Victoria Coach Station celebrates its heritage with 85th Anniversary Festival

Victoria Coach Station will open its doors to visitors this weekend in celebration of its 85th anniversary. The iconic Art Deco station - which is operated by Transport for London (TfL) - will play host to heritage vehicles from every decade since 1930 in an ode to Britain's colourful history of coach travel.

Designed by the venerable Art Deco architects Wallis, Gilbert and Partners, Victoria Coach Station was officially opened to the public on 10 March 1932. The station was initially operated by London Coastal Coaches and quickly became a major transport hub. In 1992, Victoria Coach Station was made step-free, and six years later, it became a part of London Transport, the precursor to TfL. In 2014, the station was given Grade II listed status in recognition of its national historic interest.

Today, Victoria Coach Station is a gateway to destinations across the UK and numerous cities in Europe, with 13.4 million passengers now passing through each year. In recent years, TfL has transformed underused parts of the station into modern retail outlets, while taking steps to improve lighting, design and customer information.

Visitors to the 85th Anniversary Festival will be offered a chance to explore a dozen nostalgic heritage coaches, which will be on display over three days.

Mark Geldard, General Manager of Victoria Coach Station, said: `Victoria Coach Station is an icon of British Art Deco design and only continues to increase in popularity. This weekend, we're honouring the station's colourful history with a display of a dozen heritage coaches, which will be free for visitors to explore. We look forward to welcoming the public to celebrate our 85th anniversary with us.'

Ends

Notes to Editors:
Further information on the coach display is available at http://www.tvagwot.org.uk/event-victoria2017.htm.
Where: Victoria Coach Station
Dates and times:
•Friday 10th March: 11am - 5pm
•Saturday 11th March: 10am - 5pm
•Sunday 12th March: 10am - 4pm
Admission: free

Photos of Victoria Coach Station throughout its 85-year history are available online at https://www.flickr.com/photos/tflpress/sets/72157679270418271/.