Wigan bus station

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Wigan
BSicon BUS.svg
Wigan bus station.jpg
The redeveloped bus station
General information
LocationHallgate, Wigan
Wigan
Coordinates 53°32′48″N2°38′02″W / 53.5466°N 2.63398°W / 53.5466; -2.63398
Operated by Transport for Greater Manchester
Bus stands19
Bus operators
Connections
Construction
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes
Other information
Website TFGM Wigan Bus Station
History
Opened29 November 1987
Closed30 July 2017
Rebuilt28 October 2018
Location
Wigan bus station

Wigan bus station is a bus station located in the town of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is run by Transport for Greater Manchester.

Contents

Services

The majority of services that serve Wigan Bus Station are run by Go North West under the Bee Network. Other operators that serve the bus station include Arriva North West, Diamond Bus North West and Holmeswood Coaches.

There are frequent buses running to Bolton, Chorley, Ormskirk, St Helens and Skelmersdale plus several parts of the Wigan area, such as Ashton-in-Makerfield, Hindley, Shevington, Leigh, Pemberton, Golborne, Appley Bridge and Standish. Buses also run to Preston, Southport, the Trafford Centre and Warrington.

Redevelopment

In July 2017, it closed for redevelopment with the bus stands temporarily being located around the town centre. [1] The old bus stands were demolished and a new station was built on the same site, the project cost £15.7 million supported by the UK Government through the Greater Manchester Local Growth Deal programme. [2] The bus station opened in October 2018, two months ahead of schedule. [3] The new station added a new covered waiting area with better passenger comfort and security with increased retail space, new toilets and covered cycle parking. The development also has eco-friendly initiatives such as solar panels and the planting of wildflowers. Accessibility was also improved for people with physical disabilities and for the blind and partially sighted. [3]

History

The bus station as it looked before the 2017-8 redevelopment Wigan Bus Station - geograph.org.uk - 511010.jpg
The bus station as it looked before the 2017-8 redevelopment

Wigan's original bus station was on Market Square. It was demolished in 1985 as part of a wider redevelopment of the town centre to make way for the Galleries Shopping Centre. [4] A new bus station, built at a cost of £2.3 million, began construction in April 1986, [5] , and opened in November 1987. [6] The new station was built on the site of the Queen’s Hall, most of which was demolished to accommodate it. [7]

The facility included 20 stands and could handle up to 72 services. At its opening, it was praised for its accessibility features, including ramps and tactile paving. The station was officially opened in 1988 by the Mayor of Wigan, who unveiled a commemorative plaque. [5] CCTV cameras were installed in 1996 to deter crime, [8] and the station's facilities were further improved in 2001 with a £150,000 upgrade. [6]

Location

The station is located opposite the Galleries and well connected to the town centre with pedestrian and cycle routes. It is further connected to the wider area being around 400 yards away from the Wigan train stations of Wigan North Western and Wigan Wallgate. [9]

References

  1. ↑ "Wigan Bus Station Redevelopment". Arriva Busses.
  2. ↑ "New bus station for Wigan comes together". Wigan Today. 28 May 2018.
  3. 1 2 "New Wigan Bus Station to open ahead of schedule". Transport For Greater Manchester. 9 October 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  4. ↑ "It's Better By Bus! Town gets £2m ticket to new era of travel". Wigan Evening Post .
  5. 1 2 Geoffrey Shryhane (21 January 1988). "Mayor's pride in Wigan's marvellous new bus station". Wigan Observer .
  6. 1 2 "GMPTE Trends and Statistics 2001/2002" (PDF). GMPTE. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 November 2018.
  7. ↑ Michelle Adamson. "RETRO: Picture memories of the wonderful old Queen's Hall in Wigan". Wigan Today .
  8. ↑ Phillip Thomas (18 July 1996). "Spy cameras to fight pickpockets". Wigan Evening Post .
  9. ↑ "Wigan bus station" (Map). Google Maps .
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