Victoria Coach Station
{{Short description|Coach station in London, England}}
{{About||the London Buses station|Victoria bus station|Green Line's Victoria terminus|Green Line Coach Station|the similarly named bus station in Nottingham|Nottingham Victoria bus station}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Victoria Coach Station
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| symbol_location = gb
| symbol = bus
| type =
| image = Victoria Coach Station, Buckingham Palace Road 4711332 af8ae6e6.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Victoria Coach Station, 2012
| other_name =
| address = Buckingham Palace Road
Victoria, London, {{postcode|SW|1}}
| country = England
| coordinates = {{coord|51.4931|-0.1486|display=inline,title}}
| operator = Transport for London
| bus_routes =
| connections = Victoria {{rint|gb|rail}} {{rint|london|underground}}
| structure =
| parking =
| bicycle =
| code =
| zone =
| website = https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/coaches/victoria-coach-station
| opened = {{Start date and age|1932|03|10|df=yes}}
| closed =
| passengers = 14 million {{small|(2016 / 2017)}}
| pass_year =
| pass_rank =
| map_type = United Kingdom Central London
| map_caption =
}}
Victoria Coach Station in the City of Westminster is the largest coach station in London, and a terminus for medium and long distance coach services in the United Kingdom. It is operated by Victoria Coach Station Limited, a subsidiary of Transport for London. {{As of|2017}}, there were 14 million passenger and 472,000 coach movements annually.{{cite report |title=Annual Report and Financial Stements for the year to 31 March 2017 |via=Companies House |publisher=Victoria Coach Station Ltd |date=2017 |location=London }}
Victoria Coach Station covers {{convert|3.3|acre|m2}} with separate arrival and departure terminals on opposite sides of Elizabeth Street. The departure building includes food and retail outlets, left-luggage facilities and a ticket hall.{{cite report |url=https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/annual-report-2013-14.pdf |title=Annual Report for year ended 31 March 2014 |publisher=Transport for London |date=2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230104005659/https://content.tfl.gov.uk/annual-report-2013-14.pdf |archive-date=2023-01-04 |url-status=live }}
London Buses routes 11, 44, 170, C1, C10, N11 and N44 serve the coach station. It is a short walk from London Victoria station.{{cite web |url=https://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/coaches/victoria-coach-station |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230104010210/https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/coaches/victoria-coach-station |archive-date=2023-01-04 |url-status=live |title=Victoria Coach Station |website= Transport for London |access-date=2023-01-01 }}
History
Victoria Coach Station was commissioned by London Coastal Coaches, a consortium of coach operators, and opened on 10 March 1932 by Minister of Transport John Pybus.{{cite news |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS151201387/TTDA?u=kccl&sid=bookmark-TTDA&xid=5ccfb702 |title=New Coach Station Opened |work=The Times |date=11 March 1932 |issue=46079 |page=9 |access-date=27 August 2022 |via=Gale Primary Sources |archive-date=10 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230110042325/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=TTDA&u=kccl&id=GALE%7CCS151201387&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-TTDA&asid=5ccfb702 |url-status=live }} Wallis, Gilbert and Partners' distinctive Art Deco building{{cite web |url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/static/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/4581.html |title=Victoria Coach Station – Celebrating 75 years of service |publisher=Transport for London |access-date=26 January 2010 |archive-date=25 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425184619/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/static/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/4581.html |url-status=dead }} was originally built with spaces for 76 coaches, and a booking hall, shops, buffet, restaurant, lounge and bar. London Coastal Coaches' headquarters and other offices occupied upper floors.{{cite web |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1418262 |title=Victoria Coach Station |website=Historic England |access-date=9 May 2019 |archive-date=9 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509105622/https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1418262 |url-status=live }}
During World War II coach travel was restricted and the War Office requisitioned the premises.{{cite web |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/culture-and-heritage/londons-transport-a-history/coaches |title=Coaches |website=Transport for London |access-date=2023-01-01 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230101100946/https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/culture-and-heritage/londons-transport-a-history/coaches |archive-date=2023-01-01}}
By the 1960s, operation of the station had passed through industry consolidation to Tilling Group and British Electric Traction, whence it was reorganised by the Transport Act 1968 to become part of National Bus Company. Subsequently it was transferred to London Transport in 1988, and Transport for London (TfL) in 2000.
Freehold owner, Grosvenor Group, announced in 2013 that it wished to redevelop the site and relocate station operations elsewhere in London,{{cite news |url= http://www.homesandproperty.co.uk/property_news/smart_moves_and_new_homes/londonvictorianewhomesshopsandoffices.html?ito=1610 |title=Victoria's £2-billion transformation as its coach station becomes a cultural quarter with homes, shops and arts venues |date=21 August 2013 |work=London Evening Standard |access-date=21 August 2013 |first=David |last=Spittles}}{{Dead link|date=January 2023}} though the following year English Heritage designated the building Grade II listed.{{National Heritage List for England |num=1418262 |date = 1 September 2014 |desc=Victoria Coach Station Ltd, 164 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 9TP |grade=II |access-date=2 September 2014 }} Nevertheless, several of TfL's leases on the station were due to expire by 2023 and proposals were made to relocate to Royal Oak, but in 2019 the move was abandoned.{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/victoria-coach-station-plans-dropped-to-move-transport-hub-from-its-historic-home-after-backlash-a4219896.html |last=Prynn |first=Jonathan |title=Victoria Coach Station: Plans dropped to move transport hub from its historic home after backlash |work=London Evening Standard |date=23 August 2019 |access-date=24 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230104011257/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/victoria-coach-station-plans-dropped-to-move-transport-hub-from-its-historic-home-after-backlash-a4219896.html |archive-date=2023-01-04 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/plan-to-relocate-victoria-coach-station-to-royal-oak-is-scrapped-a4091461.html |title=Plan to relocate Victoria coach station to Royal Oak is scrapped |work=London Evening Standard |date=14 March 2019 |access-date=24 July 2022 |last=Prynn |first=Jonathan |archive-date=10 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230110042325/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/plan-to-relocate-victoria-coach-station-to-royal-oak-is-scrapped-a4091461.html |url-status=live }}
Utilisation
Use of the coach station has increased from 2008 to 2018.{{cite report |title=Annual Report and Financial Stements for the year to 31 March 2018 |via=Companies House |publisher=Victoria Coach Station Ltd |date=2018 |location=London }}{{cite report |title=Annual Report and Financial Stements for the year to 31 March 2016 |via=Companies House |publisher=Victoria Coach Station Ltd |date=2016 |location=London }}{{cite report |title=Annual Report and Financial Stements for the year to 31 March 2014 |via=Companies House |publisher=Victoria Coach Station Ltd |date=2014 |location=London }}{{cite report |title=Annual Report and Financial Stements for the year to 31 March 2012 |via=Companies House |publisher=Victoria Coach Station Ltd |date=2012 |location=London }}{{cite report |title=Annual Report and Financial Stements for the year to 31 March 2010 |via=Companies House |publisher=Victoria Coach Station Ltd |date=2010 |location=London }}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |
| ! Passengers - million
! Coaches - thousand |
|---|
| 2021 / 2022
|11 |118 |
| 2020 / 2021
|2 |40 |
| 2019 / 2020
|13.2 |440 |
| 2018 / 2019
|12.5 |450 |
| 2017 / 2018
| 14 | 472 |
| 2016 / 2017
| 14.5 | 476 |
| 2015 / 2016
| 14.5 | 466 |
| 2014 / 2015
| 14 | 460 |
| 2013 / 2014
| 14 | 480 |
| 2012 / 2013
| 11 | 438 |
| 2011 / 2012
| 10.5 | 413 |
| 2010 / 2011
| 10.3 | 399 |
| 2009 / 2010
| 11.8 | 389 |
| 2008 / 2009
| 9.5 | 394 |
Data from 2008/2009 until 2019/2020 is for departing passengers only and both departing and arriving coaches.
Data from 2020/21 onwards is 'passenger movements through the site' and 'Domestic and International Accessible Departures'. TfL does not state a reason for the reporting being different.
Operators
{{As of|2023}}, service operators include:-{{cite web |title=Coach companies |website=Transport for London |access-date=2015-05-25 |url=https://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/coaches/coach-companies |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230104011650/https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/coaches/coach-companies |archive-date=2023-01-04 |url-status=live }}
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#f9f9f9;"
! Operator ! Image ! Routes operated |
| {{flagicon|FRA}} BlaBlaBus |
| rowspan="2" | {{flagicon|DEU}} Flixbus
| |
| 150x150px
| Various International & Domestic routes |
| {{flagicon|GBR}} Megabus
| Various Domestic routes |
| {{flagicon|GBR}} National Express
| Various Domestic routes |
| {{flagicon|POL}} Sindbad Coaches
| | Various destinations in Poland |
Financial
Profits for TfL subsidiary Victoria Coach Station Ltd have increased over recent years.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |
| ! Revenue - million
! Profit - thousand |
|---|
| 2017 / 2018
| £9.9 | £1,300 |
| 2016 / 2017
| £10.0 | £1,200 |
| 2015 / 2016
| £9.5 | £494 |
| 2014 / 2015
| £9.2 | £123 |
| 2013 /2014
| £8.9 | £654 |
| 2012 / 2013
| £8.6 | £419 |
| 2011 / 2012
| £8.4 | £727 |
Controversy
In 2019, Transport for London was served a Fire Enforcement Notice after a "catalogue of major fire risks" were found by London Fire Brigade inspectors at Victoria Coach Station.
The deficiencies included holes in walls, which could cause a fire to spread; inadequate fire sprinkler systems that had been broken and out of use for more than two years, and obstructed exit routes used for storage. Fire experts described the situation as a "walking disaster area" and "by far the worst I've seen in a long time". Transport for London posted fire watchers.{{cite web |title=A catalogue of fire risks found at Victoria Coach Station |first=Samah |last=Ahmed |url=https://www.ifsecglobal.com/fire-news/catalogue-of-fire-risks-victoria-coach-station/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240406130359/https://www.ifsecglobal.com/fire-news/catalogue-of-fire-risks-victoria-coach-station/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 April 2024 |website=IFSEC Global |access-date=2023-01-01 |date=2019 }}{{Better ref needed|date=January 2025}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category inline}}
{{Transport in London}}
{{London bus and coach stations}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2025}}
Category:Art Deco architecture in London
Category:Bus stations in London
Category:Former nationalised industries of the United Kingdom
Category:Transport in the City of Westminster
Category:Grade II listed buildings in the City of Westminster