Cardiff Central bus station

Cardiff Central bus station
Location
Locale	Cardiff City Centre
Local authority	Cardiff
Operation
Opened	1954
Managed by	Cardiff Council
No. of stands	34
Operators	Cardiff Bus Stagecoach in South Wales Veolia Transport Cymru First Cymru Newport Transport
Travel centre	Yes
Rail connection	Yes
Annual usage	Not known

See also: Bus transport in Cardiff

Cardiff Central bus station is the main bus transport interchange in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. With 34 stands, it is the largest bus station in the city and in Wales. It is located adjacent to Cardiff Central railway station forming a major bus-rail-cycle-taxi interchange.

The station used to handle the vast majority of bus and coach services that run in and through the city. Notable exceptions to this are the Megabus service (which calls at Kingsway and Cardiff University), Stagecoach route 122 (which calls at Greyfriars Road) and EST route 89 (which uses Customhouse Street). However most city services now circle the city centre without calling at the station.

History

The terminal building from Wood Street in 2007

The site of Cardiff's bus station had previously been an area of housing and shops known as Temperance Town. However, demolition of Temperance Town commenced in 1937 after the Great Western Railway persuaded the Cardiff Corporation to improve the view from their new railway station.

The Central bus station was opened in 1954.

Demolition and reconstruction of the bus station began in 2008 with the terminus building being demolished. Before work began, there were 8 concourses lettered A-F and W with each concourse having numbered stands.

The bus station in 1980

Redevelopment

Demolition of the terminal building in 2008

The station is being redeveloped from 2008. Demolition of the old terminal buildings (between stand A and Wood Street stands) started on 11 January 2008, when services that usually stop at the terminal buildings began to no longer serve these stops and instead pick up at Castle Street and Westgate Street. On 6 May 2008, Stand A at the bus station closed for demolition of the terminal buildings.

As of 4 January 2009, some services reverted to using the bus station, whilst others remained split between the alternative terminal points and the bus station depending on day and time.

The south-eastern end of the bus station

A multi-million-pound modernisation of Cardiff central bus station was announced in December 2010. Cardiff Council has devised three options, following consultation. The public were to be asked to decide on their preferences during a two-month consultation period. In December 2011 the Council announced that the existing bus station would close in early 2013 and the new bus station would be built on the site of the neighbouring Wood Street NCP Car Park. The new bus station would open in Summer 2014, and provide 19 bays and have direct access to Westgate Street and St. Mary Street via Saunders Road. This would allow the bus station to remain open during Millennium Stadium events. A further announcement was made in January 2012, that negotiations were underway to sell off the existing bus station land to two major companies, who would build a 12-storey headquarters on the site. Part of the proceeds from the sale would be put towards redesign and redevelopment of Central Square, which would be renamed 'Capital Square'. These plans were put into doubt in May 2012 with the election of a new Labour-led council.

Facilities

Eating and drinking facilities such as a Burger King, as well as other shops and bus company offices, face the stands on Central Square. Taxi ranks are located on both sides of the station.

Toilets and a newsagent were located at stand A which was demolished in summer 2008 as part of the redevelopment of the station. However, these services are available in the adjacent Cardiff Central railway station.

Services

Cardiff Bus and Stagecoach services in the bus station

There are 34 stands at the station, which are located on Central Square, off Wood Street and opposite the Millennium Stadium, in the city centre of Cardiff.

• Cardiff Bus operates: services to Cardiff's districts and suburbs, cross-city services and services to Cardiff Bay, Barry, Llandough, Cogan, Penarth, Dinas Powys, Llantwit Major and Cardiff Airport.
• Stagecoach in South Wales provides services to Caerphilly, Blackwood, Senghenydd, Pontypool, Merthyr Tydfil, Cwmbran, Abergavenny and Hereford
• Newport Bus provides two services to Newport bus station, one an 'express' route direct via the M4 and one service to Risca
• EST Buses provide services to the Vale of Glamorgan
• Arriva provides services to North and West Wales.
• First Cymru operates the half-hourly service 100 from Quadrant Bus Station and service X2 to Porthcawl via Cowbridge and Bridgend
• National Express Group provides services to Swansea, Bristol, London, Birmingham and The North and also operates services to London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport
• Eurolines began a new service to Cork, Ireland in October 2011, via the Pembroke to Rosslare ferry.

Services calling at the station

-

Route Number(s)	Destination	Intermediate stops	Provider	Stand	Timetable
1	City Circle (Clockwise)	Cardiff Bay, Canton, University Hospital of Wales, Cathays, Tremorfa	Cardiff Bus, Veolia Transport Cymru	E1	[2]
2	City Circle (Anticlockwise)	Tremorfa, Cathays, University Hospital of Wales, Canton, Cardiff Bay	Cardiff Bus, Veolia Transport Cymru	D3	[3]
6 Baycar	Cardiff Bay	Queen Street Station, Atlantic Wharf, Mermaid Quay	Cardiff Bus	South Side	[4]
8	Cardiff Bay	Grangetown, Butetown, Atlantic Wharf, Mermaid Quay	Cardiff Bus	Wood Street	[5]
9, 9A	Cardiff Bay	Grangetown, Cardiff Bay Retail Park, Cardiff International Sport Village	Cardiff Bus	Wood Street	[6]
12	Drope	Riverside, Ninian Park, Ely (Cowbridge Rd West), Culverhouse Cross	Cardiff Bus	E3	[7]
13	Drope	Riverside, Canton, Victoria Park, Ely (Snowden Rd)	Cardiff Bus	E3	[8]
12, 13	Tremorfa	Cardiff Royal Infirmary, Splott	Cardiff Bus	Wood Street	[9]
17	Ely (Capital City Red)	Canton, Victoria Park, Caerau, Ely (Grand Avenue)	Cardiff Bus	Wood Street	[10]
18	Ely (Capital City Red)	Canton, Victoria Park, Ely (Grand Avenue), Caerau	Cardiff Bus	W7	[11]
21	Whitchurch	Gabalfa, Rhiwbina, Pantmawr	Cardiff Bus	D4	[12]
22	Pantmawr	Heath Hospital, Rhiwbina	Veolia	C5	[13]
23	Rhiwbina	Gabalfa, Whitchurch, Rhiwbina	Cardiff Bus	D4	[14]
24	Llandaff North	Whitchurch, Llandaff North, Llandaff Village	Cardiff Bus	D1A	[15]
25	Whitchurch	Cathedral Road, Llandaff Village, Llandaff North	Cardiff Bus	D2	[16]
26	Blackwood & Markham	Whitchurch, Tongwynlais, Nantgarw, Caerphilly	Stagecoach	C1	[17]
26A	Tongwynlais (Castell Coch)	Whitchurch, Coryton	Veolia	C5	[18]
26B	Gwaelod-y-Garth	Whitchurch, Coryton	Easyway	C5	[19]
30	Newport	Rumney, Castleton	Cardiff Bus Newport Bus	E4	[20]
32	St Fagans	Cathedral Road, Fairwater	Veolia	D1B	[21]
33, 33A, 33B	Radyr	Canton, Fairwater, Danescourt	Cardiff Bus	D1B	[22]
35	Cardiff Bay	Bute Street	Cardiff Bus	E1	[23]
37	Gabalfa	North Road	New Adventure Travel	C5
51	Pentwyn	Albany Rd, Penylan, Llanedeyrn	Cardiff Bus	E3	[24]
53	Pentwyn	North Rd, Heath Hospital, Cyncoed Village	Cardiff Bus	E3	[25]
55	Pentwyn	Albany Rd, Penylan, Llanedeyrn	Veolia	C5	[26]
60	Danescourt	Canton, Fairwater Green, Pentrebane	Cardiff Bus	D3	[27]
61	Pentrebane	Wyndham Crescent, Victoria Park, Fairwater Green	Cardiff Bus	E2	[28]
62	Pentrebane	Cathedral Road, Llandaff, Danescourt	Cardiff Bus	D2	[29]
62A	Danescourt	Cathedral Road, Llandaff Village	Cardiff Bus	D2	[30]
85	Lisvane & Heath Hospital	Cathays, Heath, Llanishen, Caerphilly Road	Cardiff Bus	C5	[31]
86	Lisvane	Heath Hospital, Heath, Llanishen	Cardiff Bus	C5	[32]
92	Penarth	Leckwith, Cogan, Penarth Centre, Cefn Mably	Cardiff Bus	Wood Street/E4	[33]
93	Barry	Leckwith, Cogan, Penarth Centre, Dinas Powys	Cardiff Bus	Westgate Street	[34]
94	Barry	Leckwith, Cogan, Penarth Centre, Cefn Mably, Cosmeston Lakes, King Square	Cardiff Bus	Wood Street Street/E4	[35]
95	Barry Island	(Day Time Cardiff Bus) Llandough, Cogan, Dinas Powys, Cadoxton Gibbonsdown, Barry Town (Night Time EST Buses) Leckwith, Llandough, Barry, Cardiff Airport, Rhoose, St Athan, Llantwit Major	Cardiff Bus EST	F2/E3	[36]
96	Barry	Cowbridge Road West, Wenvoe, Colcot	Cardiff Bus	E1	[37]
100	Swansea Bus Station	Leckwith, Bridgend Retail Outlet	First Cymru	B4	[38]
101 102	Ely, Heath Hospital & St Mellons	Canton, Green Farm Road, Danescourt, Llandaff, Heath, Albany Road, Newport Road	Cardiff Bus	E1	[39]
124	Maerdy	Llandaff, Creigiau, Talbot Green, RG Hospital, Tonypandy, Porth, Ferndale	Stagecoach	C3	[40]
132	Maerdy	North Road, Whitchurch, Pontypridd, Porth	Stagecoach	C2	[41]
136	Pentyrch/Creigau	North Road, Whitchurch, Taffs Well, Pentyrch	Stagecoach	C3	[42]
138	Rhydlafa	Llandaff, Radyr, Pentyrch, Creigiau	Veolia	C3	[43]
201	Gatwick Airport	Newport, Bristol, Reading	National Express	B1/B2/B3	[44]
201, 202	Swansea bus station		National Express	B1/B2/B3	[45]
202	Heathrow Airport	Newport, Bristol, Reading	National Express	B1/B2/B3	[46]
320	Talbot Green	Fairwater, St Fagans, Hensol, Pontyclun	Easyway	D1B	[47]
320	Bradford	Newport, Birmingham, Derby, Sheffield, Leeds	National Express	B1/B2/B3	[48]
322	Brecon	Pontypridd - Merthyr Tydfil	National Express	B1/B2/B3	[49]
322	Scarborough	Newport - Birmingham - Nottingham - Doncaster - Hull	National Express	B1/B2/B3	[50]
322	Barry King's Square	Culverhouse Cross, Bonvilston, Colcot	Easyway	D1B	[51]
509	London Victoria	Newport, Chepstow	National Express	B1/B2/B3	[52]
509	Swansea Bus Station	Non-Stop	National Express	B1/B2/B3	[53]
890	Cork (city)	Limited stop	Eurolines	?/?/?	[54]
A, B, X	Caerphilly	Heath Hospital, Caerphilly Road	Stagecoach	C4	[55]
X2	Porthcawl	Culverhouse Cross, St. Nicholas, Bonvilston, Cowbridge, Bridgend	First Cymru	B5	[56]
X3	Abergavenny	Cwmbran, Pontypool	Stagecoach	C3	[57]
X4	Hereford	Pontypridd, Merthyr Tydfil, Tredegar, Ebbw Vale, Brynmawr, Abergavenny, Pontrilas	Stagecoach	C1	[58]
X5	Llantwit Major	Llandough, Dinas Powys, Barry, Cardiff International Airport, Rhoose, St Athan	Veolia	B6	[59]
X6	Aberdare	Pontypridd, Abercynon, Mountain Ash, Aberaman	Veolia	B6	[60]
X16	Abertillery	Castleton, Rogerstone, Risca, Crosskeys, Newbridge, Llanhileth	Stagecoach Veolia	C2	[61]
X17	Blackwood	Castleton, Rogerstone, Risca, Crosskeys, Newbridge	Stagecoach	C2	[62]
X30	Newport	Gabalfa Interchange	Newport Bus	E4	[63]
X32	Maerdy	Pontypridd, Porth, Tylorstown, Ferndale	Stagecoach	C1	[64]
X40	Aberystwyth	Bridgend Retail Outlet, Swansea, Carmarthen, Pencader, Lampeter, Aberaeron	Arriva (Traws Cambria)	C1	[65]
X45	Llantwit Major	Leckwith, Llandough, Barry, Cardiff Airport, Rhoose	E.S.T Buses	B6	[66]
X91	Llantwit Major	Leckwith, Barry, Cardiff International Airport, St Athan (LIMITED STOP)	Cardiff Bus	Wood Street/F1	[67]

See also

• Transport in Wales
• List of bus stations in Wales