New state of the art Bolton Interchange is up and running

Politicians and transport leaders were present to witness the opening of the new Bolton Interchange to commuters returning to work after the summer holidays.

Bolton Council Leader, Councillor Cliff Morris, and Councillor Guy Harkin, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) Committee Vice-Chair, joined passengers at the new interchange, which has been delivered by TfGM and Bolton Council.

Interchange offers quality customer facilities

The interchange replaces Bolton Bus Station and offers a step change in quality for passengers, including better customer information and enhanced waiting and ticketing facilities in a light, bright and safe environment. The concourse features a café, convenience store, cash machine and free Wi-Fi.
The facility is truly multimodal, with a ‘Skylink’ bridge to the nearby rail station for easy transfer between bus and trains and featuring a newly-opened taxi rank adjacent to the rail station.

Bike and pedestrian friendly

A new 48-space Cycle Hub outside the main interchange entrance offers secure storage for bikes – with CCTV and swipe card access – for £10 membership per year. The interchange also links passengers to upgraded pedestrian facilities throughout the town centre.
Commenting on the interchange, Councillor Harkin said: “The opening of Bolton Interchange marks the culmination of a lot of hard work and I’d like to thank everyone who’s been involved in the delivery of this new site. I’m sure passengers will be impressed by the modern, spacious waiting area which includes electronic customer information, a café, retail facilities, accessible public toilets and a cash machine. By offering these enhanced facilities, we hope many more people will choose public transport for their journeys.”

The opening of the interchange coincides with the start of a new school year for students in Bolton and the launch of the 16-18 card. The smartcard, which was announced by Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, allows pupils, students and young people to enjoy half-price bus travel.

Easy access for all

It includes some important features for customers, including level or ramped flooring throughout, enhanced toilets, baby-changing and ‘Changing Places’ facilities.

TfGM consulted its Disability Design Reference Group (DDRG) throughout the delivery of the interchange. DDRG members have a range of disabilities and provide valuable insights into the challenges experienced by disabled people using public transport, ensuring TfGM takes their views into account.

Addressing Greater Manchester’s wider environmental obligations has also been a key consideration during the interchange’s development.

The roof is designed to reduce energy consumption. Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) is a lightweight alternative to glass, which enables natural light to penetrate into the centre of the building and reduces the requirement for artificial lighting. The same material was used for the roofs on interchanges at Rochdale and Altrincham, as well as at the Eden Project in Cornwall.

John O’Callaghan, Managing Director at Kier Construction Northern, said: “Construction of the Bolton Interchange was the largest and technically most challenging of the three interchanges we’ve undertaken in partnership with TfGM through the North West Construction Hub. “We’re very proud to be handing over to the people of Bolton what we hope will prove to be a superb facility for many years to come.”

Bolton Interchange has been financed through the Greater Manchester Transport Fund and supports the wider regeneration of the town centre.