Cardiff Bus Interchange

Last updated

Cardiff Bus Interchange BSicon BUS.svg

(part of The Interchange complex)
Bus station
Bus Interchange Open (1).jpg
The southern Bus Interchange entrance
Bus Interchange Open (12).jpg
The Bus Interchange concourse
General information
Location4 Central Square, Cardiff
Wales
Owned by Welsh Government (site)
Operated by Transport for Wales (bus station and bus apron only)
Bus stands14
Bus operators
Connections Cardiff Central railway station
History
Opened30 June 2024 (2024-06-30) [1]

Cardiff Bus Interchange (CBI) [2] [3] (Welsh : Cyfnewidfa Fysiau Caerdydd; formerly Cardiff Transport Interchange, Welsh : Cyfnewidfa Drafnidiaeth Caerdydd; sometimes Cardiff Interchange or The Interchange) is a bus and transport interchange in the centre of Cardiff and forms part of The Interchange [4] development, which also includes Wood Street House at the northern end with 318 for-rent apartments, two floors of office space, and four retail units on the ground floor.

Contents

It was under construction from 2020 and is operated by the Welsh Government's transport arm, Transport for Wales. The bus station is at the southern end of The Interchange with 14-bays for buses on the ground floor, whilst the Cardiff Bus Interchange officially opened on 30 June 2024, although the public could view the new facilities and services between 2729 June 2024. [2]

Background

Construction of the Interchange's offices and bus station
Interchange from Central Square, January 2021.jpg
January 2021
Construction of Cardiff Transport Interchange 2 Sept 2021 (2).jpg
September 2021
Interchange's offices in April 2023.jpg
April 2023

Cardiff Central bus station had originally been built, directly to the north of what is now Cardiff Central railway station, in 1954. The old terminus building was demolished in 2008 and, in 2010, options were put to the public for a multi-million pound bus station redevelopment or replacement. [5] In 2014 a "Capital Square" masterplan for Central Square (the former bus station site) was revealed, led by developers Rightacres Property, including a new headquarters building for BBC Cymru Wales. [6] The old bus station finally closed in August 2015. [7] A replacement was expected to be completed by 2017, designed by Foster and Partners, on the site of the nearby Marland House and Wood Street NCP multi-storey carpark. As well as a new bus station it also included offices, shops and a hotel. [7]

In 2016 the Marland House office block and the neighbouring NCP Wood Street multi-storey car park were demolished. It was planned to site the 'Central Transport Interchange' on this site, with walkways linking it to the railway station. [8]

Foster and Partners were dropped from the project in 2018, after the Welsh Government took over responsibility from Cardiff Council, though by this point the architecture firm had completely redesigned the proposals. [9]

Development

Demolished buildings to make way for the Interchange
Central Square, Cardiff - 2818255 27c384cb.jpg
Marland House
NCP Wood Street Car Park.JPG
NCP Wood Street multi-storey car park

The Welsh Government bought the Marland House site from Cardiff Council for £12 million and carried out £3 million of preparatory work. In April 2018 the new design for the 'Metro Central Interchange' was revealed, designed by local architects Holder Mathias Architects based on concepts by Foster and Partners. [10] The Interchange would include a 14-stand bus station with a covered concourse and 500 cycle spaces. Once completed, the Interchange would be run by the Welsh Government's not-for-profit subsidiary, Transport for Wales, intended to bring together an integrated transport system. [10]

4 Central Square, includes Cardiff Bus Interchange on the ground floor with Legal & General offices above and Wood Street House residential tower block to the left. Cardiff Transport Interchange in July 2023.jpg
4 Central Square, includes Cardiff Bus Interchange on the ground floor with Legal & General offices above and Wood Street House residential tower block to the left.

In July 2019 it was announced that contracts had finally been signed between the Welsh Government, finance company Legal & General, and the developers Rightacres, to begin work constructing the scheme. Construction was expected to begin at the end of the year, after a major drain had been relocated. [11]

Having previously built the adjacent BBC Cymru Wales New Broadcasting House and 2 Central Square, in December 2019 construction company ISG secured the £89 million contract to build the new Cardiff Bus Interchange. The Interchange is funded by Legal & General. As well as the covered 14-bay bus station, the Interchange includes 318 build to rent apartments, about 90,000 square feet (8,400 m2) of office accommodation, and a retail unit. [12]

In October 2020 Legal & General pledged £400 million of forward funding to build a new headquarters office building for its 2,000 staff, as part of the Interchange development. [13]

Originally planned for completion in 2022, it was revealed in July 2023 that the bus station would be accessible by the end of the year, though not fully operational until 2024. [3] The first scheduled bus service was due to operate from the interchange on the morning of Sunday 30 June 2024. [14] Initially a peak of twenty-five services operate every hour from the interchange, with the ambition of reaching sixty per hour by the end of 2024. [15] At the time of opening, tenants were being sought for the four retail units but had yet to be confirmed. [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes is the network of passenger suburban railway services radiating from Cardiff, Wales. It includes lines within the city itself, the Vale of Glamorgan and the South Wales Valleys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiff Central railway station</span> Grade II listed railway station in Cardiff, Wales

Cardiff Central is a major station on the South Wales Main Line. It is located in the capital of Wales, Cardiff, 144 miles 77 chains (233 km) down the line from London Paddington, via Bristol Parkway, and 170 miles 30 chains (274 km) measured via Stroud. It is one of the city's two urban rail network hubs, along with Cardiff Queen Street. Opened in 1850 as Cardiff station, it was renamed Cardiff General in 1924 and then Cardiff Central in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butetown</span> District and community in Cardiff, Wales

Butetown is a district and community in the south of the city of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. It was originally a model housing estate built in the early 19th century by the 2nd Marquess of Bute, for whose title the area was named.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiff city centre</span> Central Business District in Wales

Cardiff city centre is the city centre and central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bound by the River Taff to the west, the Civic Centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations – Central and Queen Street – to the south and east respectively. Cardiff became a city in 1905.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiff Airport</span> Airport in Wales

Cardiff Airport is an airport in Rhoose, Wales. It is the only airport offering commercial passenger services in Wales. The airport is owned by the Welsh Government, operating it at arm's length as a commercial business.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiff Bay railway station</span> Railway station in Cardiff, Wales

Cardiff Bay railway station, formerly Cardiff Bute Road, is a station serving the Cardiff Bay and Butetown areas of Cardiff, Wales. It is the southern terminus of the Butetown branch line 1 mile (1.5 km) south of Cardiff Queen Street.

Transport in Cardiff, capital and most populous city in Wales involves road, rail, bus, water and air. It is a major city of the United Kingdom and a centre of employment, government, retail, business, culture, media, sport and higher education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiff Central bus station</span> Former bus terminal in Wales

Cardiff Central bus station was the main bus transport interchange in the Cardiff city centre until it closed on 1 August 2015. With 34 stands, it was the largest bus station in Wales. It was located adjacent to Cardiff Central railway station forming a major interchange. Construction of a new bus and transport interchange on the site of the former NCP multi-storey car park in Wood Street, adjacent to the old bus station, began in 2020 and was completed in spring 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling in Cardiff</span> Transport by bicycle in Cardiff, Wales

Cycling in Cardiff, capital of Wales, is facilitated by its easy gradients and large parks. In the mid-2000s between 2.7% and 4.3% of people commuted to work by cycling in the city. In 2017 12.4% of workers cycled to work at least 5 days a week. However, cyclists in the city are deterred from cycling by poor facilities and aggressive traffic, according to research by Cardiff University.

Bus transport in Cardiff, the capital and most populous city in Wales, forms the major part of the city's public transport network, which also includes an urban rail network, Waterbus and international airport. Cardiff is a major city of the United Kingdom and a centre of employment, retail, business, government, culture, media, sport and higher education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies</span> School at Cardiff University

The Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Culture (JOMEC) is Cardiff University's school for training in media. It is one of the journalism schools whose main universities are part of the Russell Group. It was founded as the Cardiff Journalism School in 1970 by Sir Tom Hopkinson and is the longest established postgraduate centre of journalism education in Europe. The school is considered one of the best training centres for journalists and is often described as the "Oxbridge of journalism".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helmont House</span> Hotel and office building in Cardiff, Wales

Helmont House is a high-rise hotel and office building in Cardiff, Wales. Completed in 1984, the 58-metre-high (190 ft) building has 12 floors and is the 15th-tallest building in Cardiff. The building was renovated in 2009 into a 200-room Premier Inn hotel.

Central Square is a large public space in Cardiff, Wales, adjacent to Cardiff Central railway station and included Cardiff Central bus station between 1954 and 2015. It was redeveloped and extended in the late 2010s and early 2020s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiff Parkway railway station</span> Proposed railway station in Wales

Cardiff Parkway is a planned railway station in the eastern region of Cardiff, and near to the boundary with the neighbouring city of Newport. The station is privately funded as part of the wider Cardiff Hendre Lakes business development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Cymru Wales New Broadcasting House</span> Television studio and office in Central Square, Cardiff

BBC Cymru Wales New Broadcasting House, previously known as the BBC Cymru Wales headquarters building, is the headquarters of BBC Cymru Wales in Central Square, Cardiff. It operates many of its broadcasting services from there using IP-based studios. It also serves as a base for S4C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plasdwr</span> Planned suburb of Cardiff, Wales

Plasdwr is the name given to a planned new suburb of approximately 7,000 homes in the north of Cardiff, Wales. Construction by lead developer Redrow Homes started in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bargoed Interchange</span> Bus terminus and interchange in Bargoed, Wales

Bargoed Interchange is a bus station located in the town centre of Bargoed, South Wales. It is situated near the High Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tŷ William Morgan</span> UK Government building

Tŷ William Morgan is a UK Government building and hub in the centre of the city of Cardiff, Wales. It primarily serves as a base for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and also houses staff from other UK Government Departments including Wales Office, Department for Business and Trade, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Ofgem, Valuation Office Agency and the UK Space Agency.

Huw Thomas is a Welsh Labour politician and leader of Cardiff Council since May 2017.

References

  1. "Cardiff: New bus station finally to open on 30 June after delays". BBC News. 30 May 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Cardiff Bus Interchange". Cardiff Bus . 31 May 2024. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Completion of Cardiff bus station delayed yet again as capital goes eight years without one". Wales Online . 20 July 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  4. "Building infrastructure - Here's to the next 25 years, Cardiff". Legal & General. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  5. Alford, Abby (3 December 2010). "Revamp for bus station coming at last - Cardiff news - CardiffOnline". WalesOnline. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  6. "BBC Wales HQ at bus station site". BBC News . Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Cardiff bus station closes for Central Square redevelopment". BBC News. 1 August 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  8. "Demolition of Cardiff city centre 'eyesore' starts". BBC News. 3 May 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  9. Mosalski, Ruth (6 April 2018). "The design of Cardiff's new bus station is up in the air – again". Wales Online. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  10. 1 2 Gregory, Rhys (18 April 2018). "Cardiff's new bus station design revealed". BBC News. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  11. Mosalski, Ruth (30 July 2020). "Cardiff's bus station is finally going to be built - but won't open for another four years". Wales Online. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  12. Gregory, Rhys (3 December 2019). "ISG secures £89 million Cardiff transport interchange project". Wales247. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  13. Barry, Sion (29 October 2020). "Legal & General investing in new HQ in the centre of Cardiff for nearly 2,000 staff". Business Live. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  14. "Inside Cardiff's new bus station as it opens after seven-year delay". ITV News. 27 June 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  15. "Cardiff bus station officially opens - what you need to know". BBC News. 29 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  16. "This is Cardiff's long awaited new bus station as it's finally set to open". Wales Online. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.