Dudley bus station explained

Address:Fisher Street, Dudley
Country:England
Owned:West Midlands Combined Authority
Operator:Transport for West Midlands
Bus Stands:19
Bus Operators:Arriva Midlands
Diamond West Midlands
National Express Coaches
National Express West Midlands
Bus Routes:22
Opened:1986

Dudley bus station is a bus station in Dudley, England. It is managed by Transport for West Midlands. Local bus and national coach services operated by various companies serve the bus station which has 19 departure stands.

The arrival stand is A and also on surrounding streets and the departures stands are lettered B - U (excluding I and O). U is allocated to long distance coach services, which are mainly pre-booked.

The original bus station was constructed along Birmingham Street on a steep hill overlooking Dudley Castle in about 1950. It was complemented by an additional line of shelters along neighbouring Fisher Street. However, a series on incidents of buses rolling back injuring passengers led to widespread local criticism of its design. This resulted in the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive rebuilding the bus station on a completely level site along Fisher Street. Construction of the new bus station began during 1985 and it was opened in 1986.[1] [2]

The original lay-over facilities on adjacent Portersfield still remain to this day, on part of what is now a public car park. As at September 2022, the 19 stands were served by 22 routes.[1]

The bus station is due to be redeveloped to create an interchange with the under construction West Midlands Metro line to Brierley Hill.[3] [4] Planning permission was granted in September 2022.[5] [6] Demolition of the bus station began in March 2024.[7]

Bus routes

RouteDestinationOperatorNotes
Tettenhall Wood via WolverhamptonNational Express West Midlands
Wrens Nest & Merry HillNational Express West Midlands
Kingswinford & Wall HeathDiamondThe 5A Continues To Wall Heath
StourbridgeNational Express West Midlands
Wollaston Junction via Merry HillNational Express West Midlands
Wollaston Farm & WolverhamptonNational Express West Midlands
Walsall via WednesburyNational Express West Midlands
Birmingham via OldburyNational Express West Midlands
Foxyards & HalesowenNational Express West MidlandsFoxyards journeys do not operate on Sundays
Merry HillNational Express West Midlands
StourbridgeDiamond BusSunday journeys and evening journeys terminate at Kingswinford
Merry HillDiamond Bus
Q.E. Hospital via HalesowenNational Express West Midlands
Merry HillNational Express West Midlands
WolverhamptonDiamond Bus
BirminghamNational Express West Midlands
West BromwichDiamond Bus
WolverhamptonBanga BusesDiamond run this service on evenings and Sundays
WolverhamptonNational Express West MidlandsDiamond also run this service on Sundays and nights
BirminghamNational Express West Midlands
BirminghamNational Express West Midlands
Birmingham & WolverhamptonNational Express West MidlandsSome Sunday journeys terminate only at Quinton and not go to Birmingham
BilstonDiamond Bus
Merry HillDiamond Bus
BilstonDiamond Bus

Former bus routes

RouteDestinationOperatorNotes
Merry HillNational Express West MidlandsService withdrawn in 2021
West Bromwich via TiptonNational Express West Midlands and Diamond Was cut only as far as Tipton Queens Rd as of the last timetable change
Merry HilliGo BusesService was scrapped in 2019 after the administration of iGo buses and Diamond ceased the Sunday daytime service all together
West BromwichNational Express West MidlandsService withdrawn in 2018 and was replaced by 12A between Dudley & Oldbury
BirminghamNational Express West MidlandsService withdrawn in 2018 and was replaced by 14 between Dudley & Blackheath
BirminghamNational Express West MidlandsService withdrawn in 2018 and was replaced by the X8 to/from Wolverhampton
HalesowenNational Express West MidlandsService withdrawn in 2018 and was replaced by the X8 between Dudley & Hurst Green and 14 between Hurst Green and Halesowen
Cradley HeathDiamond BusService withdrawn in 2019 and was replaced by 11/11A which was 81 at the time through Netherton and 24 through Saltwells

References

52.5113°N -2.0796°W

Notes and References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20220904101245/https://www.expressandstar.com/news/transport/2022/09/03/major-plans-to-demolish-dudley-bus-station-and-build-interchange-set-to-be-backed/ Major plans to demolish Dudley bus station and build interchange set to be backed
  2. https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/oldest-busiest-bus-station-west-24946382 Oldest and busiest bus station in West Midlands set to be demolished in futuristic plan
  3. Interchange at Dudley approved Rail issue 925 24 February 2021 page 22
  4. Web site: Holder . Bev . 2022-03-02 . Planning application brings £24m Dudley Interchange another step closer . 2022-09-24 . Dudley News. en.
  5. https://web.archive.org/web/20220925110737/https://www.wmca.org.uk/dudley-bus-and-metro-interchange-plans-get-green-light/ Dudley bus and Metro interchange plans get green light
  6. https://web.archive.org/web/20220925104120/https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/green-light-for-24m-west-midlands-station-22-09-2022/?tkn=1 Green light for £24M West Midlands station
  7. Web site: Vukmirovic . James . 2024-03-11 . Bus station demolition starts as travel plans for region announced . 2024-03-17 . www.expressandstar.com . en.