| Walsall St Pauls | |
|---|---|
| Walsall Bus Station - geograph.org.uk - 900933.jpg Outside Walsall bus station in 2008 |
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| General information | |
| Type | Transport |
| Location | Walsall, West Midlands, England |
| Completed | September 2000 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 2 |
| Design and construction | |
| Main contractor | Shepherd Construction Ltd |
| 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 eight registered bus companies (these are National Express West Midlands, Central Buses, Thandi Companies (T/A Thandi Buses, Midland Bus Company, Corporate Express & Finesse Coaches), Rotala Group (T/A Central Connect and Diamond Bus), Heartlands Express, Arriva Midlands & Midland).
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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, Shepherd 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]
In December 2008, the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (CENTRO), decided to merge Stands K & L in the main bus station. This resulted in an extra stand being added to the row housing the Travel & Tourist Information Shop, with one being removed in the middle row. No Stand Alterations were caused by this stand, as no extra stands were created, just rearranged. Two years later in December 2010, the station reverted back to its old layout.
In July 2011 the nearby Bradford Place station and the toilets in the main station underwent an extensive refurbishment. Both re-opened during early September 2011.
Below is a list of all the services that begin from Walsall bus station, which is believed to be correct as at 24 July 2011. 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 X51 (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:
| 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 | |
| Stand C | |||
| 22 | The Butts Via Chuckery | Central Connect | |
| 74 | Gillity Village Via Chuckery | Central Buses | |
| 76 | Old Oscott Via Kingstanding | Midland | |
| 77 | Sutton Coldfield Via Streetly | National Express West Midlands | |
| 935 | Birmingham Via Streetly | National Express West Midlands | |
| Stand D | |||
| 301 | Mossley Via Bloxwich | Diamond Bus | |
| Stand E | |||
| 301E | Bloxwich via Leamore | National Express West Midlands | |
| 302 | Lower Farm Via Bloxwich | National Express West Midlands | |
| 886 | Kings Edwards Sch B'ham (School Service) | National Express West Midlands | |
| Stand F | |||
| 301 | Mossley Via Bloxwich | National Express West Midlands | |
| Stand G | |||
| 529 | Wolverhampton Via Willenhall | National Express West Midlands | |
| Stand H | |||
| 335 | Alumwell Circular | Diamond Bus | |
| 997 | Birmingham Via Aldridge | National Express West Midlands | |
| Stand J | |||
| 6 | Sutton Coldfield Via Aldridge | National Express West Midlands | |
| 7 | Castlefort Via Aldridge | National Express West Midlands | |
| 7A | Castlefort Via Aldridge | National Express West Midlands | |
| 35 | Druids Heath Via Aldridge | Midland | |
| 346 | Bloxwich via Pelsall | Sunny Travel | |
| Stand K | |||
| 8 | Pelsall via Rushall | National Express West Midlands | |
| 8A | Bloxwich Via Pelsall | Diamond Bus | |
| 10 | Burntwood via Walsall Wood | National Express West Midlands | |
| 10A | Brownhills West/Ogley Hay Via Walsall Wood | National Express West Midlands | |
| 89 | Wolverhampton Via Pelsall | National Express West Midlands | |
| Stand L | |||
| 33 | Rugeley via Pelsall | Arriva Midlands | |
| 63A | Brownhills West Via Pelsall | Arriva Midlands | |
| 81 | Lichfield Via Aldridge | Midland | |
| 81A | Lichfield Via Aldridge | Heartlands Express | |
| 991 | National Memorial Arboretum Via Lichfield | Midland | |
| Stand M | |||
| 29 | Bloxwich via Blakenall | National Express West Midlands | |
| 29E | Blakenall Via Harden | National Express West Midlands | |
| Stand N | |||
| 19 | Bloxwich Via Goscote | Midland & Arriva Midlands | |
| 40 | Wolverhampton via Willenhall | National Express West Midlands | |
| 40E | Willenhall via Lodge Farm | National Express West Midlands | |
| 41 | Willenhall Via Lodge Farm | National Express West Midlands & Diamond Bus | |
| Stand P | |||
| 69 | Wolverhampton via Beechdale | National Express West Midlands | |
| 70 | Bloxwich Via Beechdale | National Express West Midlands | |
| 70A | Beechdale Via Green Lane | National Express West Midlands | |
| Route | Destination / Description | Bus Company |
| Stand Q | ||
| 9 | Lodge Farm Via Darlaston | Midland |
| 401E | Yew Tree Estate Via Bescot | Diamond Bus |
| 405 | West Bromwich via Yew Tree Estate | National Express West Midlands |
| Stand R | ||
| 333E | Darlaston via Pleck | Sandwell Travel |
| 333X | Lodge Farm via Darlaston | Sandwell Travel |
| 335 | Circular Via Alumwell | National Express West Midlands. Diamond Bus & Midland Bus Company |
| 336 | Circular Via Alumwell | National Express West Midlands & Corporate Express |
| Stand S | ||
| 334 | Bilston Via Darlaston | Elite Coaches, Sandwell Travel & Midland |
| 339 | Bilston Via Darlaston | Midland Bus Company |
| 399 | Wednesbury Via Gallagher Retail Park | Diamond Bus |
| Stand T | ||
| 34 | Stowlawn via Darlaston | National Express West Midlands |
| 34E | Bilston via Darlaston | National Express West Midlands |
| 38 | Wednesbury via Darlaston | National Express West Midlands |
| 39 | Wolverhampton via Darlaston | National Express West Midlands |
| 39E | Bilston via Darlaston | National Express West Midlands |
| Stand U | ||
| 311 | Dudley Via Wednesbury | National Express West Midlands |
| 311A | Dudley Via Wednesbury | National Express West Midlands |
| 313 | Dudley Via Wednesbury | National Express West Midlands |
| Stand V | ||
| 637 | Hough Road Via Palfrey | Midland |
| Stand W | ||
| 404 | Blackheath Via West Bromwich | National Express West Midlands |
| 404A | Cradley Heath Via West Bromwich | National Express West Midlands |
| 404H | Merry Hill Centre Via West Bromwich | National Express West Midlands |
| Stand X | ||
| 404E | West Bromwich Via Stone Cross | Diamond Bus |
Note:
| Route | Destination / Description | Bus Company |
| Stop WD (Hatherton Road) | ||
| 1 | Dog-In-Tree Estate (Huntington) Via Cannock | Arriva Midlands |
| 2 | Longford Estate via Cannock | Arriva Midlands |
| 2 | Hednesford via Cannock | Arriva Midlands |
| 2A | Shoal Hill via Cannock | Arriva Midlands |
| X51 | Cannock Via Bloxwich | National Express West Midlands |
| 360 | High Heath via Shelfield | Walsall Community Transport |
| Stop WE (Hatherton Road) | ||
| 705A | Barr Beacon School (School Service) | 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 & The Green Transport Company |
| X51 | Birmingham (Limited Stop) | National Express West Midlands |
| Stop WH (Lichfield Street) | ||
| 77 | Sutton Coldfield Via Streetly | National Express West Midlands |
| 935 | Birmingham via Streetly | National Express West Midlands |
| Stop WJ (Bridge Street) | ||
| Ring & Ride | Private Bus Service for the elderly and disabled. | Provided by WMSNT on behalf of Centro |
Several journeys, mainly which only operate a few journeys a day, are station-bound only. These journeys are officially required to set-down at certain stands, but very rarely actually do.
| Route | From | Bus Company | Stand |
| 32 | Rugeley via Pelsall | Arriva Midlands | G |
| 313A | Dudley via Wednesbury | National Express West Midlands | V |
| 745 | Brownhills Comprehensive via Rushall | National Express West Midlands | D |
| 791 | Shire Oak School via Rushall | National Express West Midlands | L |
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 June 10, 2008, it was revealed the 62-year-old driver has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving. The driver who was named as John Connolly, a 62-year-old from Burntwood, appeared at Walsall Magistrates Court on the June 16, where he was bailed to appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court on September 8, 2008. On September 8 he appeared and entered a plea of Not Guilty. The case was adjourned until October 20, when it was revealed the case would begin in February 2009. After a trial lasting one week, Mr Connolly was cleared of the charge by the jury, an outcome that was welcomed by the police.
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] In July 2008 the driver, Peter Love, appeared in court for Driving without due care and attention, where he was banned from driving for six months. It was also revealed Arriva Midlands had sacked him.
Both incidents caused the bus station to be shut for several hours, which caused travel chaos in the town centre.
Another minor incident occurred on 7 June 2010, this time between a National Express West Midlands bus and a Diamond Bus vehicle both on the 301 service to Mossley. Nobody was seriously injured, and no damage was caused to the station, yet the incident once again prompted calls for the station to be demolished or altered, before another serious incident happened.
On February 28, 2011, a suspect package found outside the neighbouring job centre caused the bus station to be evacuated and closed from 1pm through until 7.30pm after the Bomb Disposal Squad had declared the package safe. This caused severe disruption to the bus station, and the wider town centre.
Exactly one week later on March 7, 2011, a collison occurred on the approach to the station, involving two National Express West Midlands buses and two cars, both of which should not have been in the vicinity. Although officially on the highway and despite there being no injuries, this again prompted calls for better policing of the interchange or a change of layout.
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