NEW CITY BUS STATION... BY 2023!
AFTER YEARS OF DELAYS, DEAL FOR NEW INTERCHANGE FINALLY REVEALED – BUT PASSENGERS FACE LONG WAIT BEFORE FIRST BUSES ARRIVE
AFTER years of delays, Cardiff is finally getting a bus station. But it’ll be another four years until passengers are using it.
Work to build the bus station, on land in front of Cardiff Central railway station, will start in November, after a drain is moved which will allow the main construction works to begin.
In the second half of 2022, developer Rightacres will hand the building over to Transport for Wales.
There will then be a six to ninemonth fit-out to get it ready for passengers to use from spring 2023.
Several different plans for a transport interchange have been put forward and scrapped over the past five years.
It has taken a deal – finally announced today after contracts were exchanged – between the Welsh Government, financial giant Legal & General and developer Rightacres to bring the scheme to reality.
The Welsh Government has spent £15m buying land for the bus station and will pay £15m to fit out the building.
The bus station funding is part of a wider redevelopment of the whole Cardiff Central public transport interchange.
The UK Government recently announced £58m towards improving the central railway station.
So far, £40m has already been pledged from the City Deal and £15m from Transport for Wales Rail.
The Welsh Government says all the developments will mean £150m from the public sector and transport providers.
There is also “significant” private sector funding, including Legal & General.
The bus interchange will be operated by Transport for Wales and have bays for 14 buses and coaches where part of the old bus station was.
The buildings above the station will include 318 flats and offices. The flats will only be available to rent.
Not all bus services will use the station. Some will continue to use bus stands on neighbouring streets, which will also be upgraded to have “the same look and feel as the bus station”. Details are yet to be announced of how many, or where, changes will be made.
A spokesman said: “Transport for Wales is currently working through the proposals for the upgrades to the onstreet stands with Cardiff City Council. More details will be available as that work develops over the coming months.”
There are also plans for developing land to the south of the station, adding four extra bays.
The bus station will be built on land where Marland House used to be. As you leave the main entrance of Cardiff Central, it will be built on the current vacant piece of land between the new BBC headquarters and the Prince of Wales pub.
The redevelopment of Central Square has been ongoing for a number of years. The first office block, called One Central Square, opened in 2016.
Two Central Square opened in 2018, containing Cardiff University’s School of Journalism and Hugh James Solicitiors.
The BBC Wales building is currently being fitted out by the broadcaster, and staff are due to begin moving in this year.
HMRC is relocating 4,000 staff from Llanishen to Cardiff city centre. Staff are due to move in there from 2020.
St David’s House has been demolished and another office building will be built there.
Transport Minister Ken Skates said: “This Welsh Government-supported investment in the Cardiff Central bus interchange will be developed alongside, and work seamlessly with, Wales’s busiest railway station to form a fully integrated passenger experience at the heart of our capital city.
“And this is only the first phase of the redevelopment of Cardiff Central. Our partners in the City Deal have set aside £40m for future developments, with our continued partnership with the private sector marrying transport, residential and work spaces and developing a new identity for this crucial entry point to Cardiff.”
Rightacres chief executive Paul McCarthy said: “Unlocking this development has been a complex process but we are pleased that the various stakeholders in this project are now aligned and this vitally important development can now get under way.
“Cardiff Central is the key gateway to Wales and as more businesses and people move into Cardiff city centre the transport hub will provide everincreasing economic, environmental and social value.”
Tom Roberts, from Legal & General, said: “Rising to the challenges faced by modern cities requires a next-level approach to transit hub development.
“To meet the expectations of modern city-dwellers and to improve their quality of life, these hubs must be genuinely mixed developments, offering a range of residential and work space. Legal & General is committed to funding and delivering this kind of sustainable development.”
Cardiff Council’s leader Huw Thomas said: “The building of a new bus interchange has been a numberone priority for the council since day one of this administration, reflecting our commitment to delivering more and better jobs for the people of Cardiff and beyond.
“This will be the final stage of the completion of Central Square, which is the biggest regeneration project in Wales.
“The council’s original masterplan for this part of the city is now a reality and we are delighted that, through it, thousands of jobs are being created in the Welsh capital.”