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Coordinates: 52°28′31″N 1°53′19″W / 52.47524°N 1.8886°W / 52.47524; -1.8886
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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox GB bus station
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}
| name=Birmingham Coach Station
{{Infobox station
| image name=Birmingham_Coach_Station.jpg
| name = Birmingham Coach Station
| image_caption = The station at night
| other_name = Digbeth Coach Station
| type = Coach interchange
| image = Birmingham Coach Station, interior, 2024.jpg
| locale= [[Digbeth]], [[Birmingham]], [[England]]
| image_size =
| borough=
| image_caption = Interior of the station
| longitude = -1.8886
| other_name = Digbeth Coach Station
| latitude = 52.47524
| address = [[Digbeth]], [[Birmingham]], England
| gridref =
| coordinates = {{coord|52.47524|-1.8886|region:GB-BIR|display=inline,title}}
| start= {{Start date|1929}}
| opened = {{Start date|1929}}
| manager=
| bus_stands = 16
| travelcentre=
| bus_operators = {{Plainlist|
| stands= 16
| operators={{unbulleted list|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]|[[Ulsterbus]]|[[Eurolines]]}}
*[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
}}
| natexp=Yes
| railstation=
| usage=
}}
}}


'''Birmingham Coach Station''' (formerly '''Digbeth Coach Station''') is a major coach interchange in [[Digbeth]], [[Birmingham]], [[England]] offering services to destinations throughout [[Great Britain]] and also to [[Belfast]] and [[Dublin]]. [[National Express]], the largest scheduled coach service provider in [[Europe]], has its national headquarters on the site<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lsh.co.uk/pages/news_detail.asp?id=1251|title=LSH plays integral role in £15m redevelopment of Birmingham Coach Station|publisher=LSH}}</ref>. The refurbishment was estimated to have cost £15 million.<ref name=NatExPlan/>
'''Birmingham Coach Station''' (formerly '''Digbeth Coach Station''') is a major coach interchange in [[Digbeth]], [[Birmingham]], England offering services to destinations throughout the island of Great Britain and also to [[Belfast]] and [[Dublin]]. [[National Express Coaches|National Express]], the largest scheduled coach service provider in Europe, has its national headquarters on the site.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lsh.co.uk/pages/news_detail.asp?id=1251|title=LSH plays integral role in £15m redevelopment of Birmingham Coach Station|publisher=Lambert Smith Hampton|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009121948/http://www.lsh.co.uk/pages/news_detail.asp?id=1251|archivedate=9 October 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>


==History==
It was officially reopened on 18 December 2009 by [[England national football team|England]] national football manager [[Fabio Capello]].<ref name="Capello">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/8421368.stm|title=England boss Capello opens Birmingham coach station|last=Portlock |first=Sarah|date=18 December 2009|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|accessdate=20 December 2009}}</ref>
[[File:Digbeth Coach Station -entrance -Birmingham -UK.jpg|thumb|left|The vehicle entrance of the original Digbeth Coach Station, built in 1929 as a bus depot]]
The original interchange was built in 1929 as a bus depot by [[Midland Red]], which was later converted into Digbeth Coach Station. Successor company [[Midland Red West]] used the coach station as a base for its Birmingham and Black Country operations. The original building was dark and dingy as it was not originally intended to serve passengers as a coach interchange.<ref name=BBC141209>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/8410624.stm | work=BBC News | title=First bus leaves revamped station | date=14 December 2009}}</ref>


Plans were initially developed for a new coach station on Great Charles Street, as Digbeth was considered by National Express to be an "undesirable" location.<ref>[http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=3157&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=1338 Birmingham Coach Station Application Withdrawn] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060404135300/http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=3157&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=1338 |date=4 April 2006 }} Birmingham City Council</ref> However, after the completion of the new [[Bullring, Birmingham|Bullring]] and the planned [[Eastside, Birmingham|Eastside]] redevelopment, it was decided to demolish the old structure and build a new coach station on the same site.<ref name=BBC141209/> Outline planning application for a design by [[Make Architects]] was submitted on behalf of National Express to [[Birmingham City Council]] in March 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalexpress.com/utilities/press7.cfm|title=Outline Planning Application Press Release}}</ref> However this option was abandoned in favour of a competing design by SBS Architects.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/sbs-replaces-make-on-digbeth-coach-station-job/1798173.article|title=SBS Replaces Make|date=14 August 2008 }}</ref> The final [[planning application]] for the design by SBS Architects was submitted on 29 October 2007.<ref name=NatExPlan/>
== History ==
[[File:Digbeth_Coach_Station_-entrance_-Birmingham_-UK.jpg|thumb|left|The original "dark and dingy" Digbeth Coach Station, built in 1929 as a bus depot]]


The old coach station closed in November 2007 for redevelopment and during reconstruction National Express used a temporary site in Oxford Street on the opposite side of Digbeth High Street, called Birmingham Central Coach Station. The refurbishment was estimated to have cost £15 million.<ref name=NatExPlan>[http://www.nationalexpress.com/utilities/press37.cfm NatEx press release 29 October 2007]</ref> It was officially reopened on 18 December 2009 by the then [[England national football team]] manager [[Fabio Capello]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/8421368.stm|title=England boss Capello opens Birmingham coach station|last=Portlock |first=Sarah|date=18 December 2009|work=BBC News|accessdate=20 December 2009}}</ref> The new station has been awarded a [[BREEAM]] 'Excellent' rating.

The original interchange was built on the site by [[Midland Red]] in 1929 to be used as a bus depot. This was later converted in to Digbeth Coach Station. The original building was dark and dingy as it was not originally intended to serve passengers as a coach interchange.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/8410624.stm | work=BBC News | title=First bus leaves revamped station | date=14 December 2009}}</ref>

Plans were initially developed for a new coach station on Great Charles Street, as Digbeth was considered by National Express to be an "undesirable" location.<ref>[http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=3157&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=1338 Birmingham Coach Station Application Withdrawn]</ref> However, after the completion of the new [[Bullring, Birmingham|Bullring]] and the planned [[Eastside, Birmingham|Eastside]] redevelopment, it was decided to demolish the old structure and build a new coach station on the same site.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/8410624.stm | work=BBC News | title=First bus leaves revamped station | date=14 December 2009}}</ref>

Outline planning application for a design by [[MAKE Architects]] was submitted on behalf of National Express Ltd to Birmingham City Council in March 2006 <ref name="outlineplan">{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalexpress.com/utilities/press7.cfm|title=Outline Planning Application Press Release}}</ref>. However this option was abandoned in favour of a competing design by SBS Architects<ref name="SBSreplacesMake">{{cite web|url=http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/sbs-replaces-make-on-digbeth-coach-station-job/1798173.article|title=SBS Replaces Make}}</ref>.

The final [[planning application]] for the design by SBS Architects was submitted on 29 October 2007.<ref name=NatExPlan>[http://www.nationalexpress.com/utilities/press37.cfm NatEx press release 29 October 2007]</ref>

The old coach station closed in November 2007 for redevelopment and during reconstruction National Express used a temporary site in Oxford Street on the opposite side of Digbeth High Street, called Birmingham Central Coach Station. The new station has been awarded an 'Excellent' rating under the BRE Environmental Assessment Method - the most widely used system for judging how environmentally friendly a building is. A number of passengers had to stay in the Coach Station overnight on Saturday 18th December 2010 as the transport network of Britain came to a standstill and rail and road traffic was unable to enter or leave Birmingham and other parts of the country.

[[File:Birmingham Coach Station Rear.jpg|thumb|right|December 2009 - The rear of the new coach station]]

==Services==
*[[National Express]] offer services to destinations throughout [[Great Britain]]
*[[Ulsterbus]] offer services to [[Belfast]]
*[[Eurolines]] offer services to [[Dublin]] and [[Poland]].

{|class="wikitable" cellpadding="5" border="1" cellspacing="0"
!|Route Number
!|Origin
!|Intermediate stops
!|Destination
!|Provider
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 210|210]]
|[[Wolverhampton bus station|Wolverhampton]]
|[[Dudley bus station|Dudley]], '''Birmingham''', [[Birmingham International Airport, West Midlands|Birmingham International Airport]], Banbury, [[Heathrow Airport Central bus station|London Heathrow Airport]]
|[[London Gatwick Airport]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 304|304]]
|Liverpool
|[[Conway Park railway station|Birkenhead]], Chester, '''Birmingham''', Oxford, Southampton, [[Bournemouth railway station|Bournemouth]], Poole, [[Dorchester South railway station|Dorchester]]
|Weymouth
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 308|308]]
|'''Birmingham'''
|[[Pool Meadow Bus Station|Coventry]], [[St Margaret's bus station|Leicester]], [[Queensgate shopping centre|Peterborough]], Wisbech, King's Lynn, Swaffham, [[Norwich bus station|Norwich]]
|[[Market Gates Shopping Centre|Great Yarmouth]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 310|310]]
|'''Birmingham'''
|[[Pool Meadow Bus Station|Coventry]], [[St Margaret's bus station|Leicester]], [[Broadmarsh bus station|Nottingham]], Mansfield, [[Sheffield Interchange|Sheffield]], [[Leeds City bus station|Leeds]]
|[[Bradford Interchange|Bradford]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 318|318]]
|Liverpool
|[[Warrington Bus Interchange|Warrington]], Stoke-on-Trent, '''Birmingham''', Worcester, Cheltenham, Gloucester
|[[Bristol Bus Station|Bristol]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 320|320]]
|[[Bradford Interchange|Bradford]]
|[[Leeds City bus station|Leeds]], [[Sheffield Interchange|Sheffield]], [[Chesterfield coach station|Chesterfield]], [[Derby bus station|Derby]], '''Birmingham''', [[Birmingham International Airport, West Midlands|Birmingham International Airport]], Warwick, Leamington Spa, Banbury
|Oxford
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 320|320]]
|[[Bradford Interchange|Bradford]]
|[[Leeds City bus station|Leeds]], [[Sheffield Interchange|Sheffield]], [[Chesterfield coach station|Chesterfield]], [[Derby bus station|Derby]], '''Birmingham''', Worcester, [[Newport bus station|Newport]]
|[[Cardiff Central bus station|Cardiff]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 321|321]]
|[[Bradford Interchange|Bradford]]
|[[Leeds City bus station|Leeds]], [[Sheffield Interchange|Sheffield]], [[Chesterfield coach station|Chesterfield]], [[Derby bus station|Derby]], '''Birmingham''', Worcester, Great Malvern, Hereford, Abergavenny, Merthyr Tydfil
|[[Aberdare bus station|Aberdare]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 322|322]]
|[[Scarborough railway station|Scarborough]]
|Bridlington, [[Hull Paragon Interchange|Hull]], Scunthorpe, [[Doncaster Frenchgate Interchange|Doncaster]], Mansfield, [[Broadmarsh bus station|Nottingham]], '''Birmingham''', Worcester, [[Newport bus station|Newport]], [[Cardiff Central bus station|Cardiff]], Bridgend, [[Port Talbot bus station|Port Talbot]]
|Swansea
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 324|324]]
|[[Bradford Interchange|Bradford]]
|[[Leeds City bus station|Leeds]], [[Sheffield Interchange|Sheffield]], [[Chesterfield coach station|Chesterfield]], [[Derby bus station|Derby]], Lichfield, [[Birmingham]], Worcester, [[Bristol Bus Station|Bristol]], Exeter, Newton Abbot, Torquay
|Paignton
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 328|328]]
|[[Rochdale bus station|Rochdale]]
|[[Oldham bus station|Oldham]], Manchester, [[Manchester Airport]], [[Wolverhampton bus station|Wolverhampton]], '''Birmingham''', Worcester, [[Bristol Bus Station|Bristol]], Bridgwater, Taunton
|Plymouth
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 330|330]]
|[[Broadmarsh bus station|Nottingham]]
|Loughborough, [[St Margaret's bus station|Leicester]], '''Birmingham''', Worcester, [[Bristol Bus Station|Bristol]], Plymouth, Bodmin, Newquay, Redruth, Camborne, Hayle, St Ives
|[[Penzance railway station|Penzance]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 332|332]]
|'''Birmingham'''
|[[St Margaret's bus station|Leicester]], [[Broadmarsh bus station|Nottingham]], Mansfield, [[Doncaster Frenchgate Interchange|Doncaster]], Darlington, [[Middlesbrough bus station|Middlesbrough]], [[Park Lane Interchange|Sunderland]]
|[[Newcastle coach station|Newcastle upon Tyne]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 335|335]]
|[[Halifax bus station|Halifax]]
|[[Huddersfield bus station|Huddersfield]], [[Dewsbury bus station|Dewsbury]], [[Wakefield bus station|Wakefield]], [[Barnsley Interchange|Barnsley]], [[St Margaret's bus station|Leicester]], '''Birmingham''', Evesham, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Swindon, Salisbury, [[Bournemouth railway station|Bournemouth]]
|Poole
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 336|336]]
|[[Edinburgh Bus Station|Edinburgh]]
|[[Buchanan bus station|Glasgow]], [[Carlisle bus station|Carlisle]], Lancaster, [[Preston bus station|Preston]], Salford, Manchester, [[Manchester Airport]], Stoke-on-Trent, '''Birmingham''', [[Bristol Bus Station|Bristol]], Taunton, Exeter, Plymouth, Liskeard, [[St Austell bus station|St Austell]], [[Truro bus station|Truro]], Redruth, Camborne, Hayle
|[[Penzance railway station|Penzance]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 339|339]]
|Grimsby
|Cleethorpes, [[Lincoln bus station|Lincoln]], Newark-on-Trent, [[St Margaret's bus station|Leicester]], '''Birmingham''', Cheltenham, [[Bristol Bus Station|Bristol]], Weston-super-Mare, Bridgwater, Taunton, Tiverton, Barnstaple, Bideford
|Westward Ho!
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 420|420]]
|'''Birmingham'''
|Solihull
|[[Victoria Coach Station|London Victoria]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 420|420]]
|[[Wolverhampton bus station|Wolverhampton]]
|[[Dudley bus station|Dudley]], '''Birmingham''', [[Pool Meadow Bus Station|Coventry]]
|[[Victoria Coach Station|London]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 420|420]]
|[[Victoria Coach Station|London]]
|'''Birmingham''', Walsall, Cannock
|[[Stafford railway station|Stafford]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 420|420]]
|[[Victoria Coach Station|London]]
|'''Birmingham''', Telford, Shrewsbury, Welshpool, Newtown
|Aberystwyth
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 420|420]]
|[[Victoria Coach Station|London]]
|'''Birmingham''', Telford, Shrewsbury, Oswestry
|[[Wrexham bus station|Wrexham]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 421|421]]
|[[Victoria Coach Station|London]]
|[[Heathrow Airport Central bus station|London Heathrow Airport]], Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, '''Birmingham''', [[Stafford railway station|Stafford]], Stoke-on-Trent, Chester, Ellesmere Port, [[Conway Park railway station|Birkenhead]], Liverpool, [[Preston bus station|Preston]]
|Blackpool
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 422|422]]
|[[Victoria Coach Station|London]]
|[[London Luton Airport]], Luton, [[Milton Keynes Coachway|Milton Keynes]], [[Pool Meadow Bus Station|Coventry]], [[Birmingham International Airport, West Midlands|Birmingham International Airport]], '''Birmingham''', [[Dudley bus station|Dudley]], [[Wolverhampton bus station|Wolverhampton]], [[Manchester Airport]], Manchester, Salford, Bolton, [[Blackburn Boulevard bus station|Blackburn]], Accrington
|[[Burnley bus station|Burnley]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 530|530]]
|[[Newcastle coach station|Newcastle upon Tyne]]
|[[Park Lane Interchange|Sunderland]], [[Middlesbrough bus station|Middlesbrough]], [[York railway station|York]], '''Birmingham''', Worcester, [[Bristol Bus Station|Bristol]], Exeter, Newton Abbot, Torquay
|Paignton
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 531|531]]
|[[Newcastle coach station|Newcastle upon Tyne]]
|[[Gateshead Interchange|Gateshead]], [[Park Lane Interchange|Sunderland]], [[Middlesbrough bus station|Middlesbrough]], Darlington, '''Birmingham''', Gloucester, [[Bristol Bus Station|Bristol]]
|Plymouth
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 536|536]]
|[[Edinburgh bus station|Edinburgh]]
|[[Buchanan bus station|Glasgow]], [[Hamilton bus station|Hamilton]], [[Carlisle bus station|Carlisle]], [[Wolverhampton bus station|Wolverhampton]], '''Birmingham''', Worcester, Monmouth, [[Newport bus station|Newport]]
|[[Cardiff Central bus station|Cardiff]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 538|538]]
|[[Pool Meadow Bus Station|Coventry]]
|[[Birmingham International Airport, West Midlands|Birmingham International Airport]], '''Birmingham''', Stoke-on-Trent, [[Manchester Airport]], Manchester, [[Preston bus station|Preston]], [[Carlisle bus station|Carlisle]], [[Hamilton bus station|Hamilton]], [[Buchanan bus station|Glasgow]], Stirling, Perth, Pitlochry, [[Aviemore railway station|Aviemore]]
|[[Inverness bus station|Inverness]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 539|539]]
|[[Edinburgh bus station|Edinburgh]]
|[[Buchanan bus station|Glasgow]], [[Hamilton bus station|Hamilton]], [[Carlisle bus station|Carlisle]], [[Penrith railway station|Penrith]], '''Birmingham''', Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford, Newbury, Winchester, Southampton
|[[Bournemouth railway station|Bournemouth]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 540|540]]
|[[Victoria Coach Station|London]]
|'''Birmingham'''
|Manchester
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 545|545]]
|[[Victoria Coach Station|London]]
|[[Milton Keynes Coachway|Milton Keynes]], '''Birmingham''',
|
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 550|550]]
|[[Victoria Coach Station|London]]
|'''Birmingham''', Stoke-on-Trent, [[Warrington Bus Interchange|Warrington]]
|Liverpool
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 570|570]]
|[[Victoria Coach Station|London]]
|[[Milton Keynes Coachway|Milton Keynes]], '''Birmingham''', St Helens, [[Preston bus station|Preston]]
|Blackpool
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 570|570]]
|[[Victoria Coach Station|London]]
|[[Milton Keynes Coachway|Milton Keynes]], '''Birmingham''', [[Preston bus station|Preston]], Lancaster, Kendal, [[Windermere railway station|Windermere]], Keswick, Cockermouth, Workington
|Whitehaven
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|[[National Express Coach route 777|777]]
|[[Wolverhampton bus station|Wolverhampton]]
|[[Dudley bus station|Dudley]], '''Birmingham''', [[Birmingham International Airport, West Midlands|Birmingham International Airport]], [[Pool Meadow Bus Station|Coventry]], [[Milton Keynes Coachway|Milton Keynes]], Luton, [[London Luton Airport]], Hitchin, Stevenage
|[[London Stansted Airport]]
|[[National Express Coaches|National Express]]
|-
|871
|[[Victoria Coach Station|London]]
|Luton, [[Milton Keynes Coachway|Milton Keynes]], [[Pool Meadow Bus Station|Coventry]], '''Birmingham''', Holyhead
|[[Busáras|Dublin]]
|[[Eurolines]]
|-
|920
|[[Victoria Coach Station|London]]
|[[Milton Keynes Coachway|Milton Keynes]], '''Birmingham''', Manchester, [[Carlisle bus station|Carlisle]], Dumfries, Stranraer
|[[Great Victoria Street railway station (Belfast)|Belfast]]
|[[Eurolines]]
|-
|921
|'''Birmingham'''
|Manchester, [[Preston bus station|Preston]], [[Carlisle bus station|Carlisle]], Cairnryan, Larne
|[[Great Victoria Street railway station (Belfast)|Belfast]]
|[[Eurolines]]
|-
|}


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{commonscat inline}}
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7067087.stm October 2007 BBC news article with pictures]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7067087.stm October 2007 BBC news article with pictures]
* [http://www.sbsarch.co.uk Architects Website]
*[http://www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/album/863076 Album of photographs taken in and around the old Digbeth Coach Station]
{{West Midlands Buses navbox}}

{{BirminghamBuildings}}
{{BirminghamBuildings}}
{{Transport in the West Midlands Metropolitan County}}


[[Category:Buildings and structures in Birmingham, West Midlands]]
[[Category:Bus stations in the West Midlands (county)]]
[[Category:Transport in Birmingham, West Midlands]]
[[Category:Transport in Birmingham, West Midlands]]
[[Category:Bus stations in the West Midlands (county)]]
[[Category:Transport infrastructure completed in 1929]]
[[Category:Bus stations in England]]
[[Category:1929 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Birmingham, West Midlands]]
[[Category:Birmingham, West Midlands]]

Latest revision as of 02:13, 23 May 2024

Birmingham Coach Station
Coach interchange
Interior of the station
General information
Other namesDigbeth Coach Station
LocationDigbeth, Birmingham, England
Coordinates52°28′31″N 1°53′19″W / 52.47524°N 1.8886°W / 52.47524; -1.8886
Bus stands16
Bus operators
History
Opened1929 (1929)

Birmingham Coach Station (formerly Digbeth Coach Station) is a major coach interchange in Digbeth, Birmingham, England offering services to destinations throughout the island of Great Britain and also to Belfast and Dublin. National Express, the largest scheduled coach service provider in Europe, has its national headquarters on the site.[1]

History

[edit]
The vehicle entrance of the original Digbeth Coach Station, built in 1929 as a bus depot

The original interchange was built in 1929 as a bus depot by Midland Red, which was later converted into Digbeth Coach Station. Successor company Midland Red West used the coach station as a base for its Birmingham and Black Country operations. The original building was dark and dingy as it was not originally intended to serve passengers as a coach interchange.[2]

Plans were initially developed for a new coach station on Great Charles Street, as Digbeth was considered by National Express to be an "undesirable" location.[3] However, after the completion of the new Bullring and the planned Eastside redevelopment, it was decided to demolish the old structure and build a new coach station on the same site.[2] Outline planning application for a design by Make Architects was submitted on behalf of National Express to Birmingham City Council in March 2006.[4] However this option was abandoned in favour of a competing design by SBS Architects.[5] The final planning application for the design by SBS Architects was submitted on 29 October 2007.[6]

The old coach station closed in November 2007 for redevelopment and during reconstruction National Express used a temporary site in Oxford Street on the opposite side of Digbeth High Street, called Birmingham Central Coach Station. The refurbishment was estimated to have cost £15 million.[6] It was officially reopened on 18 December 2009 by the then England national football team manager Fabio Capello.[7] The new station has been awarded a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "LSH plays integral role in £15m redevelopment of Birmingham Coach Station". Lambert Smith Hampton. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011.
  2. ^ a b "First bus leaves revamped station". BBC News. 14 December 2009.
  3. ^ Birmingham Coach Station Application Withdrawn Archived 4 April 2006 at the Wayback Machine Birmingham City Council
  4. ^ "Outline Planning Application Press Release".
  5. ^ "SBS Replaces Make". 14 August 2008.
  6. ^ a b NatEx press release 29 October 2007
  7. ^ Portlock, Sarah (18 December 2009). "England boss Capello opens Birmingham coach station". BBC News. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
[edit]

Media related to Digbeth Coach Station at Wikimedia Commons

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