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New Exeter Bus Station will open on Sunday 25 July

Exeter Bus station

The new Exeter Bus Station will open to passengers on Sunday, 25 July, it has been revealed.

The new station – a striking glass-fronted building in the heart of the city centre – replaces the current bus station which was constructed in the 1960s.

This new, fit-for-purpose modern facility will promote green public transport in the city and rural communities for decades to come.

The new Bus Station will offer a massive improvement for passengers, with features such as glass-fronted covered waiting and boarding areas and high quality facilities.

Exeter City Council Leader Cllr Phil Bialyk said: “As a former bus driver this new station is obviously very close to my heart, and I am delighted that the City Council has been able to deliver it.

“It is right next door to the new leisure centre St Sidwell’s Point, which will open later this year, and I couldn’t be more pleased that we have been able to provide a brand new facility worthy of our great city.

“This station looks fantastic and is a great new gateway to Exeter. The old bus station did a job for many years but is well past its sell by date and to have a brand new facility is fantastic news for Exeter and the whole region.”

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales met transport workers and Exeter’s ‘Net Zero Heroes’ during a visit to the new Exeter Bus Station.

The new facility will be operated by Stagecoach South West.

Stagecoach South West Managing Director Mike Watson said: “We’re so excited to open our new Bus Station at the heart of Exeter city centre.

“It’s a great time to be welcoming more people back to bus as restrictions across the UK are lifted. We’re delighted to be able to offer our passengers a brand new modern facility packed with travel information. We’ve made a significant investment in the latest technology to display clear departure information. We hope that our passengers will find traveling with us is even easier than before.”

Doug Lloyd, operations director at Kier Regional Building Western & Wales, said: “We are delighted to have completed the new bus station in Exeter.

“As a vital transport link for the South West, connecting rural and urban communities, we are proud to have delivered these first class facilities that have been specifically designed to support ease of travel. The station is filled with natural light as a result of its glass front, the building is spacious and accessible and it has plenty of seating areas.

“We are proud to have worked with our local supply chain partners to deliver this important project which we hope will bring benefits to the Exeter community for years to come.”

The new station, built on the same site as the old station, was funded by Exeter City Council and a £800,000 grant from the Local Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP) ‘Getting Building Fund’.*

Karl Tucker, Chair of the Heart of the South West LEP, said: “We are delighted to have been able to support the Exeter Bus Station with £800,000 from the Heart of the SW LEP’s Getting Building Fund, which is aimed at ready-to-go projects that can deliver new jobs and contribute to our area’s post-COVID recovery.

“It’s great to see the new bus station complete and ready to welcome passengers in. This new modern facility offers a far better experience for people coming into the city and will hopefully encourage more people to leave their cars at home and travel more sustainably.”

The current bus station will close at midnight on Saturday, July 24. The first bus out of the new station will depart at 04.25 on Sunday, July 25.

Buses will arrive behind automatic glass doors at each stand, ensuring that people will be protected from the elements in all weathers.

There will also be an abundance of real time information throughout the concourse, with a dedicated digital display at each stand, plus departure screens throughout the station, alerting passengers to upcoming departures.

The provision of such high quality public transport facilities will promote the use of buses as a viable alternative to private car journeys into the city centre – helping reduce the traffic congestion on the arterial routes into the city centre.

Work has taken place with stakeholders to deliver audio announcements of departures at each stand, offering the latest information to passengers with visual impairment.

Stagecoach’s information point at the station will feature the latest area guides, plus a host of maps and ticket information.

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      David Ralph

      Chief Executive

      David Ralph started as Chief Executive of Heart of South West LEP at the beginning of June 2018. Previously, he had spent 5 years as CEO of the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (D2N2) LEP from 2013 where he oversaw the development of the D2N2 Strategic Economic Plan and sector strategies, 3 Growth Deals with HM Government to deliver a £1billion capital investment programme, securing and implementing £200m ESIF programme, the Derby and Nottingham Enterprise Zone, the D2N2 Skills Deal and Time for Innovation programme, community fund and led the executive team to develop the HS2 East Midlands hub. He was also closely involved in the proposed North Midlands Devolution Deal and one of the key architects in establishing the Midlands Engine, chairing the officer steering group. Whilst in this role David was a NED of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone, and Marketing NG, the Outer Estates Foundation and a Governor of Nottingham College and on the advisory Board of Nottingham Business School.

      Before the East Midlands, David was CEO of the Have Gateway Partnership working closely with local stakeholders including the ports of Felixstowe, Harwich and Ipswich and BT Adadastral Park across Suffolk and Essex and prior to that was Chief Exec of the Barton Hill New Deal for Communities programme in Bristol and the Nelm Development Trust in Norwich.

      David is a keen sailor, walker and trail runner.