Date set for Exeter bus station opening

All aboard from Sunday 25 July

Exeter's new £8 million bus station will open on Sunday 25 July, it has been revealed.
 
The new building – a striking glass-fronted building on Bampfylde Street in the city centre - replaces the dilapidated facility constructed in the 1960s, and will be operated by Stagecoach South West.

The redevelopment has been years in the making and, alongside the nearby £52 million leisure centre, St Sidwell's Point, which has yet to open, has been mired in controversy. 

Radio Exe will be celebrating the opening with a special programme on the first morning that passengers get to use the bus station. 
 
Exeter City Council says the new bus station: "will promote green public transport in the city and rural communities for decades to come." Council leader Cllr Phil Bialyk (Labour) said: “As a former bus driver this new station is obviously very close to my heart, and I am delighted that the City Council has been able to deliver it.

“It is right next door to the new leisure centre, St Sidwell’s Point, which will open later this year, and I couldn’t be more pleased that we have been able to provide a brand new facility worthy of our great city.
 
“This station looks fantastic and is a great new gateway to Exeter. The old bus station did a job for many years but is well past its sell-by date and to have a brand new facility is fantastic news for Exeter and the whole region.
 
Stagecoach South West managing director Mike Watson said: “It’s a great time to be welcoming more people back to buses as restrictions across the UK are lifted.

"We’re delighted to be able to offer our passengers a brand new modern facility packed with travel information. We’ve made a significant investment in the latest technology to display clear departure information. We hope that our passengers will find traveling with us is even easier than before.”
 
Doug Lloyd, operations director at Kier Regional Building Western and Wales, said: “The station is filled with natural light as a result of its glass front, the building is spacious and accessible and it has plenty of seating areas.
 
“We are proud to have worked with our local supply chain partners to deliver this important project which we hope will bring benefits to the Exeter community for years to come.”

The new station, built on the same site as the old station, was funded by Exeter City Council and a £800,000 grant from the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise’s ‘Getting Building Fund’.
 
The current bus station will close at midnight on Saturday July 24. The first bus out of the new station will depart at 04.25 on Sunday July 25.

Buses will arrive behind automatic glass doors at each stand, ensuring that people will be protected from the elements in all weathers.
 
For more information about services visit www.stagecoachbus.com/southwest or email southwest.enquiries@stagecoachbus.com