New bus station for Luton

Even if you haven’t seen them, you’ve probably heard the demolition crews in action at the back of Luton Central Library over the past few weeks.

They have been pulling down the multi-storey car park in Library Road, which was closed four years ago after concerns were raised about its safety during a routine inspection by structural engineers..

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But it’s not the first time wrecking balls and bulldozers have been busy on that site.

The main picture shows the start of building work on the new bus station between Library Road and Guildford Street in December 1963.

In the top right hand corner is the large Co-operative department store in Bridge Street, where the Galaxy Centre now stands.

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When the picture was taken 49 years ago, the Central Library was less than two years old.

It replaced the Carnegie Library on the corner of Williamson Street, which no longer exists, and George Street and was visited by the Queen shortly after it opened.

The smaller photo shows the bus station nearly complete in July 1964.

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In the foreground is the waiting area for passengers catching the No 41 bus to Leagrave and Dunstable, the No 65 to Woburn Sands or the No 66 to Woburn and Bletchley.

But the terminus was replaced by the multi-storey car park when the Arndale Centre (now The Mall Luton) was constructed in the early 1970s. A new covered bus station was eventually built in Bute Street, but that was recently demolished.

Luton no longer has a bus station and the main town centre stops are in New Bedford Road, Silver Street and Church Street.