Durham bus station planned to open in November

By Samantha Webb

Durham’s new bus station is due to open on North Road in November. 

New images show that the steel frame is now complete, the main roof has been installed, and work has begun on the external stone cladding. Inside the new transport hub, walls, floors, staircases, and passenger lifts have now been installed ready for the planned opening in three months’ time.

The new station is on the site of the old bus station, which was demolished in 2021.

In 2021, Durham County Councillor and City of Durham Parish Councillor Richard Ormerod said that the new site was to be safer and more environmentally-friendly.

“We’ve waited a long time for this to happen. Working with the Council we managed to secure a green wall and solar panels. We will have a building which is safer, greener, more attractive and more user-friendly than the old one.”

Over the coming weeks, work will take place to complete the construction of the facility’s modern green roof and wall

Mechanical and electrical works inside the building are said to be “well advanced,” as pipework and cables have been installed throughout the site. Over the coming weeks, work will take place to complete the construction of the facility’s modern green roof and wall. 

“It’s incredibly exciting to see the bus station taking shape and to know that, in just a few months’ time, this fantastic new facility will be open to the public,” said Mark Jackson, the council’s Head of Transport and Contract Services.

“First impressions are important, so it’s vital that we provide those arriving in the city by bus with a fitting welcome and the new bus station will do just that. We also hope it will encourage people to make more journeys by bus rather than car, promoting more sustainable travel,” Mr Jackson added. 

Businesses on North Road have claimed that the building site has been detrimental to trade

Work to reinstate the road and footpath outside the building is set to take place over the winter. The development has been severely delayed; originally the station was to reopen in September 2022.

Businesses on North Road have claimed that the building site has been detrimental to trade. North Road café beanSOCIAL crowdfunded to stay afloat last year, claiming that the ongoing delayed works had ruined business.

When Palatinate raised these concerns last year with the council, they said, “We have experienced some unforeseen issues with the project and difficulties sourcing some of the materials required for the work to be in keeping with the conservation area, but we are doing everything we can to minimise the impact on local traders.

“Signs are in place to advise passing motorists that North Road remains open for business.”

Image: Elliot Burrin