Vintage buses have one last ride around Dudley bus station ahead of its demolition
It was the end of an era as Dudley Bus Station closed on Sunday – but there was a chance to relive history as vintage buses gathered at the site for one last ride around before its demolition.
Bus services are now using temporary stops following the closure, while construction of the new £24 million transport interchange takes place.
The "out-of-date" bus station will be replaced with a new interchange offering a "modern, accessible environment" and "seamless connections" between bus and Metro services.
The project is being led by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), in partnership with Dudley Council.
To mark the closure on Sunday, TfWM invited two local transport museums to bring along some of their vintage buses for a final ride around Dudley Bus Station before preparations are made for its demolition.
Staff at Aldridge Transport Museum in Walsall and The Transport Museum Wythall, located south of Birmingham, both brought along vintage buses to represent the vehicles which would have used the bus station throughout its lifespan.
Pete Bond, director of integrated transport services with TfWM, said: “Our staff have strong links with local transport museums, so they were invited to bring some of their vintage buses for a final ride around Dudley Bus Station, before we get to work preparing it for demolition.
“Having said goodbye to the old bus station we are now firmly focused on getting to work delivering a fantastic new interchange offering seamless links between the new Metro services and an improved bus network.
"A modern facility which will better serve the people and businesses of Dudley for many years to come.”
Staff from Aldridge Transport Museum brought along a Metrorider on Sunday.
Museum trustees chairman Martin Fisher said: "Dudley bus station has been in existence for a long time. It was opened in 1986.
"We have taken along the Metrorider, which would have operated there around 1990, to do a recreation of the past.
"It's the end of a particular era but obviously from a public point of view the new one will be that much better and it will be a better thing in the long term."
Meanwhile, The Transport Museum Wythall brought along two Daimler Fleetline double decker buses – fleet number 7000 in blue, silver and red livery and fleet number 2613 in blue and cream livery.
Denis Chick, trustee at the museum, said: "They were typical of that era. They were the main West Midlands Travel double decker bus services through the 1980s to the late 1990s.
"The 7000 was the last Daimler Fleetline in service with West Midlands Travel, which is being preserved and resides at the transport museum.
"That is in the final colours of blue, silver and red. The 2613 Daimler Fleetline is in the original West Midlands blue and cream livery from 1971.
"We are proud to be able to show some of the vehicles that operated over the span of that bus station's life."
He said the museum would also be getting two glass panes from the old bus station, bearing the old West Midlands Travel logo.
"We will have them at the museum and they will be preserved forever," Mr Chick added.
As part of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension, TfWM hopes the Interchange – set to open in 2025 – will better connect the people of Dudley to leisure and job opportunities across the region, as well as providing a modern gateway to the town for visitors.
Funding for the interchange was awarded to the WMCA by the Department for Transport via the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement.
The work is being carried out alongside the development of phase one of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension which is being delivered for TfWM by Midland Metro Alliance.
For locations of the new temporary bus stops and timetables visit nxbus.co.uk/west-midlands/service-updates
