Wrexham bus station

Last updated

Wrexham bus station BSicon BUS.svg

Gorsaf fysiau Wrecsam BSicon BUS.svg
Bus station
Wrexham bus station 2013-06-01 (1).JPG
The bus station in 2013, with an Arriva Sapphire service (centre)
General information
LocationLord Street, Wrexham
Wrexham County Borough
Wales
Coordinates 53°02′53″N2°59′46″W / 53.048009°N 2.996197°W / 53.048009; -2.996197
Owned by Wrexham County Borough Council
Operated by Wrexham County Borough Council
Bus routes33
Bus standsTotal: 8 stands
Bus operators Arriva Buses Wales, Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire, TrawsCymru, Wrexham Taxis, Pat's Coaches, D&G Bus, Lloyds Coaches, Tanat Valley Coaches, Valentine Travel
Connections Chester, Oswestry, Llangollen, Mold, Denbigh, Whitchurch, Barmouth, Machynlleth
Construction
Structure typeModern steel and glass building, cafes, toilets and a link to Wrexham General railway station
ParkingAt the nearby Library Car Park and Guildhall Car Park
Bicycle facilitiesRacks
AccessibleLevel boarding
Other information
Station codewrejgwg
Website traveline.info
History
Opened1 December 2003 (2003-12-01) [1]
Services
168,000 [2]
The bus stands in February 2019 Wrexham Bus Station (geograph 6058952).jpg
The bus stands in February 2019

Wrexham bus station (Welsh : Gorsaf fysiau Wrecsam) is an eight-stand indoor bus station in Wrexham city centre on King Street. Services provide transit within the city, elsewhere in north Wales, and to Cheshire and Shropshire in England.

Contents

The station sees over 180,000 departures per year, which the council says makes the station one of the "busiest in Wales". [3]

The facility forms part of the roadmap for the Welsh Government's North Wales Metro in the city and the region. [4]

History

A new complex was opened in two halves in December 2003, [5] on the site of the original bus station which was originally built in the late 1960s with the adjacent office buildings.

The original station had much graffiti on its aging steel bus stands, and main brick building, which housed a small newsagents.

Modern form

The bus stands viewed from a vehicle departing the station (2009) Wrexham bus station - geograph.org.uk - 1393422.jpg
The bus stands viewed from a vehicle departing the station (2009)

While the original bus station was redeveloped, use was made of the wide pavement area of King Street as temporary locations for the bus stands. The new bus station features a number of small shops, varying from newsagents to a Fat Cat Cafe Bar.

Most services are operated by Arriva Buses Wales, which operates the longest routes using Wright Commander buses, however GHA Coaches at one time operated several services before their collapse (see Controversies below). A number of smaller firms also operate from the bus station.

In 2013 the station benefitted from a £1.4m improvement project, [6] which saw the installation of wider pavements, shop fronts, walls and other infrastructure. [6] The scheme was backed by the European Regional Development Fund. [6]

Improvements

The Bus station received a £250,000 grant from the Welsh Government in February 2019 intended for "refurbished toilets, new bins, real time information screens and an external clean-up." [7]

Wrexham Council announced in 2019 it was considering a range of methods to improve the image of the bus station after much negative press attention. Solutions discussed included enhanced CCTV, increased fees for bus companies rest facilities, increased departure charges, and a new three-year contract to reopen the information centre. [8] A new route opened that month introducing services to HM Prison Berwyn, one of the largest employers in the region near Wrexham industrial estate. [9]

In May 2019 the Welsh Government rolled out discounted My Travel Pass products for those between 16 and 21 in the Wrexham area, reducing fares by 30%. [10]

In June 2019 in response to social issues in and around the bus station, a Salvation Army Community Care Hub was promoted to "bring together the Department for Work and Pensions, GPs, chiropodists, health visitors and mental health, housing and crime reduction teams." [11] The project has been supported by First Minister Mark Drakeford [12] and it is aimed at resolving deprivation and poverty in the city centre. [11] The Leader of Flintshire Council however criticised the Welsh Government for their failure to push forward the North Wales Metro and asked where the £50m spending pledged for the project was being used. [13] A Welsh Government spokesperson however said a Transport for Wales business unit has been established in North Wales to support it, beginning with improvements to the Wrexham-Bidston line, improved access to and within Deeside Industrial Park with a focus on bus and active travel, and spending on the Wrexham bus station. [13]

The Council is undertaking a scheme of works in the area surrounding the bus station, including work to improve Regent Street, Hope Street, and Queen's Square. [14] Further work will involve rollout of LED lighting across the city centre and work to the area around St Giles Church and the neighbouring streets. [14]

On 24 August 2019 the station's waiting area was closed from "8pm Monday to Saturday and throughout Sundays" [15] to reduce anti social behaviour which had become prevalent at night. [16] The Council state the work is part of a scheme of improvements to the bus station, including "refurbished toilets, new bins, external clearing and cleaning works and digital timetables." [16] The improvements are funded by a £250,000 grant from the Welsh Government. [3]

In September 2019 MP Ian Lucas criticised the bus station for failing to provide adequate services to Wrexham Maelor Hospital. [17] Welsh Government Economy and Transport minister Ken Skates responded by stating they are "investing more than £10 million" in transport improvements including planning a "Wrexham General integrated transport hub". [17]

Controversies

The bus industry in the region saw extensive issues around 2016, with the collapse of GHA Coaches which led threats to school bus contracts, nearly 400 people facing redundancy, and the loss of a number of local services. [18]

In 2017, the bus station and area gained notoriety in the national press [19] with the nickname "Spice Town", after bus driver Gavin Rodda received social media attention for highlighting photos of drug users and paraphernalia in the area. [20] The issue led to meetings between Welsh Government ministers and North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones. [20] Hugh Jones of Wrexham council told the BBC that there had been a "significant increase in anti-social behaviour in the past two years". [20] He stated, however, that improvements had been made following the introduction of a public space protection order, and collaboration with agencies such as Cais and the Wallich. [20]

In September 2018 it was reported that a homeless man had entered the bus station and threatened to "stab people" during a 12-minute episode which was seen by children. [21] The BBC reported that the city now had 44 rough sleepers, the second most in Wales after Cardiff, and homelessness volunteers urged the public to "speak to" and "befriend" the homeless in the community. A session held by volunteers attracted over 100 supporters. [22]

In October 2018 proposals were made to reduce disabled parking spots at the station, however these were rejected by Wrexham Council after receiving significant complaints from voluntary groups in the area. [23]

In January 2019 a security officer at the station was accused and later convicted of assaulting another man while travelling on a bus service which came to a stop. [24]

In February 2019, further issues arose when Arriva Buses Wales withdrew two services from operation, describing them as "not commercially viable". [25] The Welsh Government criticised 1980s bus deregulation as creating significant problems for communities. [25] A local councillor blamed the cancellations on a "lack of competition". [26]

In March 2019 the EasyCoach service which operates from the station received press attention when it had its license suspended, as a result of an incident which saw a "wheel come off a vehicle". [27] Another incident took place that month, with armed police stopping a Wrexham to Chester bus service in Gresford, boarding the vehicle with weapons to search for a "specific individual". [28] Incidents of police searches were reported across Wrexham and Chester bus services. [29] A councillor stated at the time that the Wrexham bus industry was at "breaking point". [30]

In July 2019 issues arose at the station when the operator of the EasyCoach service collapsed, and franchise holder Transervis Ltd closed the station information office in the process. [31] MP for Wrexham Ian Lucas also raised fears for the station when it was announced that the taskforce of police, health and other officials dealing with drug issues in and around the area would be disbanded. [32]

Destinations

Bus services run from the station to Chester, Oswestry, Llangollen, Mold, Denbigh, Whitchurch, Barmouth, and Machynlleth.

Rail transport

Wrexham Central railway station and Wrexham General railway station are within a five and ten minute walk from the bus station respectively:

Wrexham General connects to the Borderlands line and Shrewsbury–Chester line providing services to:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arriva Trains Wales</span> British transport company that operated in Wales, United Kingdom

Arriva Trains Wales was a British train operating company owned by Arriva UK Trains that operated the Wales & Borders franchise. It ran urban and inter-urban passenger services to all railway stations in Wales, including Cardiff Central, Cardiff Queen Street, Newport, Swansea, Wrexham General and Holyhead, as well as to certain stations in England such as Hereford, Shrewsbury, Chester, Crewe, Manchester Piccadilly and Birmingham New Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denbighshire</span> County in Wales

Denbighshire is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, Flintshire to the east, Wrexham to the southeast, Powys to the south, and Gwynedd and Conwy to the west. Rhyl is the largest town, and Ruthin is the administrative centre. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wrexham County Borough</span> County borough in Wales

Wrexham County Borough is a county borough, with city status, in the north-east of Wales. It borders the English ceremonial counties of Cheshire and Shropshire to the east and south-east respectively, Powys to the south-west, Denbighshire to the west and Flintshire to the north-west. The city of Wrexham is the administrative centre. The county borough is part of the preserved county of Clwyd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Wales</span> Geographic region in Wales

North Wales is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia National Park and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, known for its mountains, waterfalls and trails, wholly within the region. Its population is concentrated in the north-east and northern coastal areas, with significant Welsh-speaking populations in its western and rural areas. North Wales is imprecisely defined, lacking any exact definition or administrative structure. It is commonly defined administratively as its six most northern principal areas, but other definitions exist, with Montgomeryshire historically considered to be part of the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coedpoeth</span> Village in Wales

Coedpoeth is a village and community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. The built-up area with Minera had a population of 5,723 in the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrewsbury–Chester line</span> Railway line in England and Wales

The Shrewsbury–Chester line is a railway line between Chester and Shrewsbury in England, with the line passing through Wrexham County Borough in Wales. Passenger train services are operated by Transport for Wales Rail between the northern terminal of Chester and Shrewsbury in the south as part of the Wales & Borders franchise. Some additional services, starting part way along the line to London Euston via Chester are operated by Avanti West Coast. The line was built in 1846 by the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway, with the engineer for the line being Henry Robertson, a partner in locomotive builders Beyer Peacock, while the contractor was Thomas Brassey in partnership with William Mackenzie and Robert Stephenson. The line is part of Transport for Wales' North Wales Metro improvement programme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borderlands line</span> Railway line between Bidston, England and Wrexham, Wales

The Borderlands line, also known as the Bidston–Wrexham or Wrexham–Bidston line, is a railway line between Bidston on the Wirral Peninsula in England and Wrexham Central in the north-east of Wales. Passenger train services are part of the Wales & Borders franchise and are operated by Transport for Wales Rail. The line connects to the Merseyrail network at Bidston, the North Wales Coast Line at Shotton and the Shrewsbury–Chester line at Wrexham General. Parts of the line in Wales are used by freight trains, serving Deeside Industrial Park and the Hanson Cement works to the south of Buckley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Wales</span> Overview of the transportation system in Wales

Transport in Wales is heavily influenced by the country's geography. Wales is predominantly hilly or mountainous, and the main settlements lie on the coasts of north and south Wales, while mid Wales and west Wales are lightly populated. The main transport corridors are east–west routes, many continuing eastwards into England.

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

Wrexham General is the main railway station serving the city of Wrexham, north-east Wales, and one of the two serving the city, alongside Wrexham Central. It is currently operated by Transport for Wales, but services are also provided by Avanti West Coast who operate a service to London Euston. Until January 2011 Wrexham & Shropshire also operated from here to London Marylebone.

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

Chirk railway station serves the town of Chirk, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. The station is on the Shrewsbury to Chester Line 21 miles (34 km) north of Shrewsbury, which is part of the former Great Western Railway mainline route from London Paddington to Birkenhead Woodside. The original 19th-century Chirk / Y Waun station building was demolished in 1987, without consultation, by the local council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TrawsCambria</span> Former express bus network in Wales

TrawsCambria was a network of medium and long-distance express bus routes in Wales sponsored by the Welsh Government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crosville Motor Services</span>

Crosville Motor Services was a bus operator based in the north-west of England and north and mid-Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GHA Coaches</span> Former Welsh bus and coach operator

GHA Coaches was a bus and coach operator serving North East Wales, Cheshire, and Shropshire. It also operated bus services extending into Telford & Wrekin, Staffordshire, Gwynedd, and Merseyside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lloyds Coaches</span> Welsh bus company

Lloyds Coaches operates bus and coach services in mid Wales. It is a small family-run independent firm. The company is based at the old Crosville bus depot opposite Machynlleth railway station. It was established in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arriva Buses Wales</span> Bus operator in North Wales and Chester

Arriva Buses Wales is a bus operator providing services in northern Wales and Chester in northern England. It is a subsidiary of Arriva UK Bus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire</span> Bus operator in North West England

Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire is a major operator of bus services in North West England. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group, and has its origins in the purchase of Ribble Motor Services in 1988 from the National Bus Company and Glenvale Transport in 2005. The head office of Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire is in Liverpool and was formed in 2011 following the merger of Stagecoach Merseyside and Ribble Motor Services which was the Chorley and Preston operations of Stagecoach North West.

TrawsCymru is the brand name for a network of regional bus services in Wales, sponsored by the Welsh Government. It was introduced as a replacement for the TrawsCambria network.

The North Wales Metro is a rail and bus transport improvement programme in north Wales. Styled as a "Metro", it is conceptually a multi-modal system with a combination of bus, heavy rail, and light rail services. It was initially focused on linking major settlements and employment areas of the north-east of Wales with the North West of England, with its hubs located in Wrexham, Chester and Deeside, although the programme has since expanded, with proposals extending to Anglesey in the north-west of Wales. The existing Borderlands line forms a core rail component of the network, where projects to increase connections, integrated access, and service frequency between Wrexham, Deeside and Liverpool are centred upon. The proposals were put forward in 2016 as is part of Welsh Labour's plan for north Wales. Labour has pledged to open the system by 2035. The proposals were included in the 2018 Wales & Borders franchise contest. It is the second of the three regional metros proposed by the Welsh Government to go ahead, after the South Wales Metro, and before the Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro. The project is described to be in its initial phases.

Wrexham North is a proposed railway station on the Shrewsbury–Chester line, situated between Rossett and Wrexham, in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. As of January 2022, there is no definitive site for the proposed station, with proposals including: the former Rossett railway station or a station near Pandy, Wrexham and Gresford. Unless construction of the station south of Rossett coincides with the full or partial dualling of the currently single track railway line towards Stansty, Wrexham North may be a single platform station or if situated at Rossett Junction be linked by a single track southwards to Wrexham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bus transport in Wales</span> Overview of buses in Wales

Bus transport in Wales is a significant form of public transport in Wales. In 2021–22 52.3 million journeys were travelled in Wales on local buses.

References

  1. ↑ "Wrexham Unitary Development Plan Monitoring Report 2004-5" (PDF). Wrexham County Borough Council. 20 October 2005. Retrieved 6 September 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ↑ "New digital timetable information screens installed at Wrexham bus station". Wrexham.com.
  3. 1 2 "New digital timetable information screens installed at Wrexham bus station". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  4. ↑ "Moving North Wales Forward - Our Vision for North Wales and the North East Wales Metro" (PDF). Welsh Government. 1 March 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ↑ "Wrexham Unitary Development Plan Monitoring Report 2004-5" (PDF). Wrexham County Borough Council. 20 October 2005. Retrieved 6 September 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. 1 2 3 "Wrexham Bus Station Area Set For £1.4m Facelift". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  7. ↑ "Wrexham bus station to get £250,000 refurbishment - here's what will be improved". The Leader. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  8. ↑ "Higher fees to improve drug-hit station". 13 February 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  9. ↑ "New bus contracts in Wrexham include a direct route to HMP Berwyn". The Leader. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  10. ↑ "Discounted bus fares available for 16-21 year olds with 'My Travel Pass'". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  11. 1 2 Rimmer, Monica (23 June 2019). "The 'one-stop shop' for homeless people" . Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  12. ↑ "Welsh First Minister 'drops in' to Wrexham Salvation Army to thank partnership that's helping people overcome homelessness | The Salvation Army". www.salvationarmy.org.uk. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  13. 1 2 "Concerns over lack of progress on North East Wales Metro project". Deeside.com. 17 June 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  14. 1 2 "Wrexham Council announce new town centre improvements – what's on the way?". The Leader. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  15. ↑ "New shutters will 'limit anti-social behaviour' at Wrexham bus station". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  16. 1 2 "Bus station concourse closures to tackle drug use". 5 September 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  17. 1 2 "MP's urgent call for better Wrexham transport links to help stop abuse of free car parking at hospital". The Leader. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  18. ↑ "400 Jobs At Risk As GHA Coaches Enter Administration & 'Cease Trading'". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  19. ↑ Shute, Joe (8 March 2017). "Why I exposed the drug 'zombies' of Wrexham bus station". The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "'Stark' bus station drug use photos". 6 March 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  21. ↑ "Homeless man threatened to stab people at Wrexham bus station". The Leader. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  22. ↑ "'Befriend homeless' to help tackle drug use". 10 November 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  23. ↑ "Plans to reduce disabled parking spots at Wrexham bus station refused". The Leader. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  24. ↑ "Security officer to lose his job after admitting Wrexham assault, court told". The Leader. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  25. 1 2 "More bad news for some bus users as further service cancellations and route changes announced". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  26. ↑ ""It's just pathetic" - Llay councillor slams Arriva for worsening bus routes". The Leader. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  27. ↑ "Bus boss banned after wheel comes off". 8 March 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  28. ↑ "Armed police evacuate and search bus on Wrexham to Chester route". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  29. ↑ McDougall, John (1 April 2019). "This is why armed police searched buses on route to Chester". chesterchronicle. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  30. ↑ "Wrexham's bus industry 'at breaking point' as multiple changes are set for services across the county". The Leader. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  31. ↑ "Bus station info centre closure sparks questions". 3 August 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  32. ↑ "MP's concern at demise of 'Spice Town' taskforce". 10 July 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.