Last | Board at | Get off at | Calls at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7g | Metro | ~34 min | 2 | weekdays only | 16:47 | 17:47 | Great Northern Mall | Clonduff | Botanic, Lower Ormeau, Ormeau, Annadale, Galwally, Rosetta & 1 more |
| 7h | Metro | ~26 min | 1 | weekdays only | 07:14 | 07:14 | Great Northern Mall | Clonduff | Botanic, Lower Ormeau, Ormeau, Annadale, Galwally, Rosetta & 2 more |
| n6 | Metro | ~22 min | 1 | Fridays and Saturdays only | 01:05 | 01:05 | Waterfront | Clonduff | Willowfield, Cregagh, Knockbreda, Galwally, Knockbreda, Cregagh & 1 more |
Times are for the first boarding point in Belfast on each route's weekday timetable — open the route for the full timetable, live map and every stop.
The same number runs elsewhere in the UK — see every 5a bus, 512 bus, 12 bus, 5c bus or n6 bus timetable.
Frequently asked questions
Which bus goes from Belfast to Castlereagh?
7 routes run directly from Belfast to Castlereagh: the 5a (Metro), the 512 (Ulsterbus), the 12 (Ulsterbus), the 5c (Metro), the 7g (Metro), the 7h (Metro), the n6 (Metro). The most frequent is the 5a, 60 times each weekday — board at Mountpottinger Link and get off at Clonduff, about 10 minutes.
How long does the bus take from Belfast to Castlereagh?
Between 10 minutes on the 5a and 34 on the 7g, depending on which route you catch and on traffic. It calls at Ballymacarrett, Cregagh, Braniel on the way.
What time is the first and last bus from Belfast to Castlereagh?
On weekdays the first direct bus leaves around 05:02 and the last around 23:07 — and night service n6 runs at 01:05. Check the route timetables for weekends.
How much is the bus from Belfast to Castlereagh?
Translink sets zonal fares on this journey. Smartlink/iLink cards and contactless are cheaper than cash, with daily and weekly caps on Metro and Glider.