Places that don't have a proper bus station but could do with one

[OhNoAPacer]

I think the service yard accessed from Dudley Street was the former Bull Ring Bus Station, and has various intact features if you look inside when the roller shutter doors are open.



As did Aylesbury, Northampton, Newcastle Eldon Square amongst others

Northampton Greyfriars bys Station was not pretty, but was way more usefully places than the current excuse for a bus station. In fact most of the stands are not at the bus station but along the drapery.

 

[TUC]

Bus stations are only worth having if they can be genuinely based right in the middle of the town centre. Any further away and people will just use the bus stops nearest the shops so you may as well just have a much cheaper layover area for buses just outside the centre.

 

[daodao]

Cardiff. It did have a bus and coach station, right next to the railway station, with space for all local and long distance bus services. However the local council decided that the cause of transport integration would be better served if the space was used for offices with large car parks.

I agree. It was a very convenient location, both for interchange with rail and other bus services, and in its situation in the town centre. The action of the city council in removing it is a disgrace.

 

[Robertj21a]

Buxton is a small group of shelters at the top of a hill and a bit of a trek from most of the town. The only real advantage is that all services in the town call at them so it’s relatively easy to change buses.

Luton has the fairly new ‘interchange’ at the railway station which is just a few shelters, and the majority of services operate from shelters scattered around the town making connections difficult. Even when there was a bus station it was an unpleasant place to be and was only used by the longer distance services.

Surely, you don't need to trek up the hill in Buxton, don't the same routes serve the town centre stops at the bottom of the hill?

 

[carlberry]

Northampton Greyfriars bys Station was not pretty, but was way more usefully places than the current excuse for a bus station. In fact most of the stands are not at the bus station but along the drapery.

I cant see how the old location was more useful. The new bus station is within a very short walk of the bulk of the town centre and the rest of the local services. Whilst having all services together is better the old location was more of a walk from the town centre and was in the middle of a dual carriageway. The whole experience of getting there and using it was grim and I suspect the whole thing was sponsored by local car dealers.

 

[Beemax]

As a former Southampton resident, there has been a long discussion on the lack of a bus station there, but I have come to the conclusion that the current de-facto bus station (at the edge of the park around Pound Tree Road- Vincent walk) is probably more pleasant than a concrete bus station which would probably be badly situated anyway. What it does need though is some sort of information hub with an indoor sitting-down-coffee area to help people not familiar with the place or the services.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I agree. It was a very convenient location, both for interchange with rail and other bus services, and in its situation in the town centre. The action of the city council in removing it is a disgrace.

Indeed - an act of civic stupidity

I cant see how the old location was more useful. The new bus station is within a very short walk of the bulk of the town centre and the rest of the local services. Whilst having all services together is better the old location was more of a walk from the town centre and was in the middle of a dual carriageway. The whole experience of getting there and using it was grim and I suspect the whole thing was sponsored by local car dealers.

The new Northampton bus station is better located than the old one. The problem is that it was placed on a smaller restricted site. What I find difficult to fathom is the selection of services that were selected to use it rather than those that use Horsefair. You would think that the town services would use roadside stops which is better because of their higher frequency, whereas interurban and rural services to actually use the bus station building itself.

Instead, for instance, the 4 which runs every 10 mins to Sunnyside goes from the bus station (stand 5) whilst the hourly service to Rugby and the infrequent routes to Towcester go from the street (stand 19). Just doesn't make sense to me.

As a former Southampton resident, there has been a long discussion on the lack of a bus station there, but I have come to the conclusion that the current de-facto bus station (at the edge of the park around Pound Tree Road- Vincent walk) is probably more pleasant than a concrete bus station which would probably be badly situated anyway. What it does need though is some sort of information hub with an indoor sitting-down-coffee area to help people not familiar with the place or the services.

That's exactly the sort of example that I was thinking of in terms of places where you don't need some complex expensive bus station. Just some better facilities would be good.

 

[hst43102]

The new Northampton bus station is better located than the old one. The problem is that it was placed on a smaller restricted site. What I find difficult to fathom is the selection of services that were selected to use it rather than those that use Horsefair. You would think that the town services would use roadside stops which is better because of their higher frequency, whereas interurban and rural services to actually use the bus station building itself.

Instead, for instance, the 4 which runs every 10 mins to Sunnyside goes from the bus station (stand 5) whilst the hourly service to Rugby and the infrequent routes to Towcester go from the street (stand 19). Just doesn't make sense to me.

Good point. I think the only interurban routes that use the bus station are the X4 to Peterborough and X6 to Milton Keynes. They split most of the town services about a year ago because of problems due to the layover time in the bus station.

 

[RT4038]

The new Northampton Bus Station has merely reverted to the pre 1976 position, where a proportion of services ran from the Bus Station (located in Derngate) and the rest in street stops in The Drapery (and adjoining streets). Derngate bus station was further from The Drapery than the situation now. Not sure that it really matters whether 'country' buses are in the bus station or in The Drapery - the Rugby services depart from outside McDonalds, whose waiting and cafe facilities are as good as those found in the bus station, and operate for a longer period.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The new Northampton Bus Station has merely reverted to the pre 1976 position, where a proportion of services ran from the Bus Station (located in Derngate) and the rest in street stops in The Drapery (and adjoining streets). Derngate bus station was further from The Drapery than the situation now. Not sure that it really matters whether 'country' buses are in the bus station or in The Drapery - the Rugby services depart from outside McDonalds, whose waiting and cafe facilities are as good as those found in the bus station, and operate for a longer period.

Sorry - I meant Drapery rather than Horsefair Was thinking that having the country routes in the actual bus station would be perhaps easier given the lower frequencies. Of course, there is the counter-argument that by having the town services in there, you benefit more people.

 

[ashkeba]

Sorry - I meant Drapery rather than Horsefair Was thinking that having the country routes in the actual bus station would be perhaps easier given the lower frequencies. Of course, there is the counter-argument that by having the town services in there, you benefit more people.

But users of town services wait less so they don't benefit much, but it maximises footfall and makes everyone connected with the station look good so who cares about out of town riders condemned to freeze or visit an American greasey burger bar!

 

[MedwayValiant]

It's not the poshest ever, but I'm not sure it's that bad.

There's suggestions of moving it - but not to anywhere in particular, just "further out from the centre" which suggests people don't know the main purpose of a bus station.

Making the case for moving Cambridge's Drummer Street bus station

The busy interchange was branded 'ugly and inefficient' as council faces demands for it to be moved

www.cambridge-news.co.uk

Unless you're going to dig up Parker's Piece and put a bus station there - and that isn't going to happen - the only place you could put a full size bus station in Cambridge would be at the railway station. That could work for the east and south sides of the city, provided that there was a very frequent (probably electric, probably free) city centre shuttle bus, a bit like the 1 used to be in the 80s. The city itself doesn't really have a west side, and it's easy enough to get to Madingley Road from the station for points west beyond the city.

This wouldn't be much good for points north of the city centre, though. The Busway covers some of that territory, and with a bit of ingenuity it could connect with the A10 services towards Ely at Cambridge North station. But the north west part of the city would be a problem, and it's a solid Labour voting part of a city which usually has a Labour council. Accordingly, the idea can't work, and so we're stuck with Drummer Street.

 

[A0]

I think the service yard accessed from Dudley Street was the former Bull Ring Bus Station, and has various intact features if you look inside when the roller shutter doors are open.



As did Aylesbury, Northampton, Newcastle Eldon Square amongst others

Northampton's wasn't under the shopping centre - it was away from the shopping centre but had underground walkways linking it to the Grosvenor Centre.

 

[Stan Drews]

Paisley - largest town in Scotland, and no bus station. Has to make do with a motley collections of on street stopping points around the town centre.

 

[Butts]

Thanks for clarifying. You can almost see the tumbleweed in that photo!

Nothing has happened to it in the last couple years since closure apart from ripping a few of the signs out.

Used to have a Farm Foods and big private DIY Store, and of course Tesco (Now B&M) adjacent.

The tumbleweed is also prevalent in the main high street and surrounding streets bereft of M&S, BHS, Burtons, Woolworths and even Iceland pulled out last year.

If (as has been said) it still exists for shop deliveries I wonder if anybody will try to organise a running day using it! It would be fairly Covid compliant as well if you 'pre load' it with a couple of Leyland Nationals and cold Gardners as nobody would be able to breath inside it anyway!

Midland Red West no 9 Single Decker from Halesowen used to pull in there (smoking permitted at the back )

Anyone remember the "Raincoats De Rigeur" Cinema beside the Station.

I'd suggest that the likes of Oban and Fort William could do with a proper bus station more so that there were adequate facilties for passengers such as a small shop for beverages, toilets, luggage lockers and a small ticket/info stand.

Fort William currently has a row of shelters next to the railway station and Oban has nothing. Would also be a good way of connecting from long distance coach services to local buses.

With regard to Fort William there's a whacking great Morrisons Supermarket right next door.

Beverages and Toilets available.

 

[Bletchleyite]

With regard to Fort William there's a whacking great Morrisons Supermarket right next door.

Beverages and Toilets available.

And with Scotland not being finiticky about Sunday hours in the way England is, open for the times you'd want it, too!

 

[cnjb8]

Sorry if mentioned but Loughborough doesn't have one I think. It was closed about 2013 I believe

 

[RT4038]

Northampton's wasn't under the shopping centre - it was away from the shopping centre but had underground walkways linking it to the Grosvenor Centre.

Wasn't it underneath the shopping centre car park, to be pedantic? Then the whole thing started leaking, and the car park closed?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Wasn't it underneath the shopping centre car park, to be pedantic? Then the whole thing started leaking, and the car park closed?

It had a car park on top of it (which was grim, and often unlit at night) and offices with roof gardens on top of that. One of those things that sounds quite good and clever design but is the complete opposite.

The car park was open for most of it, I've parked in there quite recently, but yes it did leak.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Heckmondwike.

As much as some members have rolled their eyes at the elaborate smaller bus stations in West Yorkshire, Heckmondwike is possibly the largest settlement in the county without a proper bus station. In fact given that the 229 and 268 services cross there (and now that the 229 no longer serves Batley), there's probably more need for a covered bus station there than there is at nearby Cleckheaton, or indeed Batley itself. The "Hub" as they call it, is pretty pathetic and looks like an idea from deregulation thinking, rather than something that was only built a few years ago.

For additional information, the 229 runs from Huddersfield to Leeds via Roberttown, Heckmondwike, Birstall village and Birstall retail park. It used to serve Batley between Heckmondwike and Birstall but this was ended a couple of years ago due to congestion around Batley, and the route now follows the A62. The 268 runs from Bradford to Dewsbury via Low Moor, Cleckheaton and Heckmondwike with approximately half of the journeys extended to Wakefield via Ossett as 268A.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

It had a car park on top of it (which was grim, and often unlit at night) and offices with roof gardens on top of that. One of those things that sounds quite good and clever design but is the complete opposite.

The car park was open for most of it, I've parked in there quite recently, but yes it did leak.

Wikipedia has quite a good article on it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyfriars_bus_station

The car park closed in 2008 apparently. The offices above were latterly used by Barclaycard until they relocated to Brackmills on the south side of the town, and in total, Greyfriars House was only used for 15 of its 38 years! Apparently, it was a change to the original brief to provide rental income as the bus station cost had grown

Heckmondwike.

As much as some members have rolled their eyes at the elaborate smaller bus stations in West Yorkshire, Heckmondwike is possibly the largest settlement in the county without a proper bus station. In fact given that the 229 and 268 services cross there (and now that the 229 no longer serves Batley), there's probably more need for a covered bus station there than there is at nearby Cleckheaton, or indeed Batley itself. The "Hub" as they call it, is pretty pathetic and looks like an idea from deregulation thinking, rather than something that was only built a few years ago.

I think we may have to agree to differ. That Cleckheaton, Ossett, and Hemsworth have rather ostentatious facilities doesn't mean other towns should have equally luxurious bus stations. There's quite a few other places that are equally lacking (e.g. Guiseley, Mirfield) but I do agree that perhaps a bit of an improvement in Heck would be good; just not another Cleckheaton.

Batley probably does justify its one even though it's rather huge.... certainly better than the pit that preceded it

 

[A0]

Wasn't it underneath the shopping centre car park, to be pedantic? Then the whole thing started leaking, and the car park closed?

It was only a small part of the car park, if you look on Google Maps, the bus station was situated on the piece of land between Lady's Lane and Greyfriars yet the main part of the car park is on the south side of Greyfriars. It wasn't part of the shopping centre in the way the others cited definitely were.

 

[ashkeba]

Unless you're going to dig up Parker's Piece and put a bus station there - and that isn't going to happen - the only place you could put a full size bus station in Cambridge would be at the railway station.

Park Street once the car park is demolished? But some frequent services would have to stop on the one way loop outside and anyway it will not happen because the council prefers to sell the space for another hotel.

There are two other car parks which maybe could be used, maybe with space taken from 1970s oversize road junctions, but they are college car parks and sometimes the almighty university must not be touched to benefit non members. They would not be as central as even the off centre Drummer Street, either.

Even Drummer Street could be good enough if they added more covered space to the other stops and decent shops and services. There seems little reason for it to be only about 30% of the needed size. An architect may enjoy the challenge of designing low impact buildings to stand along the edge of Christ's Pieces, maybe modular so it can grow or shrink as need becomes.

 

[route101]

Paisley - largest town in Scotland, and no bus station. Has to make do with a motley collections of on street stopping points around the town centre.

Not sure if its ever had one.

Perth Bus Station is always quiet, its near the railway station.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Perth Bus Station is always quiet, its near the railway station.

Most of the frequent services avoid it as it's quite out the way.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I suppose one reason why Germany is able to have bus and rail stations together is that we, er, assisted them in needing to rebuild their towns and cities in the 1930s, whereas that didn't happen to ours to the same extent. Though there are some Chester-esque locations of German railway stations miles from the centre.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I suppose one reason why Germany is able to have bus and rail stations together is that we, er, assisted them in needing to rebuild their towns and cities in the 1930s, whereas that didn't happen to ours to the same extent. Though there are some Chester-esque locations of German railway stations miles from the centre.

It's even more complex than that. The UK were early adopters of rail (obvs) and it was done with private enterprise so train stations were often located at peripheral locations in relation to the then town or city centre to reduce cost. That's why Temple Meads isn't in the centre of Bristol, for example.

Also, even when we had the opportunity to rebuilt those cities that were ravaged by wartime damage and/or indulged in massive slum clearance in the 1960s, the UK invariably decided to build with the car in mind and not rail or bus.

Of course, where it is readily achievable, we should have bus stations adjacent to rail stations to promote transfer; that's why the Cardiff debacle is so frustrating.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Wikipedia has quite a good article on it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyfriars_bus_station

The car park closed in 2008 apparently. The offices above were latterly used by Barclaycard until they relocated to Brackmills on the south side of the town, and in total, Greyfriars House was only used for 15 of its 38 years! Apparently, it was a change to the original brief to provide rental income as the bus station cost had grown



I think we may have to agree to differ. That Cleckheaton, Ossett, and Hemsworth have rather ostentatious facilities doesn't mean other towns should have equally luxurious bus stations. There's quite a few other places that are equally lacking (e.g. Guiseley, Mirfield) but I do agree that perhaps a bit of an improvement in Heck would be good; just not another Cleckheaton.

Batley probably does justify its one even though it's rather huge.... certainly better than the pit that preceded it

It's just odd to me that Heckmondwike has just a concrete plaza with a bike rack despite being an Interchange between two of the major routes in the area, whereas Cleckheaton has its 'gold plated' bus station but doesn't really justify it. Something smaller more like Pontefract would be a better fit, but it seems there's not always much correlation between how big a bus station is and how many services it gets. I suppose that's a problem with deregulation though, especially in PTE areas where the divide between the PTE and the operators can be brought into sharp focus with cases like Ossett.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

It's just odd to me that Heckmondwike has just a concrete plaza with a bike rack despite being an Interchange between two of the major routes in the area, whereas Cleckheaton has its 'gold plated' bus station but doesn't really justify it. Something smaller more like Pontefract would be a better fit, but it seems there's not always much correlation between how big a bus station is and how many services it gets. I suppose that's a problem with deregulation though, especially in PTE areas where the divide between the PTE and the operators can be brought into sharp focus with cases like Ossett.

My view is that Metro have gone a bit mad with bus stations and Cleckheaton is one example of that. The old station was rubbish but also in the wrong place. Building a big new gold plated structure on the same site just seemed perverse, and as I say, I think Ossett and Hemsworth are equally over-specified.

 

[Llandudno]

I suppose one reason why Germany is able to have bus and rail stations together is that we, er, assisted them in needing to rebuild their towns and cities in the 1930s, whereas that didn't happen to ours to the same extent. Though there are some Chester-esque locations of German railway stations miles from the centre.

Bit harsh on Chester, it’s not exactly miles from the centre!

City Road in Chester has improved in recent years with some decent bars, micropub and restaurants en-route to the City Centre, although the subway at the top of City Road is pretty off putting.

There are frequent buses from outside the station to the Frodsham Street in the City Centre but I don’t think PlusBus tickets are accepted? I presume ENCTS passes are valid? but not Welsh ones obviously!

If ever a railway station was crying out for a York or Sheffield style micropub then Chester would win hands down!