Kingston bus stations

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Not to be confused with Kingston Bus Terminal in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Cromwell Road Bus Station
London Buses
Cromwell Road bus station, Kingston-upon-Thames, London. Facing east.jpg
Cromwell Road bus station
Other namesKingston Cromwell Road Bus Station
LocationKingston upon Thames
Kingston
Coordinates51°24′45″N 0°17′55″W / 51.41250°N 0.29860°W / 51.41250; -0.29860
Operated byTransport for London
Bus stands17
Bus operators
ConnectionsAdjacent to Kingston station
History
Opened15 July 1995; 26 years ago (1995-07-15)

Kingston upon Thames in South West London, England is served by two bus stations as well as a large number of on-street bus stops. Due to the Kingston one-way system, the various stops and bus stations are physically separate, however passengers are able to interchange between routes by walking through Kingston town centre, or walking from Kingston railway station.

Kingston bus stations[]

Cromwell Road bus station[]

Kingston Cromwell Road bus station located close to Kingston railway station. It opened in July 1995, on the site of an old coal yard.[1][2] Built to replace a 70 year old facility, the bus station was opened as part of the Kingston Relief Road project, which involved the main shopping streets in Kingston town centre being pedestrianised, and a new one-way system being built around the town centre for traffic.[1] It was designed by in-house London Transport architect Robert Stevenson, and won a Townscape Award from the Kingston upon Thames Society.[2]

The station comprises 12 bus stands, with 5 street stops - making it the largest London Buses station in London.[3] The station is owned and maintained by Transport for London. Over 8 million passengers use the bus station every year.[4]

In 2013, TfL announced that the bus station could be rebuilt, as several bus routes no longer terminate at Cromwell Road or Fairfield bus stations owning to lack of capacity.[5] In 2015, planning permission was approved for the demolition of the bus station, and the building of a replacement on the same site.[6]

London Buses routes 57, 65, 71, 85, 111, 131, 213, 216, 281, 285, 371, 406, 411, 418, 465, 481, 671, K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, X26 and night routes N87 and N65 serve the station.[7] A number of non-TfL buses also serve the station, with destinations outside Greater London in Surrey.[8][9][10]

Fairfield Bus Station
London Buses
Kingston Fairfield bus station 3.JPG
Fairfield Bus Station
Other namesKingston Fairfield Bus Station
LocationKingston upon Thames
Kingston
Coordinates51°24′36″N 0°17′55″W / 51.4100°N 0.2987°W / 51.4100; -0.2987
Operated byTransport for London
Bus stands7
Bus operators
History
Opened21 November 1987; 34 years ago (1987-11-21)

Fairfield bus station[]

Kingston Fairfield bus station is located east of the town centre, on the former site of the Kingston cattle market. The bus station opened in 1987, as part of the first phase of the Kingston Relief Road project.[1] Named after the nearby Fairfield Recreation Ground, the bus station was initially known as Cattlemarket Bus Station.[1] The bus station sits above an underground multi-storey car park that serves the Kingfisher Leisure Centre, recreation ground and Kingston town centre.[11] Over 2 million passengers use the bus station every year.[4]

London Buses routes 57, 131, 213, K3, K5 and night routes N87 serve the station.[12]

Historic bus stations[]

A bus garage was opened on Cromwell Road by the London General Omnibus Company in 1922.[11] In 1928, an extension added a covered bus stand, known as Kingston bus station.[1] The site was too small to be used as both a bus garage and a bus station, and the bus garage closed in 1984 to allow for more space for the bus station.[1] Following the opening of Cromwell Road bus station in 1995, the site was then used for overnight storage of buses. After over 70 years, the site closed on 17 May 2000 as London United moved to Tolworth bus garage.[1] The site was rebuilt as the Rotunda complex, with an Odeon Cinema, restaurants and tenpin bowling.[13]

As part of the rebuild of Kingston railway station by the Southern Railway in 1935, a bus lay-by was provided outside the station, in which various bus routes terminated. Following opening of the Fairfield bus station, the lay-by was subsequently used as a taxi rank.[1][11]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Kingston termini". Red RF. 27 December 2018. Retrieved 2021-08-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b "Design Award For Kingston Bus Station". London Transport. 20 January 1997. Archived from the original on 1997-08-04. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  3. ^ "Which Is London's Biggest Bus Station?". Londonist. 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
  4. ^ a b "London's bus stations: a passenger's perspective" (PDF). London Travelwatch. 9 October 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "Kingston bus station could be due 'eco-upgrade'". Your Local Guardian. 7 January 2013. Retrieved 2021-08-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ "15/13087/FUL | Demolition of existing bus station and redevelopment with single storey replacement buildings comprising flexible retail uses and associated staff facilities. Installation of low level connecting canopy and new bio diverse roof planter. | Bus Terminal Cromwell Road Kingston Upon Thames KT2 6RD". Royal Borough of Kingston. 4 Nov 2015. Retrieved 8 Aug 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "Stations, stops and piers - Cromwell Road Bus Station". Transport for London. Retrieved 2021-08-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ "Route 715: Kingston to Guildford". Stagecoach South East. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Route 515: Kingston to Hersham". Falcon Buses. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  10. ^ "Route 458: Kingston to Staines". Hallmark Buses. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  11. ^ a b c Sampson, June (2006). The Kingston book. London: Historical Publications. ISBN 978-1-905286-05-8. OCLC 76909581.
  12. ^ "Stations, stops and piers - Fairfield Bus Station". Transport for London. Retrieved 2021-08-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ "Rotunda rolled out". News Shopper. 13 March 1999. Retrieved 2021-08-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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