British Bus Stations North West England

This book showcases the eighty functioning bus stations in the North West, as well as many more long-lost stations. Bus stations, comprising at least two bus stands where buses start, end or pause their journey, first appeared in the 1920s. Up to the1970s many buses still had rear entrances, which dictated the design of the typical bus station with buses parking parallel to their stands. From the 1980s boarding arrangements were from the front of the bus and required a different design of station. The introduction of low-floor easy-access buses from the late 1990s required a level platform adjacent to the bus entrance, largely influencing the design of the many bus stations that have been built and modernised in the twenty-first century. A wide variety of architectural styles are on show across the North West, including Whalley which has remained unaltered since it opened in April 1954.Mike Rhodes explores the diverse range of bus stations in the region through his collection of images.