Good and bad bus stations.

[Butts]

Cannock could do with some attention/facilities.

Yes indeed, a tactical nuclear strike seems to be the order of the day.

Going back to the Bull Ring Bus Station and the Cinema beside it in Station Street which was at one time the mecca for "The Raincoat Brigade", The Electric Cinema as it is now called is one of the oldest in the UK.

I'm not sure that was what it was called in it's "Scandinavian Hey Day"

 

[ian1944]

I had an unpleasant experience at the old Digbeth, on a foul night in December 1992. In those days, to give interchange possibilities the NX overnight services passing through tended to arrive at about the same time, wait (for an hour, IIRC) and depart at about the same time. Once the delights of the allnight chippy over the road had palled, and if the weather was bad, all you could do was sit on your coach or wander about the building, which was basically a Midland Red garage. Doing the latter in the gloom I nearly fell down an unprotected inspection pit.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Yes indeed, a tactical nuclear strike seems to be the order of the day.

Going back to the Bull Ring Bus Station and the Cinema beside it in Station Street which was at one time the mecca for "The Raincoat Brigade", The Electric Cinema as it is now called is one of the oldest in the UK.

I'm not sure that was what it was called in it's "Scandinavian Hey Day"

I just remember the dismal interior whilst waiting for a 144 or a 192! That's the bus station not the "Art Cinema".

Agree with Cannock. Mind you, Rugeley and Hednesford ain't pretty either but guess they're small so being basic is less of an issue.

 

[extendedpaul]

Cardiff Bus Station is closing next Friday.

Buses are moving to nearby stops but National Express coaches are going to Sophia Gardens which is almost a mile distant- north west of the Castle and away from the city centre.

I'm surprised they haven't opted for Greyfriars Road or set up a free shuttle from a central location. I suspect the new location will not be great for business.

 

[zuriblue]

I can't believe there are no mentions of some of the doozies that Manchester had. The old LUT terminus at Greengate Arches for a start off, the old Chorlton Street bus station where you spent your time dodging ladies whose friendship was extremely negotiable. And the Arndale. Shudehill interchange is miles better.

 

[tinker]

Bad:

Great Yarmouth (under Market Gates shopping centre) - grotty, gloomy, bird poop all over, a wind tunnel, terrible in the rain, no signposts to speak of (but there are travel information screens at each shelter now) and noisy.

Good:

Lowestoft (Britten Centre); it's had a bit of TLC given to it over time, and so seems usable and ok, to me anyway. There is a problem with it though - in the bus station itself, the 'waiting area' consists of a path that will barely take 2 abreast, then the shelters/stands, then the bus... meaning that more than about half a dozen people waiting at any of the stops causes havoc. This picture should help give an idea:

 

[Statto]

I can't believe there are no mentions of some of the doozies that Manchester had. The old LUT terminus at Greengate Arches for a start off, the old Chorlton Street bus station where you spent your time dodging ladies whose friendship was extremely negotiable. And the Arndale. Shudehill interchange is miles better.

Shudehill is a good bus station with the Metrolink stop along side, Piccadilly Gardens though is dreadful, the main part of the bus station far too small for the services that go there, so services stop in nearby streets at the other end of the Gardens, the main bus station at Piccadilly is an island but with bus shelters, even then it has too many services for too few stands at the island part of the bus station.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I can't believe there are no mentions of some of the doozies that Manchester had. The old LUT terminus at Greengate Arches for a start off, the old Chorlton Street bus station where you spent your time dodging ladies whose friendship was extremely negotiable. And the Arndale. Shudehill interchange is miles better.

Chorlton Street and its environs were so bad that when I worked for NatEx, we told coach companies who overnighted in Mcr to park outside the city centre! Terrible place

The subterranean bus station is a thankfully decreasing animal. The two in Doncaster were especially bad.

 

[Andyh82]

Although the new Doncaster bus station is also underground and although modern is still dark and lacking character.

I can't believe there are no mentions of some of the doozies that Manchester had. The old LUT terminus at Greengate Arches for a start off, the old Chorlton Street bus station where you spent your time dodging ladies whose friendship was extremely negotiable. And the Arndale. Shudehill interchange is miles better.

Never saw Arndale bus station before it closed but I remember Cannon Street, Lever Street, Stephenson Square. The bus stops on Oldham Street are still dreadful considering many busy services go from there including fairly long distance routes.

 

[madannie77]

Although the new Doncaster bus station is also underground and although modern is still dark and lacking character.



Never saw Arndale bus station before it closed but I remember Cannon Street, Lever Street, Stephenson Square. The bus stops on Oldham Street are still dreadful considering many busy services go from there including fairly long distance routes.

Manchester Arndale was a wonderful place (not). Always gloomy and smelly - the architect/designer seems to have forgotten that emissions from exhausts need somewhere to go and that having them build up in an enclosed space made for an unpleasant atmosphere.

Back in my student days I used Arndale regularly as my local route started there and at peak times it loaded so well that getting on further along the route did not guarantee a seat (or sometimes even getting on at all).

I also used Chorlton Street quite a lot as well - what a horrible place that was.

 

[Butts]

I had the misfortune to be in Bishop Auckland Bus Station last night waiting to get the X21 back to Durham.

At least it is spacious but not a good place to be when it's raining due to the lack of shelter.

Although it was before 7pm the whole Town was virtually dead with nowhere open to get a Coffee.

Durham was okay if a bit pokey but easy to get a Coffee in The Wetherspoons opposite.

As for Darlington I'm surprised there is no Bus Station as such just a multitude of stops with "The Tube" being the central fulcrum.

Having said that The Explorer North East Ticket is a bargain at £9.70 and I even went into North Yorkshire visiting Richmond and Barnard Castle as well as the above.

 

[richardio123]

Wythenshawe just got a great new bus station !

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I had the misfortune to be in Bishop Auckland Bus Station last night waiting to get the X21 back to Durham.

At least it is spacious but not a good place to be when it's raining due to the lack of shelter.

Although it was before 7pm the whole Town was virtually dead with nowhere open to get a Coffee.

Durham was okay if a bit pokey but easy to get a Coffee in The Wetherspoons opposite.

As for Darlington I'm surprised there is no Bus Station as such just a multitude of stops with "The Tube" being the central fulcrum.

Having said that The Explorer North East Ticket is a bargain at £9.70 and I even went into North Yorkshire visiting Richmond and Barnard Castle as well as the above.

Darlington did have a bus station until the late 1990s https://www.flickr.com/photos/77751...dVJ-ebzkSn-qQrUUE-vM5KgZ-c3KYYh-fbAXdT-qQrTsb

Used only for out of town services though most still used High Row as did the local routes.

Bishop was always spacious, windswept and demoralising. Too many times in the 1980s would I stand there waiting for some clattering faded red Leyland National to head to Darlington. In fact, it was more spacious as the whole bus station was a run through design (no horseshoe) with the land where Aldi is being part of the bus station.

 

[Statto]

Wythenshawe just got a great new bus station !

That's quite nice similar to Shudehill & Oldham, contrast to the old Wythenshawe bus station.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

That's quite nice similar to Shudehill & Oldham, contrast to the old Wythenshawe bus station.

Isn't Hyde a bit like that too? Quite like it.

The PTE areas tend to have some good bus stations though sometimes, they seem to be a bit OTT for the size of the place - Ossett is one place that springs to mind!

Of the PTE areas I know (tbh, don't know Merseyside or Strathclyde really), the worst for bus stations is probably Nexusland.

Newcastle ones are built off the back of retail developments
Gateshead is depressing and confusing
Heworth has the charm of Soviet Russia
Sunderland is a cold, miserable soulless place
Winlaton is a tarmac square with four bus shelters
Washington Concord is same but bigger
Walker is a miserable turning circle
Blaydon is basically an access road with four bus shelters

Also, the line will be about the proximity of having them by Metro stations to interchange. Fine - then why are Wallsend and North Shields so bloody awful to wait in (though concede FLE is fine)

Then you've the places that should have bus stations. South Shields needs something better than Keppel Street's stops. Whitley Bay could do with something better than roughly strewn bus stops on various roads.

The best is probably the MetroCentre - says a lot

 

[richardio123]

That's quite nice similar to Shudehill & Oldham, contrast to the old Wythenshawe bus station.

Aye

 

[Robertj21a]

I'm not sure that Heworth is that good.

:roll:

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I'm not sure that Heworth is that good.

:roll:

Surely it must be better - it's done on an European model

 

[Statto]

Isn't Hyde a bit like that too? Quite like it.

The PTE areas tend to have some good bus stations though sometimes, they seem to be a bit OTT for the size of the place - Ossett is one place that springs to mind!

Of the PTE areas I know (tbh, don't know Merseyside or Strathclyde really), the worst for bus stations is probably Nexusland.

Newcastle ones are built off the back of retail developments
Gateshead is depressing and confusing
Heworth has the charm of Soviet Russia
Sunderland is a cold, miserable soulless place
Winlaton is a tarmac square with four bus shelters
Washington Concord is same but bigger
Walker is a miserable turning circle
Blaydon is basically an access road with four bus shelters

Also, the line will be about the proximity of having them by Metro stations to interchange. Fine - then why are Wallsend and North Shields so bloody awful to wait in (though concede FLE is fine)

Then you've the places that should have bus stations. South Shields needs something better than Keppel Street's stops. Whitley Bay could do with something better than roughly strewn bus stops on various roads.

The best is probably the MetroCentre - says a lot

South Shields certainly could do with one, Whitley Bay used to have one but that got demolished & hasn't been replaced.

As i've said, Merseytravel bus stations are far too small for the routes that go through there, Queen Square is a nightmare at times with traffic lights at either end, & pedestrian lights in the middle, get a couple of buses calling at the same stop at the same time even worse when you have a cavalry charge of umpteen buses waiting to call at one stand & it can take 10-20 minutes sometimes longer going through there.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

South Shields certainly could do with one, Whitley Bay used to have one but that got demolished & hasn't been replaced.

As i've said, Merseytravel bus stations are far too small for the routes that go through there, Queen Square is a nightmare at times with traffic lights at either end, & pedestrian lights in the middle, get a couple of buses calling at the same stop at the same time even worse when you have a cavalry charge of umpteen buses waiting to call at one stand & it can take 10-20 minutes sometimes longer going through there.

The Whitley Bay one was a curious half moon arrangement. Not the best condition even in later United days.

 

[oldman]

I don't find Morpeth all that cramped, and it is much nicer now it is better linked to the town centre through the new shopping centre.

It would be even better if was signposted. Only my only visit to Morpeth I followed a sign, walked past the shopping centre and eventually came to a sign pointing back the way I had come. Someone then directed me up another unsigned alley. Maybe it's only for local people.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

In terms of ambience, I'd say that WYITA's smaller bus stations (of which several are of a broadly similar design: Batley, Ossett, Cleckheaton for example) tend to be far more pleasant than the larger ones. There are exceptions though, Pontefract is far too cramped and both Holmfirth and the new Heckmondwike site (the first time Heck has had a bus station as far as I'm aware) are nothing more than a collection of bus shelters in a concrete yard. The old Castleford one was awful but I haven't had the misfortune to visit Casvegas since the new one opened. As for the larger stations, Dewsbury and Huddersfield are ruined by EXTREMELY LOUD AUTOMATED ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT SAFETY, and are both frequented by far too many ne'er-do-wells as is Wakefield. Leeds and Bradford Interchange seem to suffer less from this though, and much as it pains me to say so, Leeds is probably the benchmark as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Robertj21a]

In terms of ambience, I'd say that WYITA's smaller bus stations (of which several are of a broadly similar design: Batley, Ossett, Cleckheaton for example) tend to be far more pleasant than the larger ones. There are exceptions though, Pontefract is far too cramped and both Holmfirth and the new Heckmondwike site (the first time Heck has had a bus station as far as I'm aware) are nothing more than a collection of bus shelters in a concrete yard. The old Castleford one was awful but I haven't had the misfortune to visit Casvegas since the new one opened. As for the larger stations, Dewsbury and Huddersfield are ruined by EXTREMELY LOUD AUTOMATED ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT SAFETY, and are both frequented by far too many ne'er-do-wells as is Wakefield. Leeds and Bradford Interchange seem to suffer less from this though, and much as it pains me to say so, Leeds is probably the benchmark as far as I'm concerned.

Yes, I too find Leeds to be the best of those in WY although Wakefield is also very good. Bradford is ok but Huddersfield suffers from over-officious security staff and I always associate Dewsbury with annoying youngsters, druggies and shoplifters (just my various experiences there !).

 

[gnolife]

Wythenshawe Interchange is a bloody nightmare! I'm stuckbin a seven bus long queue to get to stand D.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Yes, I too find Leeds to be the best of those in WY although Wakefield is also very good. Bradford is ok but Huddersfield suffers from over-officious security staff and I always associate Dewsbury with annoying youngsters, druggies and shoplifters (just my various experiences there !).

To be fair, Metro have spent a lot of money on bus stations since my first trips in the late 80s early 90s. I remember the old Leeds CBS, Keighley, Dewsbury and they were hellholes. Even some of the smaller ones were pretty tatty (like Hemsworth and Holmfirth).

PonteCarlo was actually one of the flagship ones but now is one of the least impressive, given how the bar has been raised.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

...and I always associate Dewsbury with annoying youngsters, druggies and shoplifters (just my various experiences there !).

Same here.

Batley is alright... to a certain degree.
Brighouse lacks sercurity and staff.
Cleckheaton is the same, it lacks sercurity.
Wetherby looks half built, it could do with that shelter thing being torn down and rebuilt into a four stand saw tooth jobby.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Cardiff Bus Station is closing next Friday.

Buses are moving to nearby stops but National Express coaches are going to Sophia Gardens which is almost a mile distant- north west of the Castle and away from the city centre.

I'm surprised they haven't opted for Greyfriars Road or set up a free shuttle from a central location. I suspect the new location will not be great for business.

The closure of the bus station has actually worked out well for me, as my bus (Cardiff Bus 17 and 18) now misses out the stop on Wood Street and goes straight around to Westgate Street, and my work is just around the corner. Useful as they wait for ages at both of those stops.

And I totally agree with National Express; Sophia Gardens really is ridiculously far from anywhere else. Can't imagine that being very popular with older people or those with lots of luggage but in defence of that it will be easier for cars and taxis to pick up from there as it's much bigger. I'm sure, however, they could have shared the Megabus stop on the Kingsway or, as you say, Greyfriars Road. Alternatively North Street, just before RWCMD.

 

[pitdiver]

National Express will never share anything with Megashed unless they have to eg VCS. In addition they are useto working away from town/city centres. Milton Keynes is a prime example.

When they were based near the town centre is Campbell Park the drivers complained. When they moved back to their original home (MK Coachway) the passengers moaned.

As a matter of interest will they have any facilities at Sophia Gardens.

 

[Statto]

Nottingham is a strange one it has 2 bus stations both on the edge of the City Centre however the main company NCT uses street stands in the City Centre only stops nearby both bus stations.

 

[Andyh82]

Wythenshawe Interchange is a bloody nightmare! I'm stuckbin a seven bus long queue to get to stand D.

The speed limit is 5mph. Yes 5mph. The buses literally crawl around the site like you are watching a film in slow motion.