Blackwood Interchange

Last updated

Blackwood Interchange BSicon BUS.svg

Cyfnewidfa Coed Duon BSicon BUS.svg
Bus station
New Bus Station Blackwood - geograph.org.uk - 510502.jpg
An Islwyn Borough Transport bus at the rebuilt Blackwood Bus Station
General information
LocationBlackwood Bus Station
Gordon Road
Blackwood
NP12 1AA
Caerphilly
Wales
Coordinates 51°39′54″N3°11′45″W / 51.66490°N 3.19579°W / 51.66490; -3.19579
Owned by Caerphilly County Borough Council
Operated by Caerphilly County Borough Council
Bus routes17
Bus stands9
Bus operators Stagecoach in South Wales, Caerphilly County Borough Council, Harris Coaches
Connections Cardiff, Newport, Pontypridd, Cwmbran, Tredegar, Bargoed, Ystrad Mynach railway station, Wyllie, New Tredegar, Abertillery
Construction
Structure typeGlass facade building with cafe and waiting room
ParkingNone
Bicycle facilitiesRacks
AccessibleLevel boarding
Other information
Station codecpygawj
Website https://www.traveline.info/
History
Opened14 November 2007 (2007-11-14) [1]

Blackwood Interchange (Welsh : Cyfnewidfa Coed Duon) is a bus station located in the town centre of Blackwood, Caerphilly, South Wales. It is situated on Gordon Road adjacent to the High Street.

Contents

Background

The existing Blackwood Bus Station redeveloped by Caerphilly County Borough Council in 2007. [2] The project cost an approximate £2.4 million. [3]

During development, traders in the town centre voiced concerns that "customers will be put off walking through the market when contractors move in" [4] however Councillors reassured concerned individuals with the prospect of a reduction in the business rate for affected businesses. [4]

Architect Geraint Jones, unusually, was an internal developer from within Caerphilly Council's own department, at a time where most civic developments in the UK are designed by private practices. [5]

The redevelopment of Blackwood Bus Station was judged by Caerphilly Council as successful, helping to end the anti social behaviour associated with the previous concrete structure station, [3] and it has encouraged the subsequent development of the town in the form of new retail units on its periphery and the new Sirhowy Enterprise Way area. [6]

Awards

The 2007 redevelopment won a number of awards nationally, including: [5]

Layout

The bus station is a glass façade terminal building including café, waiting area, canteen, offices and welfare facilities.

The stand doors provide access to buses, which park next to the gate on arrival, and then reverse out on departure. It is fully covered from the weather. [2]

The station offers a café, named The Plaza, and used to offer public toilet facilities within the station building. [7] The toilet facilities closed in April 2019 due to the increasing financial difficulties faced by Caerphilly Council. [8] Caerphilly Town Centre public toilets re-opened in July 2019 but the fate of facilities in Blackwood remain uncertain. [9] A proposed development, Blackwood Artisan Markets, and the accompanying apartment project, have offered to provide alternative toilets. [10]

Destinations

Blackwood lies as a stop on the Tredegar to Newport route, as well as offering a number of other destinations which begin in the town. These include Pontypridd, New Tredegar, Abertillery, Cardiff, and Ystrad Mynach with transfer for the railway station.

List of destinations [11]
OperatorNumberService begins atStandService destinationJourney timeFrequency
Stagecoach in South Wales 5Blackwood8Pantside33 minutesEvery hour
connect2 5ABlackwood8 Oakdale 22 minutes3 trips a day
Harris Coaches6Blackwood1 Wyllie 13 minutesEvery hour
Harris Coaches7Blackwood5 Pontypridd 55 minutesEvery hour
Harris Coaches8Blackwood4Grove Park17 minutesEvery hour
Harris Coaches9Blackwood1Penllwyn10 minutesEvery hour
Harris Coaches11Blackwood5 Gelligaer 27 minutesEvery hour
Harris Coaches12Blackwood2 New Tredegar 32 minutesEvery 30 minutes
connect2 13Blackwood8Manmoel15 minutes1 trip a day
Harris Coaches14Blackwood2 Bargoed Interchange 28 minutesEvery 30 minutes
Stagecoach in South Wales 21Blackwood3 Cwmbran 54 minutesEvery hour
Stagecoach in South Wales 27Blackwood3 Bargoed Interchange 28 minutesEvery hour
Stagecoach in South Wales 52Blackwood8 Abertillery 41 minutesEvery hour
Stagecoach in South Wales 56 Newport 3 & 7 Tredegar 30 minutesEvery hour
Stagecoach in South Wales 26Blackwood5 Cardiff 66 minutesEvery hour
Stagecoach in South Wales 151Blackwood6 Newport Bus Station 51 minutesEvery 15 minutes
Stagecoach in South Wales X21Blackwood3 Cwmbran 54 minutesPeak times only

Rail transport

Blackwood railway station closed in 1965. There was previously a Rail linc bus that provided travel to nearby Ystrad Mynach railway station. This ceased in 2023.

Professor Mark Barry, who has consulted the Welsh Government on the South Wales Metro project, has written about the potential for Blackwood railway station to reopen as part of a tram-train system connecting other valleys towns from east to west. [12]

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References

  1. ↑ "Bus station is building of the year".
  2. 1 2 "Blackwood Interchange Project". Encon Construction. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 "Bus station is building of the year". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  4. 1 2 WalesOnline (27 July 2005). "Traders fears over bus station development". walesonline. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Blackwood Bus Station - Caerphilly Building". e-architect. 4 October 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  6. ↑ "LDP 2021 Development Of Alternative Strategic Options" (PDF). Caerphilly County Borough. 1 July 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  7. ↑ "Cafe owner's dismay over decision to close public toilets". Caerphilly Observer. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  8. ↑ "'Dismayed' residents fight to save toilets". 21 March 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  9. ↑ "Toilets now reopened thanks to taxi drivers". Caerphilly Observer. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  10. ↑ "Blackwood artisan market approved by planning committee". Caerphilly Observer. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  11. ↑ "Blackwood Interchange (Stand 1) – Bus Times". bustimes.org. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  12. ↑ "Making the metro really work for the valleys and Cardiff". Click on Wales. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
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