New Ormskirk bus station due to open soon

The completion of the bus station will be a major landmark in the progress of the £3.4m Ormskirk Eastern Gateway Project.

The project is a partnership between Lancashire County Council, West Lancashire Borough Council and Historic England to upgrade Ormskirk town centre focused on the area around St Helens Road, Moor Street and the bus station.

Its aim is to support the local economy by making the area more attractive for everyone who lives, visits, shops and works in Ormskirk, as well as encouraging sustainable travel by improving public transport, walking and cycling facilities.

The modern new bus station will offer a more comfortable environment for passengers, featuring real time passenger information, five bays for buses with easy disabled access, toilet facilities and cycle parking.

County Councillor Rupert Swarbrick, Lancashire County Council cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "One of our priorities is to encourage more people to use alternatives to the car, and providing good public transport facilities is fundamental to achieving this.

"One of the main purposes of the Ormskirk Eastern Gateway Project is to create better sustainable transport links within the town, and particularly to ensure that our infrastructure supports walking and cycling between the railway station, bus station, Edge Hill University and the hospital.

"The improvements to the environment around the bus station, and within the town, will also make a positive difference to the way the town centre looks and feels, and help to support local businesses by attracting visitors to spend more time enjoying everything Ormskirk has to offer.

"The bus station is currently a hive of activity as the contractors make the finishing touches to ensure it is ready open within the next couple of weeks. I'm very conscious that the Ormskirk Eastern Gateway project is taking longer than we originally planned due to some construction difficulties and I'm very grateful for people's patience while we finish the final pieces of work over the coming months. I'm sure the result will be worth it."

The temporary stops on St Helen's Road where people have been catching the bus while the new station is under construction will no longer be in use once the new bus station opens.

The project also includes investment in public areas on Moor Street which is currently ongoing, and improvements to cycling and pedestrian facilities on St Helens Road which is due to begin in April.