Birmingham Coach Station marked its fifth anniversary last week with a visit from city council leader Sir Albert Bore.
During a walk-round visit of the £15m of the station, which became the first of Birmingham’s new transport gateways when it opened in 2009, Sir Albert, who also got behind the wheel of a coach, praised the contribution of the coach industry to the region’s transport.
In the five years since opening, an estimated 10m journeys have taken place at the Digbeth-based station which employs almost 400 people including frontline staff, office staff, graduates and apprentices.
Sir Albert Bore said: “I was pleased to visit Birmingham Coach Station, which, ahead of the redevelopment of New Street, was the first of Birmingham’s new major transport gateways and has played a key role in the on-going regeneration of Digbeth. Coach travel plays an essential role in enabling people to get about affordably and it is great to hear that it is going from strength to strength in our region.”
Tom Stables, National Express UK Coach Managing Director said: “It is with great pleasure we mark the fifth anniversary of Birmingham Coach Station, which is a 24/7 operation at the heart of the city. Birmingham Coach Station is a core part of the both our and regions’ transport network.”
Two million passenger journeys – a figure almost double the population of Birmingham – are taken every year with the station providing the city with an important connection to around 1,000 destinations in the UK. 158 departures are made every day from Birmingham Coach Station.
