Cardiff Central bus station

Cardiff Central bus station is the main bus transport interchange in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. With 34 stands, it is the largest bus station in the city and in Wales. It is located adjacent to Cardiff Central railway station forming a major bus-rail-cycle-taxi interchange.

The station used to handle the vast majority of bus and coach services that run in and through the city. Notable exceptions to this are the Megabus service (which calls at Kingsway and Cardiff University),^[1] Stagecoach route 122 (which calls at Greyfriars Road)^[2] and EST route 89 (which uses Customhouse Street).^[3] However most city services now circle the city centre without calling at the station.

History

The site of Cardiff's bus station had previously been an area of housing and shops known as Temperance Town. However, demolition of Temperance Town commenced in 1937 after the Great Western Railway persuaded the Cardiff Corporation to improve the view from their new railway station.^[4]

The Central bus station was opened in 1954.^[5]

Demolition and reconstruction of the bus station began in 2008 with the terminus building being demolished. Before work began, there were 8 concourses lettered A-F and W with each concourse having numbered stands.

Redevelopment

The station is being redeveloped from 2008.^[6] Demolition of the old terminal buildings (between stand A and Wood Street stands) started on 11 January 2008, when services that usually stop at the terminal buildings began to no longer serve these stops and instead pick up at Castle Street and Westgate Street.

On 6 May 2008, Stand A at the bus station closed for demolition of the terminal buildings.^[7]

As of 4 January 2009, some services reverted to using the bus station, whilst others remained split between the alternative terminal points and the bus station depending on day and time.^[8]

A multi-million-pound modernisation of Cardiff central bus station could begin in 2011. The public will be asked to decide on three options for the future of the ageing hub during a two-month consultation to be launched before Christmas 2010.^[9]

The existing bus station will close in early 2013, whilst the new bus station is built on the site of the existing Wood Street NCP Car Park. The new bus station will open in Summer 2014, and provide 19 bays and have direct access to Westgate Street and St. Mary Street via Saunders Road. This will allow the bus station to remain open during Millennium Stadium events.^[10]

Facilities

Eating and drinking facilities such as a Burger King, as well as other shops and bus company offices, face the stands on Central Square. Taxi ranks are located on both sides of the station.

Toilets and a newsagent were located at stand A which was demolished in summer 2008 as part of the redevelopment of the station. However, these services are available in the adjacent Cardiff Central railway station.

Services

There are 34 stands at the station, which are located on Central Square, off Wood Street and opposite the Millennium Stadium, in the city centre of Cardiff.

• Cardiff Bus operates: services to Cardiff's districts and suburbs, cross-city services and services to Cardiff Bay, Barry, Llandough, Cogan, Penarth, Dinas Powys, Llantwit Major and Cardiff Airport.
• Veolia Transport Cymru provides services to Aberdare, Pontypridd, Talbot Green, Barry, Llantwit Major, Tonypandy (Evenings) and several cross-city routes on contract.
• Stagecoach in South Wales provides services to Caerphilly, Blackwood, Senghenydd, Pontypool, Merthyr Tydfil, Cwmbran, Abergavenny and Hereford
• Newport Bus provides two services to Newport bus station, one an 'express' route direct via the M4 and one service to Risca
• EST Buses provide services to the Vale of Glamorgan
• Arriva provides services to North and West Wales.
• First Cymru operates the half-hourly service 100 from Quadrant Bus Station and service X2 to Porthcawl via Cowbridge and Bridgend
• National Express Group provides services to Swansea, Bristol, London, Birmingham and The North and also operates services to London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport
• Eurolines began a new service to Cork, Ireland in October 2011^[11], via the Pembroke to Rosslare ferry.

Services calling at the station

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See also

• Transport in Wales
• List of bus stations in Wales

References