View source for Blackwood Interchange

{{short description|Bus station in Blackwood, Wales}}
{{See also|List of bus stations in Wales|Transport in Wales}}

{{Use dmy dates|date = August 2019}}

{{Infobox station
| name               = Blackwood Interchange {{rint|gb|bus}}
| name_lang          = en
| native_name        = Cyfnewidfa Coed Duon {{rint|gb|bus}}
| native_name_lang   = cy
| symbol             = 
| symbol_location    = 
| type               = [[Bus station]]
| image              = New Bus Station Blackwood - geograph.org.uk - 510502.jpg
| alt                = An [[Islwyn Borough Transport]] bus at the rebuilt Blackwood Bus Station
| caption            = An [[Islwyn Borough Transport]] bus at the rebuilt Blackwood Bus Station
| address            = Blackwood Bus Station<br/>Gordon Road<br/>[[Blackwood, Caerphilly|Blackwood]]<br/>NP12 1AA
| borough            = [[Caerphilly County Borough|Caerphilly]]
| country            = [[Wales]]
| coordinates        = {{coord|51.66490|-3.19579|region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| owned              = [[Caerphilly County Borough Council]]
| operator           = [[Caerphilly County Borough Council]]
| bus_routes         = 17
| bus_stands         = 9
| bus_operators      = [[Stagecoach in South Wales]], [[Caerphilly County Borough Council]], Harris Coaches
| connections        = [[Cardiff]], [[Newport, Wales|Newport]], [[Pontypridd]], [[Cwmbran]], [[Tredegar]], [[Bargoed]], [[Ystrad Mynach railway station]], [[Wyllie, Caerphilly|Wyllie]], [[New Tredegar]], [[Abertillery]]
| structure          = Glass facade building with cafe and waiting room
| parking            = None
| bicycle            = Racks
| accessible           = Level boarding
| status             = 
| code               = cpygawj
| zone               = 
| website            = https://www.traveline.info/
| opened             = {{Start date|2007|11|14|df=y}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/1831082.bus-station-is-building-of-the-year/|title = Bus station is building of the year}}</ref>
| closed             = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} -->
| passengers         = 
| pass_year          = 
| pass_rank          = 
}}

'''Blackwood Interchange''' ({{lang-cy|Cyfnewidfa Coed Duon}}) is a bus station located in the town centre of [[Blackwood, Caerphilly]], [[South Wales]]. It is situated on Gordon Road adjacent to the High Street.

== Background ==
The existing Blackwood Bus Station redeveloped by Caerphilly County Borough Council in 2007.<ref name="Blackwood Interchange Project">{{Cite web|url=http://encon.uk.com/project/blackwood-interchange/|title=Blackwood Interchange Project|website=Encon Construction|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-08-09}}</ref> The project cost an approximate £2.4 million.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/1831082.bus-station-is-building-of-the-year/|title=Bus station is building of the year|website=South Wales Argus|language=en|access-date=2019-08-09}}</ref>

During development, traders in the town centre voiced concerns that "customers will be put off walking through the market when contractors move in"<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/traders-fears-over-bus-station-2391188|title=Traders fears over bus station development|last=WalesOnline|date=2005-07-27|website=walesonline|access-date=2019-08-09}}</ref> however Councillors reassured concerned individuals with the prospect of a reduction in the business rate for affected businesses.<ref name=":1" />

Architect Geraint Jones, unusually, was an internal developer from within Caerphilly Council's own department, at a time where most civic developments in the UK are designed by private practices.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.e-architect.co.uk/wales/blackwood-bus-station|title=Blackwood Bus Station - Caerphilly Building|date=2008-10-04|website=e-architect|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-08-09}}</ref>

The redevelopment of Blackwood Bus Station was judged by Caerphilly Council as successful, helping to end the anti social behaviour associated with the previous concrete structure station,<ref name=":0" /> and it has encouraged the subsequent development of the town in the form of new retail units on its periphery and the new Sirhowy Enterprise Way area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.caerphilly.gov.uk/LDP/Examination/PDF/SB02.pdf|title=LDP 2021 Development Of Alternative Strategic Options|date=1 July 2006|website=Caerphilly County Borough|access-date=9 August 2019}}</ref>

== Awards ==
The 2007 redevelopment won a number of awards nationally, including:<ref name=":2" />

* [[Welsh Local Government Association]] Building of the Year 2007 (at the time named the Consortium of Local Authorities in Wales)<ref name=":0" />
* [[Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors|RICS Wales]] Regeneration Award 2008
* [[Institution of Civil Engineers|ICE Wales]] Roy Edwards Award 2008

== Layout ==
The bus station is a glass façade terminal building including café, waiting area, canteen, offices and welfare facilities.

The stand doors provide access to buses, which park next to the gate on arrival, and then reverse out on departure. It is fully covered from the weather.<ref name="Blackwood Interchange Project"/>

The station offers a café, named The Plaza, and used to offer public toilet facilities within the station building.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://caerphilly.observer/news/974838/cafe-owners-dismay-over-decision-to-close-public-toilets/|title=Cafe owner's dismay over decision to close public toilets|date=2019-03-15|website=Caerphilly Observer|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-08-09}}</ref> The toilet facilities closed in April 2019 due to the increasing financial difficulties faced by Caerphilly Council.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-47656986|title='Dismayed' residents fight to save toilets|date=2019-03-21|access-date=2019-08-09|language=en-GB}}</ref> Caerphilly Town Centre public toilets re-opened in July 2019 but the fate of facilities in Blackwood remain uncertain.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://caerphilly.observer/news/978032/toilets-now-reopened-thanks-to-taxi-drivers/|title=Toilets now reopened thanks to taxi drivers|date=2019-07-03|website=Caerphilly Observer|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-08-09}}</ref> A proposed development, Blackwood Artisan Markets, and the accompanying apartment project, have offered to provide alternative toilets.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://caerphilly.observer/news/975012/blackwood-artisan-market-approved-by-planning-committee/|title=Blackwood artisan market approved by planning committee|date=2019-03-21|website=Caerphilly Observer|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-08-09}}</ref>

== Destinations ==

Blackwood lies as a stop on the Tredegar to Newport route, as well as offering a number of other destinations which begin in the town. These include Pontypridd, New Tredegar, Abertillery, Cardiff, and Ystrad Mynach with transfer for the railway station.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+List of destinations<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bustimes.org/stops/5540AWB33413|title=Blackwood Interchange (Stand 1) – Bus Times|website=bustimes.org|access-date=2019-08-09}}</ref>
!Operator
!Number
!Service begins at
!Stand
!Service destination
!Journey time
!Frequency
|-
|[[Stagecoach in South Wales]]
|5
|Blackwood
|8
|Pantside
|33 minutes
|Every hour
|-
|[[Caerphilly County Borough Council|connect2]]
|5A
|Blackwood
|8
|[[Oakdale, Caerphilly|Oakdale]]
|22 minutes
|3 trips a day
|-
|Harris Coaches
|6
|Blackwood
|1
|[[Wyllie, Caerphilly|Wyllie]]
|13 minutes
|Every hour
|-
|Harris Coaches
|7
|Blackwood
|5
|[[Pontypridd]]
|55 minutes
|Every hour
|-
|Harris Coaches
|8
|Blackwood
|4
|Grove Park
|17 minutes
|Every hour
|-
|Harris Coaches
|9
|Blackwood
|1
|Penllwyn
|10 minutes
|Every hour
|-
|Harris Coaches
|11
|Blackwood
|5
|[[Gelligaer]]
|27 minutes
|Every hour
|-
|Harris Coaches
|12
|Blackwood
|2
|[[New Tredegar]]
|32 minutes
|Every 30 minutes
|-
|[[Caerphilly County Borough Council|connect2]]
|13
|Blackwood
|8
|Manmoel
|15 minutes
|1 trip a day
|-
|Harris Coaches
|14
|Blackwood
|2
|[[Bargoed Interchange]]
|28 minutes
|Every 30 minutes
|-
|[[Stagecoach in South Wales]]
|21
|Blackwood
|3
|[[Cwmbran bus station|Cwmbran]]
|54 minutes
|Every hour
|-
|[[Stagecoach in South Wales]]
|27
|Blackwood
|3
|[[Bargoed Interchange]]
|28 minutes
|Every hour
|-
|[[Stagecoach in South Wales]]
|52
|Blackwood
|8
|[[Abertillery]]
|41 minutes
|Every hour
|-
|[[Stagecoach in South Wales]]
|56
|[[Newport bus station|Newport]]
|3 & 7
|[[Tredegar]]
|30 minutes
|Every hour
|-
|[[Stagecoach in South Wales]]
|26
|Blackwood
|5
|[[Cardiff]]
|66 minutes
|Every hour
|-
|[[Stagecoach in South Wales]]
|151
|Blackwood
|6
|[[Newport bus station|Newport Bus Station]]
|51 minutes
|Every 15 minutes
|-
|[[Stagecoach in South Wales]]
|X21
|Blackwood
|3
|[[Cwmbran bus station|Cwmbran]]
|54 minutes
|Peak times only
|}

== Rail transport ==
[[Blackwood railway station (Wales)|Blackwood railway station]] closed in 1965. There was previously a [[Rail linc]] bus that provided travel to nearby [[Ystrad Mynach railway station]]. This ceased in 2023.

Professor Mark Barry, who has consulted the Welsh Government on the [[South Wales Metro]] project, has written about the potential for Blackwood railway station to reopen as part of a tram-train system connecting other valleys towns from east to west.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iwa.wales/click/2018/06/making-metro-really-work-valleys-cardiff/|title=Making the metro really work for the valleys and Cardiff|date=2018-06-10|website=Click on Wales|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-09}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{South Wales Metro}}
{{Transport in Caerphilly County Borough}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures in Caerphilly County Borough]]
[[Category:Bus stations in Wales]]
[[Category:2007 establishments in Wales]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 2007]]
[[Category:Transport in Caerphilly County Borough]]