Durham bus station
Find out about the building of a new bus station in Durham City.
The project
Project update January 2024
The new Durham Bus Station will open to the public on Sunday 7 January.
The new station is located on the site of the former bus station and is a modern transport hub that offers a safe and welcoming space for residents and visitors. It has increased space for passengers and new facilities including toilets, a changing places unit, improved information displays and additional seating in the passenger waiting area. Plus it has an office space where security, cleaning, neighbourhood warden staff, representatives from Durham Constabulary and Arriva, will all be based.
Works will continue on North Road to reinstate the road and footpath where the temporary bus stops were placed and this is expected to be completed in the spring.
Project update August 2023
Significant progress has been made on the bus station.
The steel frame is now complete, the main roof installed, and glazing has been added internally and externally. External stone cladding work is currently underway.
Walls, floors, staircases and passenger lifts are also in place, creating a sense of how the finished facility will look inside.
Mechanical and electrical works are well advanced, with pipework and cables installed throughout the building and, on the wider site, work on the drainage system, new external lighting and access road are progressing.
Over the coming weeks, work will take place to complete the construction of a green roof and green wall.
Project update July 2022
The bus station programme had suffered some initial delays due to issues with the ground and structural conditions and difficulties sourcing some of the conservation area materials. These issues have since been resolved and the programme is on course for completion in Summer 2023 with all opportunities to condense the programme to be continually reviewed.
Since construction has begun the demolition, groundworks and foundations are now all complete and the erecting of the steel frame of the new bus station is underway.
Project update January 2022
All demolition works are now complete, as are all ground investigations, ground water testing, soil testing and gas monitoring. The culvert diversion and replacement and utility diversions are also complete and ready for the construction phase to begin. The piling of the site will commence in February with the foundations starting shortly after. Construction of the new structure should begin in March/April 2022.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, works on site had to temporarily stop at the end of 2021 and have now restarted. The delay in the programme is likely to mean the bus station becoming operational to passengers in Summer 2023, although all re-programming options are being investigated. Any opportunities to bring forward the projected completion date will be considered.
The main reason for the pause in construction is structural works which were required to the gable end of the Grade 2 Listed Manse, which were identified following the demolition of the bus station.
The businesses in the area, particularly on North Road, are open as usual. If you are waiting for a bus on a temporary stand, please be considerate to others and help maintain access to businesses. The temporary stops will continue to be monitored and altered where appropriate.
Video transcript - Durham Bus Station Update (PDF, 93.7kb)
Phase 1 - demolition (Spring to Winter 2021/2022)
Works on the redevelopment of Durham Bus station are going well. Most of the demolition is now complete. Works are ongoing to divert a culvert and bring in the new utility connections. Construction of the new bus station should start in the next 5-6 weeks.
Durham Bus Station Demolition video transcript (PDF, 81.1kb)
Phase 2 - re-construction (Winter 2021/2022 to Summer 2023)
The bus station is expected to be finished and open for use by Summer 2023.
What will the new bus station offer
The new bus station has been designed to increase the overall space for passengers in a light and airy setting, with increased visibility and safety for buses leaving the station. This includes increasing the reversing area for buses leaving bays and widening the exit onto North Road to improve visibility, with additional pedestrian access also being created.
Inside, there will also be increased facilities including parent and child toilets and a changing places toilet, as well as increased seating and space in the passenger waiting area. The plans also include a two-storey area with office space.
Why we are redeveloping it
The current bus station was built in 1970, and needs updating. As a major transport hub for the region and the county, a proposal was developed to provide new first class facilities and help improve access to public transport.
A consultation was run in 2015 and 2020. We asked for your views on the new designs we had developed to make sure they were fit for purpose and suitable for all users. The new building design has been created from this feedback, considering issues around security, safety and accessibility raised about the current building. The existing building is also seen as not very visually appealing.
Since then we have been working on the plans and securing funding for the project. The project will cost £10.4 million, with £3.6m being provided through the Transforming Cities Fund.
There will be less disruption and cost with rebuilding on the same site, rather than on a new one.
- Durham bus station consultation
- durhambusstation@durham.gov.uk
