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

[damo44]

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?

I think it was under the adjacent Bull Ring centre, whether that makes it higher or lower than New St platform level I really can't remember. It shared the same dark and gloomy atmosphere though.

 

[lejog]

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?

I think it was under the adjacent Bull Ring centre, whether that makes it higher or lower than New St platform level I really can't remember. It shared the same dark and gloomy atmosphere though.

The old Midland Red bus station is now the service yard for the Bullring Link shopping centre, at the point where Station Street bends into Dudley Street.

It made New St seem pleasant and the diesel fumes were horrendous.

Despite the fact that the main bus station for services from towns throughout the Midlands was physically adjacent to the New St platforms (as you can see from the first photo), by the 70s to transfer between the two you had to take an incredibly long enclosed (and often vandalised) escalator up from Station Street to the Pallasades, make your way around the shopping centre to the escalators down to the concourse, then down to the platforms.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Despite the fact that the main bus station for services from towns throughout the Midlands was physically adjacent to the New St platforms (as you can see from the first photo), by the 70s to transfer between the two you had to take an incredibly long enclosed (and often vandalised) escalator up from Station Street to the Pallasades, make your way around the shopping centre to the escalators down to the concourse, then down to the platforms.

Oh dear. And that was in the days when buses and trains were nationalized and therefore presumably run for public service.

I guess that shows you can't blame privatisation for everything when it comes to lack of joined up thinking on public transport!

 

[lejog]

Yes, thinking about it, it was the result of the "car is king" thinking of the 60s. Mere public transport users had to be traipse up and over the elevated ramp from the other end of Station St taking cars from street level up to station concourse level.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Cardiff Central until the Council in their wisdom cancelled the planned re-development of the bus station but then after a few years decided to knock down and let the BBC build a new building on the site. Busses now call at stops all over the place but there are plans to build another bus station as part of the BBC building and Central Square development. The Council only listened to their own ideas and ignored public opinion.

They've apparently altered the plans for the building that will be above the station already.

This is before they've even completed the demolition of Marland House which occupies the site at the moment. I hope that this doesn't mean that they're going to alter the plans for the bus station as well ..... !