Winchester welcomes first bus since £400,000 revamp

Civic and business chiefs had an early start to the day to see the vehicle drive through the ribbon, marking the opening of the new Winchester Bus Station.

Since closing in July, it has undergone a renovation programme giving it an open and pedestrian-friendly layout, with the aim of making it safer for all bus users, as well as improving real-time bus information.

Cllr Caroline Horrill, leader of Winchester City Council, said: “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.”

Ed Wills, operations director at Bluestar, said: “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.”

As previously reported, the city council struck a deal with bus operator Stagecoach to buy the building for a fee, believed to be £4m.

Gordon Frost, operations director at Stagecoach South, said: “We’ve been talking about redeveloping the bus station for about 20 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 far more comfortable for our customers.”

Cllr Rob Humby, deputy leader of Winchester City Council and Hampshire County Council’s Transport chief, added: “This partnership between the bus operators, Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council is about making the customer experience better for our visitors.”