Trivia: Stations where the town's bus station is placed.

[PHILIPE]

Gloucester, although one has to cross a road first.

 

[BigCj34]

Gloucester, although one has to cross a road first.

Same with Galashiels, they really could've integrated to railway station better, as you have to use a pedestrian crossing over the busy A7. A bridge would've been a good idea.

 

[D6975]

Bristol's 'bus station' is just a nasty smelly garage, as are most of such places.

I take it that you haven't been to Bristol Bus station in quite a while.
It is now quite a pleasant bright location with a long glass wall with doors in it separating the pax from the buses.

 

[Bevan Price]

Ilkley

Harrogate almost counts, on former railway land and adjacent to the station, but no linked buildings.

I can also think of stations with bus stops within rail property - but lacking enough facilities to merit the description of "bus station". (e.g. Llandudno Jn, St. Helens Jn, Lea Green)

 

[HowardGWR]

I take it that you haven't been to Bristol Bus station in quite a while.
It is now quite a pleasant bright location with a long glass wall with doors in it separating the pax from the buses.

That's true, I'll take your word for it, apologies.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Eltham, possibly a unique example in that when the station was relocated (Eltham Well Hall being the original) the accompanying bus station also moved: also unusual in the London area for being a national rail suburban station with an attached bus station.

To be annoyingly picky Does Eltham meet the thread criteria, in particular the one for being the MAIN bus station? I guess, technically speaking it does since it's the only bus station locally. But relatively few of the buses in Eltham actually use it - most just stop on the street, and the main bus interchange area is the town centre 10 minutes walk or so away.

Interesting history. I didn't realize the station and bus station had moved together. I have to admit I have wondered about the design of the whole Eltham station/bus station complex. It seems to have been set unnecessarily far back from the street, making it far less convenient than it could've been, for no apparent obvious reason. Was it originally intended to be a significant bus interchange but that never materialized, perhaps?

 

[Busaholic]

To be annoyingly picky Does Eltham meet the thread criteria, in particular the one for being the MAIN bus station? I guess, technically speaking it does since it's the only bus station locally. But relatively few of the buses in Eltham actually use it - most just stop on the street, and the main bus interchange area is the town centre 10 minutes walk or so away.

Interesting history. I didn't realize the station and bus station had moved together. I have to admit I have wondered about the design of the whole Eltham station/bus station complex. It seems to have been set unnecessarily far back from the street, making it far less convenient than it could've been, for no apparent obvious reason. Was it originally intended to be a significant bus interchange but that never materialized, perhaps?

I accept that nowadays Eltham bus station doesn't serve the area in the same way that the old bus station did, but all the routes that traditionally served the area have, at one time or another, used the facility either (a) full time, (b) part time e.g.evenings and Sundays or (c) for short workings. The only exception to this is the bus I used to travel to school on for eight long years, the 160. Even buses on routes like the 161 with Eltham Church on the blinds used to end up in Well Hall bus station!

As regards why Eltham had such a facility, I can't give a definitive answer, but Herbert Morrison, an influential Labour politician of the Second World War era and the years preceding and following it, lived very locally (Archery Road) and was the man responsible for introducing the cheap workmen's fares on the trams that server Eltham until their final days in 1952. He may have had an influence - his grandson is Peter Mandelson, another man who could be said to be able to pull strings.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

I accept that nowadays Eltham bus station doesn't serve the area in the same way that the old bus station did, but all the routes that traditionally served the area have, at one time or another, used the facility either (a) full time, (b) part time e.g.evenings and Sundays or (c) for short workings. The only exception to this is the bus I used to travel to school on for eight long years, the 160. Even buses on routes like the 161 with Eltham Church on the blinds used to end up in Well Hall bus station!

How times change I've used the 161 a few times - it's quite a nice ride. It doesn't terminate at Eltham Church (I'm guessing from your comment that it used to do so): It runs from North Greenwich to Chislehurst, and at Eltham, it just goes along the main road past the station, stopping near but not in the bus station.

I've never used the 160, but from what I can tell it just goes along the high street at Eltham, and doesn't now go anywhere near Eltham station/bus station. So I guess that's changed too since you were going to school!

 

[urbophile]

Brunswick (small but perfectly formed).

 

[thenorthern]

Lichfield City station is adjacent to the so called Lichfield Bus Station which isn't very big.

Mansfield Bus Station and Railway Station are now joined.

One of Matlock's bus stations is now joined to the station.

Has anyone mentioned Stourbridge Town which was moved to accommodate the bus station in the town.

 

[IanD]

I'd say Milton Keynes. The station has pretty much developed into the place where all the buses stop. Even if it wasn't officially planned, it seems to be the de facto bus station also.

Of course it was planned. Originally the bus station was less than2 minute walk at the other side of Station Square so quite handy for the train station. This was closed and is now a listed building. The new bus station is located to be right outside the railway station. The stops and shelters didn't just appear by accident.

 

[Abpj17]

I'd say Milton Keynes. The station has pretty much developed into the place where all the buses stop. Even if it wasn't officially planned, it seems to be the de facto bus station also.

Odd suggestion. The MK bus station closed down pre-2000 with services moving to the station forecourt - it's just where you turn into the station. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buses_in_Milton_Keynes)

The national service coach station is on the very opposite side of town by the M1.

Most regional routes call at the train station i.e. the ones going to Bedford, Oxford, Cambridge, Luton. The most common point for local service is instead by the shopping centre on Midsummer Boulevard (around a dozen more than the train station).

 

[martinsh]

Surprised nobody has mentioned York yet. Not the biggest bus station in the world, but more than anywhere else in the city

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Bournemouth and Portsmouth are the two I'd suggest; not sure of the latter though as I don't know whether Pompey has another bus station.

Bournemouth is more of a coach station, not many buses stop at the travel interchange

 

[johntea]

Castleford, close enough

We were going to link up the train and the bus station at one point but Kevin McCloud decided we needed to spend £4million quid on a fancy (pointless!) bridge instead

 

[IanXC]

Surprised nobody has mentioned York yet. Not the biggest bus station in the world, but more than anywhere else in the city

I'm not sure you can think of about a fifth of the city centre on street bus stops happening to be near the station as a 'bus station'.

 

[306024]

On the GEML only Chelmsford is an excellent interchange. Colchester, Ipswich or Norwich all require another bus or a fair walk to find the bus station.

 

[GatwickDepress]

Bletchley is an odd one in that the bus station is geographically right next to the railway station but it's a bit of a circuitous walk to get there. If I had a billion pounds, I'd try and get a covered walkway connecting the bus station to the railway station built.

 

[IanD]

Odd suggestion. The MK bus station closed down pre-2000 with services moving to the station forecourt - it's just where you turn into the station. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buses_in_Milton_Keynes)

The national service coach station is on the very opposite side of town by the M1.

Most regional routes call at the train station i.e. the ones going to Bedford, Oxford, Cambridge, Luton. The most common point for local service is instead by the shopping centre on Midsummer Boulevard (around a dozen more than the train station).

There are about half a dozen regular routes that don't stop at the new bus station next to the railway station and over half of them are regional (50 - Winslow, 53 - Bedford, F70 - Luton and X89 - Northampton)

 

[A0wen]

Hitchin - sort of.

And a right pain it is too. Bus passengers have to endure extra time whilst the bus turns off the main road, negotiates the station approach, and re-joins the main road - often having to turn right. Whilst rail passengers arriving on foot get subject to a mouthful of bus fumes, the front of buses impinging on footpaths as they turn, and attitude from bus drivers if they dare to cross the bus area to reach the station.

Not really true - Hitchin's railway station is a distance from the town centre and the main bus 'area' has always been in the town centre a mix of St Mary's Square, Hermitage Road and Bancroft - depending on route and operator.

How about Ryde Esplanade?

 

[Rick1984]

Was just going to suggest Ryde. My local station

 

[anti-pacer]

That's true, I'll take your word for it, apologies.

Howard, your original post describes the old Marlborough Street bus station very well. However as previously mentioned, it's much nicer now after its rebuilding.

You make a very good point though. Bristol has to have the worst connectivity between bus and rail stations, as much as I love Bristol.

 

[ian959]

Wolverhampton bus station is about as close as practicable to the railway station given the ring road...

 

[Paul180]

Woking?

 

[Skipness]

Matlock
Huyton

The problem is that Matlock, for all its size, has two bus stations. The one adjacent to the railway station was built as part of the Sainsburys redevelopment, but only serves some of the bus routes. The "old" bus station is nearer the town centre (but is a gloomy unwelcoming place under a car park.

 

[Busaholic]

How times change I've used the 161 a few times - it's quite a nice ride. It doesn't terminate at Eltham Church (I'm guessing from your comment that it used to do so): It runs from North Greenwich to Chislehurst, and at Eltham, it just goes along the main road past the station, stopping near but not in the bus station.

I've never used the 160, but from what I can tell it just goes along the high street at Eltham, and doesn't now go anywhere near Eltham station/bus station. So I guess that's changed too since you were going to school!

The 160 has always traversed the High Street on its way from Catford, but now prefers Sidcup to Welling at the other end.

The 161 never terminated at Eltham Church full-time but after the trams went in 1952 (and, yes I do remember them!) peak hour shorts on the 161/a replaced part of the service on the Woolwich to Eltham section. The trams never had tracks into the bus station, by the way: the turn from Well Hall Road into Sherard Road would certainly have precluded them anyway.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Surprised nobody has mentioned York yet. Not the biggest bus station in the world, but more than anywhere else in the city

I was going to mention York but as the city doesn't have a central bus station, I do wonder if it would qualify.

There is also Scarborough, with its handful of bus shelters outside of the station. Would Malton count?

Someone mentioned Bath, the railway station is about a five minute trek from the bus station - well it was for me when I went.

 

[Butts]

Who remembers the old Midland Red West Bus Station under Birmingham New Street - that was a right doss hole

Talking of Birmingham - Birmingham International has a Bus Station virtually attached to the complex.

 

[syorksdeano]

Skegness I suppose

Sent from my SM-T555 using Tapatalk

 

[GatwickDepress]

Who remembers the old Midland Red West Bus Station under Birmingham New Street - that was a right doss hole

Talking of Birmingham - Birmingham International has a Bus Station virtually attached to the complex.

Wait, wait. There was a bus station under Birmingham New Street?! Did the municipal planners take inspiration from the pits of Hell for that one?