St Helens temporary bus hub set to open as part of town centre transformation plans
The existing St Helens bus station, on Bickerstaffe Street, will close following the last service on Saturday, May 17, ahead of the next step in the creation of greener, more accessible and comfortable public transport facilities in the heart of a transformed town centre.4
From the following morning (Sunday, May 18) all the services that currently operate from the existing bus station will, instead, be rerouted across the town centre.
Most services will arrive and depart from a new, temporary bus hub located on Chalon Way West. It features a travel centre, seven modern bus shelters, passenger information boards, and new pedestrian crossing points at both the Bridge Street and Market Street ends of Chalon Way West.
Upgraded lighting and CCTV has also been installed to enhance safety.
A small number of services will use the existing stops and shelters on Bridge Street, Shaw Street and Westfield Street, rather than the temporary hub.
Merseytravel staff will be on-site during the initial weeks to assist passengers in navigating the facility and directing them to the correct bus stands, ensuring a smooth transition.
This hub will remain in operation while the new, modern, St Helens Transport Interchange is constructed on an extended footprint of the current bus station.
The new interchange will include increased capacity, improved connectivity and accessibility, enhanced safety and comfort, more sustainable design, with improved public spaces that greatly enhance the sense of welcome and arrival in the heart of the town, including Gamble Square, a stunning new civic space between the interchange and the Gamble Building.
Cllr Richard McCauley, cabinet member for inclusive growth and regeneration at St Helens Borough Council, said: “Improving public transport is at the heart of our vision for a more attractive, welcoming, and people-friendly town centre.
“The new St Helens Interchange will help meet our long term transport needs by delivering a more efficient layout and significantly enhancing the experience for passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike. It will also make sure St Helens is a focal point in the new franchised bus network that is set to be rolled out across the Liverpool City Region.
“Opening the temporary bus hub will directly facilitate earliest delivery of the new St Helens Interchange whilst ensuring disruption for bus passengers and operators is minimised in the interim period.”
Cllr Steve Foulkes, chair of the transport committee at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, said: “Building work will soon begin on a brand-new transport interchange for St Helens. Delivered with £32m in funding from the combined authority it will better connect bus and rail services and provide new walking and cycling links for St Helens town centre.”
The St Helens Interchange is being delivered by St Helens Borough Council and ECF – a national regeneration partnership between Homes England, L&G, and Muse – with financial support from the Town Deal Fund along with the £32m of investment from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
The latter was made through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), part of a wider £710m boost to regional transport infrastructure.
Matt Whiteley, senior development manager at ECF, said: “The project team is pleased to be pressing on with this important next step to allow our ambitious vision to come to life. Our objective is to create an attractive, green, and accessible arrival point befitting a town centre going through a once-in-a-generation regeneration.”
The new interchange forms a key part of the first phase of the £100m regeneration of St Helens.
The broader plans will transform 24 acres of the town centre, including a new Market Hall, a mixed-use area anchored by a 120-bedroom Hampton by Hilton hotel, 64 high quality new homes, 11,000 sq ft of modern retail space, and a range of high quality public areas designed to create a vibrant and connected town centre.
