Blackwood Interchange (Welsh: Cyfnewidfa Coed Duon) is a bus station located in the town centre of Blackwood, Caerphilly, South Wales. It is situated on Gordon Road adjacent to the High Street.
Blackwood Interchange  Cyfnewidfa Coed Duon | |
|---|---|
| Bus station | |
 An Islwyn Borough Transport bus at the rebuilt Blackwood Bus Station | |
| General information | |
| Location | Blackwood Bus Station Gordon Road Blackwood NP12 1AA Caerphilly Wales |
| Coordinates | 51°39′54″N 3°11′45″W / 51.66490°N 3.19579°W |
| Owned by | Caerphilly County Borough Council |
| Operated by | Caerphilly County Borough Council |
| Bus routes | 17 |
| Bus stands | 9 |
| Bus operators | Stagecoach in South Wales, Caerphilly County Borough Council, Harris Coaches |
| Connections | Cardiff, Newport, Pontypridd, Cwmbran, Tredegar, Bargoed, Ystrad Mynach railway station, Wyllie, New Tredegar, Abertillery |
| Construction | |
| Structure type | Glass facade building with cafe and waiting room |
| Parking | None |
| Bicycle facilities | Racks |
| Accessible | Level boarding |
| Other information | |
| Station code | cpygawj |
| Website | https://www.traveline.info/ |
| History | |
| Opened | 14 November 2007[1] |
Background edit
The existing Blackwood Bus Station redeveloped by Caerphilly County Borough Council in 2007.[2] The project cost an approximate £2.4 million.[3]
During development, traders in the town centre voiced concerns that "customers will be put off walking through the market when contractors move in"[4] however Councillors reassured concerned individuals with the prospect of a reduction in the business rate for affected businesses.[4]
Architect Geraint Jones, unusually, was an internal developer from within Caerphilly Council's own department, at a time where most civic developments in the UK are designed by private practices.[5]
The redevelopment of Blackwood Bus Station was judged by Caerphilly Council as successful, helping to end the anti social behaviour associated with the previous concrete structure station,[3] and it has encouraged the subsequent development of the town in the form of new retail units on its periphery and the new Sirhowy Enterprise Way area.[6]
Awards edit
The 2007 redevelopment won a number of awards nationally, including:[5]
- Welsh Local Government Association Building of the Year 2007 (at the time named the Consortium of Local Authorities in Wales)[3]
- RICS Wales Regeneration Award 2008
- ICE Wales Roy Edwards Award 2008
Layout edit
The bus station is a glass façade terminal building including café, waiting area, canteen, offices and welfare facilities.
The stand doors provide access to buses, which park next to the gate on arrival, and then reverse out on departure. It is fully covered from the weather.[2]
The station offers a café, named The Plaza, and used to offer public toilet facilities within the station building.[7] The toilet facilities closed in April 2019 due to the increasing financial difficulties faced by Caerphilly Council.[8] Caerphilly Town Centre public toilets re-opened in July 2019 but the fate of facilities in Blackwood remain uncertain.[9] A proposed development, Blackwood Artisan Markets, and the accompanying apartment project, have offered to provide alternative toilets.[10]
Destinations edit
Blackwood lies as a stop on the Tredegar to Newport route, as well as offering a number of other destinations which begin in the town. These include Pontypridd, New Tredegar, Abertillery, Cardiff, and Ystrad Mynach with transfer for the railway station.
| Operator | Number | Service begins at | Stand | Service destination | Journey time | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stagecoach in South Wales | 5 | Blackwood | 8 | Pantside | 33 minutes | Every hour |
| connect2 | 5A | Blackwood | 8 | Oakdale | 22 minutes | 3 trips a day |
| Harris Coaches | 6 | Blackwood | 1 | Wyllie | 13 minutes | Every hour |
| Harris Coaches | 7 | Blackwood | 5 | Pontypridd | 55 minutes | Every hour |
| Harris Coaches | 8 | Blackwood | 4 | Grove Park | 17 minutes | Every hour |
| Harris Coaches | 9 | Blackwood | 1 | Penllwyn | 10 minutes | Every hour |
| Harris Coaches | 11 | Blackwood | 5 | Gelligaer | 27 minutes | Every hour |
| Harris Coaches | 12 | Blackwood | 2 | New Tredegar | 32 minutes | Every 30 minutes |
| connect2 | 13 | Blackwood | 8 | Manmoel | 15 minutes | 1 trip a day |
| Harris Coaches | 14 | Blackwood | 2 | Bargoed Interchange | 28 minutes | Every 30 minutes |
| Stagecoach in South Wales | 21 | Blackwood | 3 | Cwmbran | 54 minutes | Every hour |
| Stagecoach in South Wales | 27 | Blackwood | 3 | Bargoed Interchange | 28 minutes | Every hour |
| Stagecoach in South Wales | 52 | Blackwood | 8 | Abertillery | 41 minutes | Every hour |
| Stagecoach in South Wales | 56 | Newport | 3 & 7 | Tredegar | 30 minutes | Every hour |
| Stagecoach in South Wales | 26 | Blackwood | 5 | Cardiff | 66 minutes | Every hour |
| Stagecoach in South Wales | 151 | Blackwood | 6 | Newport Bus Station | 51 minutes | Every 15 minutes |
| Stagecoach in South Wales | X21 | Blackwood | 3 | Cwmbran | 54 minutes | Peak times only |
Rail transport edit
Blackwood railway station closed in 1965. There was previously a Rail linc bus that provided travel to nearby Ystrad Mynach railway station. This ceased in 2023.
Professor Mark Barry, who has consulted the Welsh Government on the South Wales Metro project, has written about the potential for Blackwood railway station to reopen as part of a tram-train system connecting other valleys towns from east to west.[12]
References edit
- ^ "Bus station is building of the year".
- ^ a b "Blackwood Interchange Project". Encon Construction. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ a b c "Bus station is building of the year". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ a b WalesOnline (27 July 2005). "Traders fears over bus station development". walesonline. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ a b "Blackwood Bus Station - Caerphilly Building". e-architect. 4 October 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ "LDP 2021 Development Of Alternative Strategic Options" (PDF). Caerphilly County Borough. 1 July 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ "Cafe owner's dismay over decision to close public toilets". Caerphilly Observer. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ "'Dismayed' residents fight to save toilets". 21 March 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ "Toilets now reopened thanks to taxi drivers". Caerphilly Observer. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ "Blackwood artisan market approved by planning committee". Caerphilly Observer. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ "Blackwood Interchange (Stand 1) – Bus Times". bustimes.org. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ "Making the metro really work for the valleys and Cardiff". Click on Wales. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2019.