Dublin Express, a division of National Express, the largest coach company in the UK, will spend £8.5 million over the course of the next 12 months on a fleet of eight brand-new, cutting-edge coaches for a new cross-border service.

Beginning on July 18th, Dublin Express will compete with other services including Translink/Bus Éireann, and Aircoach.

Dublin Express would provide 16 journeys daily from Glengall Street in Belfast's city centre to Dublin Airport before continuing to central Dublin.

The first 10,000 passengers who make online reservations at www.dublinexpress.ie starting on July 4 can benefit from an initial offer of £1 tickets to celebrate the opening.

The investment is resulting in the creation of 40 jobs, mostly in Belfast and Dungannon, for drivers as well as in management, maintenance, and retail.

Rory Fitzgerald who is the general manager of Dublin Express said: “We are excited to bring the Dublin Express brand to Northern Ireland and particularly Belfast, offering a new high-quality experience to passengers on the M1 corridor.

“The new route is a significant milestone linking the two most populated cities on the island of Ireland and adds to our extensive network across the UK."