Buses in Swindon

A bus stop in Fleming Way

Before 1966 Swindon had no bus station, and buses departed from street stops in and around Regent Circus. The first bus station was opened in 1966 on the site of the tram station in Corporation Street. Following expansion it eventually took up most of the land between Manchester Road and Fleming Way. The site was redeveloped in the 1980s on construction of the current facility, with the bus station replaced by office accommodation now used by Zurich Financial Services.

The current bus station was constructed in the 1980s, adjacent to the former site of Thamesdown Transport's garages. It predominantly acts as a terminus for buses serving destinations outside of the Swindon urban area or non-frequent services. It is also used as a coach station, with services by National Express, Megabus and international services leaving from here. In recent years, following increased immigration from Eastern European countries, regular services to Poland have been introduced.

Thamedown Transport's original Corporation Street office.

Swindon's Bus Company's new depot

In 2004, Swindon Borough Council announced the proposed redevelopment of the town centre area including the bus station.[2] Thamesdown Transport moved from their Corporation Street home to a new facility at Barnfield in 2005,[3] with the land earmarked for conversion to commercial properties. As well as town centre offices, the project also makes provision for housing, shops, cafes and restaurants.[4] The plans would lead to the demolition of all buildings in this area, including the current bus station, with a replacement to be built along Fleming Way.[5] In 2015, a multi-storey carpark adjacent to the bus station was demolished as part of this scheme.[6] The former Stagecoach Bus Depot on Eastcott Road has been approved for development as a housing site. [7]

Coachstyle provides services to Royal Wootton Bassett, Malmesbury and Yate from the Bus Station. The company won the tender for these services from Andybus, who lost all their bus work in the tender exercise.

AD Rains provides services to Royal Wootton Bassett, Ashton Keynes and Crudwell from the Bus Station, and also operate a service X70 from Swindon to Marlborough on College days.

APL Travel provide services to Lechlade and Fairford from the Bus Station.

Hatts Coaches provided services to Chippenham and Cirencester from the Bus Station and also operated a service X56 from Swindon to Lackham College on College days. The company went into administration in July 2014.[8]

Megabus provide low-cost bus services to Cheltenham, Gloucester and London from a stop adjacent to the Sainburys Superstore at Stratton.

National Express provide nationwide coach travel from the Bus Station.

Pulhams Coaches, based in Bourton-on-the-Water, won the contract for service 64 operating from Carterton to Swindon. The contract was previously operated by Stagecoach in Oxfordshire following the failure of RH Transport in 2012. The service operated broadly every 2 hours on Mondays to Saturdays before being cancelled in 2016.

Stagecoach West operate in West and North Swindon and in rural areas. The company also provides a Sunday service on some Swindon's Bus Company routes. Two routes are branded as Stagecoach Gold services with higher specification buses - these are the S6 to Oxford via Shrivenham and Faringdon, and the 55 to Chippenham via Calne. [9]

Swindon's Bus Company operate the majority of Swindon's urban services and school buses. They also provide the Hospital Express (for the Great Western Hospital) and contract lunchtime link services to companies such as Thames Water. Services terminate at both the Bus Station and Fleming Way.

Salisbury Reds operate services to Avebury, Marlborough, Pewsey and Salisbury from the Bus Station.