It was an early start on Tuesday 5 September as councillors and bus operator chiefs witnessed the first official bus drive through a red ribbon into the station, marking the opening of the newly renovated bus station in Winchester.
The bus station has undergone a £400k renovation programme giving it an open and pedestrian-friendly layout, making it safer for all bus users – and improving real time bus information.
Cllr Caroline Horrill, Leader of Winchester City Council, said at the opening:
It’s great to be here at the opening of the bus station, we’re delighted with the support we’ve had from the bus operators, particularly from Stagecoach who’ve worked with us closely to make this happen on time with the minimum disruption. The place is absolutely transformed, it’s so open and it feels safer as a consequence. The facilities are hugely enhanced and as the buses will not travel up the High Street any longer there is improved safety benefitting residents and bus users.
Ed Wills, Operations Director at Bluestar, commented
This is going to make a big difference for all the customers using the services particularly the Bluestar 1. It’s a great example of partnership working between Winchester City Council, Hampshire County Council and the operators.
Gordon Frost, Operations Director at Stagecoach South, added
We’ve been talking about redeveloping the bus station for about twenty years. There has been a succession of developers that have come and gone without actually putting anything on the ground. Within three months of the Council buying the bus station, they’ve demolished the old depot and remodelled the whole bus station to provide a facility that’s more light and air and far more comfortable for our customers.
Cllr Rob Humby, Winchester City Council’s Deputy Leader and Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said
This partnership between the bus operators, Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council is about making the customer experience better for our visitors and our residents and making sure that we join things up.
Winchester City and Hampshire County Councillers, standing alongside senior managers from Stagecoach and Bluestar.
