St Margaret's Bus Station, Leicester | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Location | Gravel Street, Leicester |
| Coordinates | 52°38′21″N1°08′03″W / 52.6393°N 1.1342°W |
| Operated by | Leicester City Council National Express |
| Bus routes | 36 |
| Bus stands | 24 |
| Bus operators | Arriva Midlands Central Connect Centrebus Diamond East Midlands First Leicester Kinchbus(including Skylink Derby) National Express New Bharat Coaches |
| Connections | National Express New Bharat Coaches |
| Construction | |
| Bicycle facilities | Yes |
| Accessible | Yes |
| Other information | |
| Station code | LEI (for National Express) |
| Website | https://www.leicesterbuses.co.uk |
| History | |
| Opened | 3 May 1985 (original) 27 June 2022 (redeveloped station) |
| Closed | 31 December 2020 (original) |
St Margaret's Bus Station is located on Gravel Street to the north of Leicester City Centre, England. It is named after St Margaret's Church, which stands just across Burleys Way.
The use of the site as a bus station dates back to the early 1940s. The previous bus station was built in 1985 and at the time was a state-of-the-art arrival and departure point in the city. Councillor Derek Fryett, Chair of the Planning Committee opened it on 3 May 1985. The contractor was Costain Construction. Although considered one of the best stations in the country, Leicester City Council set about a programme of refurbishment in 2006. The major refurbishment was complete in March 2007 and the station was reopened by Councillor Patrick Kitterick on 24 May 2007.
As part of a £14.3 million rebuilding scheme a new access road was completed in November 2020 allowing buses to access the A594 ring road directly from the bus station, shortening journey times. [1]
During December 2020, Leicester City Council announced the bus station would close from 31 December [2] [3] [4] for around 18 months to allow for a total redevelopment of the bus station and surrounding roads.
St Margaret's is the first carbon neutral bus station in the United Kingdom. An official opening day was held on Sunday 26 June 2022 by the Mayor of Leicester Sir Peter Soulsby, ahead of bus services returning the following day. [5] [6]
Long-distance coach services operated by National Express operate from the new bus station with a purpose built travel centre and waiting facilities which opened on 5 July 2022. [7]
Bus services serving the bus station are operated by Arriva Midlands, [8] Centrebus, Diamond East Midlands, First Leicester and Kinchbus to outlying areas of Leicestershire including: South Wigston, Lutterworth, Rugby, Coventry, Hinckley, Market Bosworth, Coalville, Loughborough, Derby, Birstall, East Midlands Airport, Uppingham, Groby and Ratby.
The bus station facilities include a newsagents, cafe, public toilets, information kiosk, bicycle storage area and the National Express travel centre with waiting facilities for passengers. [9]
Leicester is a city, unitary authority area, unparished area and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a population of 373,399 in 2022. The greater Leicester urban area had a population of 559,017 in 2021, making it the 11th most populous in England, and the 13th most populous in the United Kingdom. A 2023 report ranked Leicester 16th out of the 50 largest UK cities on a range of economic measures, and the first of seven East Midlands cities.
North West Leicestershire is a local government district in Leicestershire, England. The towns in the district include of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Castle Donington, Coalville and Ibstock. Notable villages in the district include Donington le Heath, Ellistown, Hugglescote, Kegworth, Measham, Shackerstone, Thringstone and Whitwick.
Leicester railway station is a mainline railway station in the city of Leicester in Leicestershire, England. The station is managed by East Midlands Railway and owned by Network Rail. The station is served by CrossCountry and East Midlands Railway services. It is the busiest station in Leicestershire, the second busiest station in the East Midlands, and the fifth busiest station in the Midlands as a whole.
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Loughborough is a Grade II listed railway station in the town of Loughborough, Leicestershire; it is on the Midland Main Line and is located 111 miles (179 km) north of London St Pancras. The station is sited to the north-east of the town centre.
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Arriva Midlands East is a bus company operating services in Leicestershire, England. It is a trading division of Arriva Midlands which is a subsidiary of Arriva plc which is itself owned by the government of Germany through Deutsche Bahn.
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Arriva Midlands is a bus operator providing services in the East Midlands and West Midlands areas of England. It is a subsidiary of Arriva UK Bus.
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Star Trak was a real-time bus information system operating in Leicester and Derby between 2000 and 2011. It was run by the Leicester City Council.
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Skylink is the brand name for bus services that serve East Midlands Airport in Leicestershire. Services are operated by Kinchbus and trentbarton, both a part of Derbyshire-based Wellglade Group.
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