Walsall St Pauls bus station
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| Walsall St Pauls bus station | |
| Building | |
|---|---|
| Type | Transport |
| Location | Walsall, West Midlands, England |
| Construction | |
| Completed | September 2000 |
| Floor Count | 2 |
| Main Contractor | Sheperd Construction Ltd |
| Design Team | |
| Architect | Allford Hall Monaghan Morris |
| Structural engineer | Atelier One |
| Services engineer | Atelier Ten |
| Civil engineer | Clark Smith Partnership |
| Other designers | Watkins Dally |
| Quantity Surveyor | Appleyard & Trew |
Walsall St Pauls Bus Station is one of two bus stations located in the town of Walsall in the West Midlands, England. The station is managed by Network West Midlands and is the terminus for over 85 bus routes (some services are station-bound only), operated by nine registered bus companies (these are National Express West Midlands, A2Z Travel, Golden Line, Midland Rider, Thandi Companies (T/A Thandi Buses & Finesse Coachess), Rotala Group (T/A Central Connect and Diamond Bus), Heartlands Express, Arriva Midlands & Choice Travel).
Contents |
[edit] Architecture
St Pauls bus station is dominated by an elliptical roof standing on twelve steel columns. The concrete roof covers an area of 3,171 m² (34,132 sq ft), beneath which are three bus islands, consisting of a total of eleven bus stands. A smaller aerofoil covers a further three stands. 2.4 metres (8 ft) tall glass screens shelter pedestrians from bus fumes and provide information on bus routes. At each of the bus stands is hardwood bench set within a low concrete wall. The benches were designed to be vandal-proof. At its longest point, the canopy is 80 metres (262 ft) in length and 45 metres (148 ft) wide at its widest point. The roof is covered in ten circular holes with hoods to deflect the wind. There are seventeen similar rooflights in the canopy. The concourse area is two storeys tall and consists of large concrete walls, supporting the columns for the canopy roof. The bus station covers a total area of 9,470 m² (101,934 sq ft).[1]
Allford Hall Monaghan Morris designed the building for Centro. The structural engineers were Atelier One, Sheperd Construction Ltd were the contractors, Watkins Dally were the landscape architects and Clark Smith Partnership were the civil engineers.[2] The project cost £6.5 million.[3]
A small satellite section was added to the bus station in 2001.[4]
Despite the extensive profile, there have been calls for it to be demolished. Most notably, Walsall South MP Bruce George said that Centro should consider replacing the bus station due to the complexity of the layout. Bus drivers have complained that there were too many bends and that it quickly became overcrowded, which may have contributed to two incidents at the bus station, in one of which a local woman died.[5]
[edit] Bus routes
Below is a list of all the services that begin from Walsall bus station, which is believed to be correct as at 5th May 2008. All but one bus service that visits the bus station terminates at the bus station. This is the peak-only, limited-stop National Express West Midlands service 951A (Birmingham - Cannock), which only has three journeys in each direction per weekday.
Any public bus service which has a destination or via point as Walsall visits one of the following stands.
Note:
- Stands A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N and P are located in St Pauls Bus Station
- Stands Q, R, S, T, U, V and W are located in Bradford Place Bus Station
- Stands I and O do not exist due to legal reasons.
[edit] St Pauls bus station
| Route | Destination / Description | Bus Company |
| Stand A | ||
| 51 | Birmingham Via Scott Arms | National Express West Midlands |
| Stand B | ||
| X51 | Birmingham (Limited Stop) | National Express West Midlands |
| 369 | Willenhall Via Beechdale | National Express West Midlands |
| 374 | Guility Village Via Chuckery | National Express West Midlands |
| 376 | Kingstanding Via Aldridge | Central Connect |
| 379 | Sutton Coldfield Via Streetly | National Express West Midlands |
| Stand C | ||
| 356 | Aldridge Via Rushall | National Express West Midlands |
| 377 | Sutton Coldfield Via Streetly | National Express West Midlands |
| Stand D | ||
| 328 | Circular Via Bloxwich | A2Z Travel |
| 329 | Circular Via Bloxwich | National Express West Midlands/A2Z Travel |
| 329A | Circular Via Bloxwich | National Express West Midlands |
| 373 | Circular Via Lower Farm | National Express West Midlands |
| Stand E | ||
| 302 | Lower Farm Via Bloxwich | National Express West Midlands/A2Z Travel |
| 372 | Circular Via Lower Farm | National Express West Midlands |
| 377A | Streetly Via Sutton Road | National Express West Midlands |
| Stand F | ||
| 301 | Mossley Via Bloxwich | National Express West Midlands |
| Stand G | ||
| 301 | Mossley Via Bloxwich | A2Z Travel |
| Stand H | ||
| 32 | Rugeley Via Cannock | Arriva Midlands |
| 366 | Sutton Coldfield Via Mere Green | National Express West Midlands |
| 367 | Castlefort Via Aldridge | National Express West Midlands/Choice Travel |
| 368 | Castlefort Via Aldridge | National Express West Midlands |
| 381 | Lichfield Via Aldridge | Heartlands Express |
| 997 | Birmingham Via Pheasey | National Express West Midlands |
| Stand J | ||
| 394 | Brownhills Via Walsall Wood | National Express West Midlands/A2Z Travel |
| 394A | Brownhills West Via Walsall Wood | National Express West Midlands |
| 394B | Brownhills Via Chasetown | National Express West Midlands |
| 886 | Kings Edwards Sch B'ham (School Service) | National Express West Midlands |
| 991 | Lichfield Via Walsall Wood | A2Z Travel |
| Stand K | ||
| 33 | Hednesford via Cannock | Arriva Midlands |
| 63A | Brownhills Via Pelsall | Arriva Midlands |
| 319 | Bloxwich Via Goscote | National Express West Midlands/Arriva Midlands/Choice Travel |
| 344 | Bloxwich Via Pelsall | National Express West Midlands |
| 346 | Bloxwich Via Pelsall | Thandi Buses |
| 348 | Pelsall Via Rushall | National Express West Midlands/Choice Travel |
| 360 | Aldridge Via Shelfield | A2Z Travel |
| 361 | Bloxwich Via Pelsall | National Express West Midlands |
| Stand L | ||
| 61 | Lichfield Via Aldridge | Arriva Midlands |
| 322 | The Butts Via Chuckery | Choice Travel |
| 346 | Bloxwich Via Pelsall | National Express West Midlands |
| 395 | Burntwood Via Shelfield | National Express West Midlands |
| Stand M | ||
| 529 | Wolverhampton Via Willenhall | National Express West Midlands/A2Z Travel |
| Stand N | ||
| 370 | Bloxwich Via Beechdale | National Express West Midlands |
| 370A | Beechdale Via Green Lane | National Express West Midlands |
| Stand P | ||
| 331 | Willenhall Via Manor Hospital | A2Z Travel |
| 332 | Lodge Farm Via Manor Hospital | National Express West Midlands |
| 340 | Willenhall Via Lodge Farm | National Express West Midlands |
| 341 | Willenhall Via New Invention | National Express West Midlands |
| 341E | New Invention Via Coppice Farm | A2Z Travel |
| 342 | Willenhall Via Beechdale | Diamond Bus |
| 355 | Aldridge Via Rushall | National Express West Midlands |
[edit] Bradford Place bus station
| Route | Destination / Description | Bus Company |
| Stand Q | ||
| 9 | Lodge Farm Via Darlaston | Arriva Midlands |
| 333 | Wolverhampton Via Darlaston | National Express West Midlands |
| 334 | Bilston Via Darlaston | National Express West Midlands/Finesse Coaches/Golden Line |
| 339 | Bilston Via Darlaston | National Express West Midlands/A2Z Travel |
| Stand R | ||
| 321 | Walsall ASDA | Midland Rider |
| Stand S | ||
| 300 | Merry Hill Centre Via Wednesbury | Diamond Bus |
| 311 | Stourbridge Via Wednesbury | National Express West Midlands |
| 311A | Stourbridge Via Wednesbury | National Express West Midlands |
| 313 | Dudley Via Wednesbury | National Express West Midlands/Diamond Bus |
| 399 | Wednesbury Via Gallagher Retail Park | Diamond Bus |
| Stand T | ||
| 335 | Circular Via Alumwell | National Express West Midlands |
| 336 | Circular Via Alumwell | National Express West Midlands |
| 639 | Wednesbury Via Darlaston | National Express West Midlands |
| 639 | Herberts Park Via Darlaston | Choice Travel |
| 639E | Herberts Park Via Darlaston | National Express West Midlands |
| Stand U | ||
| 637 | Hough Road Via Palfrey | Choice Travel |
| Stand V | ||
| 404 | West Bromwich Via Stone Cross | Diamond Bus |
| 404 | Blackheath Via West Bromwich | National Express West Midlands |
| 404A | Cradley Heath Via West Bromwich | National Express West Midlands |
| Stand W | ||
| 401E | Yew Tree Estate Via Bescot | Diamond Bus |
| 405 | West Bromwich Via Bescot | National Express West Midlands |
| 405A | West Bromwich Via Bescot | National Express West Midlands |
| 405E | Yew Tree Estate Via Bescot | National Express West Midlands |
All National Express West Midlands Services, other than Service 404 are operated by the companies Walsall Depot. The 404 is operated by West Bromwich garage.
[edit] Surrounding roads
Note:
- Stops WA, WB, WC and WE are departure stands for bus routes
- No bus services leave from Stop WF
- Stops WG and WH are normal bus stops. Services which use them have already departed from another stand
- Stops WD and WJ are used by other vehicles, but not public bus services.
| Route | Destination / Description | Bus Company |
| Stop WA (St Pauls Street) | ||
| 351 | Cannock Via Bloxwich | National Express West Midlands/Arriva Midlands |
| 351 | Hednesford Via Cannock | A2Z Travel |
| 951A | Cannock Via Bloxwich | National Express West Midlands |
| Stop WB (St Pauls Street) | ||
| 1 | Cannock Via Bloxwich | Arriva Midlands |
| Stop WC (St Pauls Street) | ||
| 331^ | Willenhall Via Manor Hospital | A2Z Travel |
| 350 | Circular Via Manor Hospital | National Express West Midlands |
| Stop WD (St Pauls Street) | ||
| N/A | Coach Departure Stand & Set Down Only | |
| Stop WE (Hatherton Road) | ||
| 321 | Walsall ASDA | Midland Rider |
| 357 | Circular Via Aldridge | Diamond Bus |
| 705A | Barr Beacon School (School Service) | National Express West Midlands |
| 951A | Birmingham (Limited Stop) | National Express West Midlands |
| Stop WF (Lichfield Street) | ||
| N/A | Set Down Only. | |
| Stop WG (Lichfield Street) | ||
| 51 | Birmingham Via Scott Arms | National Express West Midlands |
| 951A | Birmingham (Limited Stop) | National Express West Midlands |
| Stop WH (Lichfield Street) | ||
| 377 | Sutton Coldfield Via Streetly | National Express West Midlands |
| 377A | Streetly Via Sutton Road | National Express West Midlands |
| 379 | Sutton Coldfield Via Streetly | National Express West Midlands |
| Stop WJ (Bridge Street) | ||
| 758 | Leighswood (School Service) | National Express West Midlands |
| Ring & Ride | Private Bus Service for the elderly and disabled. | Provided by WMSNT on behalf of Centro |
^ The 331 does not offically stop at Stand WC, but does to pick up passengers heading towards the Manor Hospital
[edit] Up-coming changes
- 29 June 2008
- Another new operator to Walsall is Sandwell Travel, who are joining the already long list of operators on the 334 service between Walsall and Bilston
- 13 July 2008
- A2Z Travel are to again revise the timetable of its services on route 302, Walsall - Lower Farm.
- 20 July 2008
- National Express West Midlands are revising the timetable and route on services 369 (Walsall - Willenhall), 301 (Walsall - Mossley), 333 (Walsall - Wolverhampton) and 319 (Walsall - Bloxwich). Additionally, the 340/1 to Willenhall are also being retimed.
[edit] Incidents
On July 9, 2007, a 66-year-old woman from the Bentley area of Walsall died, and several others were injured, when an Arriva Midlands service 360 to Aldridge went the wrong way up the bus stations one way system, crashing into several pedestrians and other vehicles (which should not have been in the bus station area) before finally being stopped by a National Express West Midlands 51 service double decker to Birmingham. The bus was deliberately driven into the Arriva bus by the female driver to stop its progress.[6] On the 10th June 2008, it was revealed the 62-year-old driver has been charged with causing Death By Dangerous Driving. He is due to appear at Walsall Magistrates court on the 16th June.
On February 20, 2008, an Arriva Midlands service crashed into the back of a Thandi Bus on service 346 causing it to shunt forward. This caused two elderly women to be crushed by the bus, one underneath, the other against the glass pane of a shelter. Both were seriously injured.[7] The Arriva Driver was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and was released on bail.[8]
Both incidents caused the bus station to be shut for several hours, which caused travel chaos in the town centre.
[edit] References
- ^ St Paul's Bus Station Description. CABE. Retrieved on 2008-01-25.
- ^ St Paul's Bus Station Project team. CABE. Retrieved on 2008-01-25.
- ^ Fiona Rattray (2000-07-02). The AMOLAD Bus Station #2. The Powell & Pressburger Pages. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
- ^ Get on Board: An agenda for improving personal security - Case studies. Department for Transport. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
- ^ Plea over bus station rebuild. Express & Star (2008-02-21). Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
- ^ One dead after bus station crash. BBC News (2007-07-09). Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
- ^ Two trapped after buses collide. BBC News (2008-02-20). Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
- ^ Man arrested after buses collide. BBC News (2008-02-27). Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
