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Still short this morning as the 0749 New Street to Nottingham and return cancelled.

7 and 8 timetables replacing Chaserider services now on Select website, as well as a 23 Cannock-Wimblebury-Hednesford.

Also  shows the 71 going to Chaserider, with a link to the Chaserider website for further information - although currently it doesn't say anything.

71 is going to be run by Chaserider, roughly on the opposite half hour of the 70, broadly the same route as before.

6978 (82/87 branded) on the 5.

I believe there once was a Penkridge to Telford service, operated by Arriva that was supported by subsidies

https://www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk/search/find-registered-local-bus-services/details/351620/

There was, funded directly by South Staffordshire Council.

Opportunity for Select perhaps?

The route itself is a bit of a strange one though.  Why have they chosen to continue on to Oakengates?  Why are they routing, indirectly, through Priorslee?  Also, it'll be interesting to see what the response from Arriva will be regarding their 14.  It's future looks insecure.

I'm not sure if there isn't any S106 funding involved which might explain the slightly odd route around Priorslee.

About time there was a Telford - Cannock link

Just a pity it's not serving any of the villages such as Wheaton Aston which always want a link to Telford.  Nice run down the A5 mind...

I found another Cross Country rip-off today.

I needed a ticket from Kiveton Park to Tamworth.

Any time single is £39.90 for a not Birmingham routed ticket, now I am not sure why you would need to go via Birmingham as the two routes are either Kiveton Park-Sheffield-Tamworth, or the more interesting Kiveton Park-Worksop-Nottingham-Tamworth.

The only off-peak single is valid via Birmingham making it more expensive than the anytime ticket to make sure no-one buys one!

There are various ones or used to be on that line, to do a day return from Birmingham to Sheffield which I used to do regularly, other than splitting at Derby the cheapest way to do it was a Day Return from Birmingham to Saxilby which was valid via Sheffield or Nottingham and you could get a Day Return whereas it was only a Saver Return on XC.  Haven't done the trip now for a long time so don't know if that still works out or not.

I recall years ago needing to go from Doncaster to Kiveton Park, the fare was priced via Northern so was cheap being within SYPTE but the ticket also was valid via Retford it seemed so went via GNER instead of a long journey on a Pacer...

Thanks very much Kevin for your sensible appraisal.
Could you possibly clarify for me,  --  Is Worcester city, or is Worcestershire, a "LTA", please ??

( -I would hate Worcester+Worcestershire to get left-out of the potential benefits !!)

Worcestershire is the LTA, i.e. the authority responsible for transport. Indeed, a very sensible and balanced view of the report, having been reading it yesterday to see the implications for the authority I work for.

Yeah interesting it will be doing that as Arriva ran a circular service round the orbital and apparently it wasn't well used. Probably just OAPs doing their shopping. Certainly useful though!

That was run using S106 funding from Kingswood Lakeside, without the funding the service would likely not have operated past there. Or at all probably.

Walsall Map - changes to the Burntwood/Norton Canes inset:

Remove the 62 from the plan, as it terminates at Sankeys Corner and has done for a while not going through to Lichfield so not worth showing.

10A - uses Spring Hill Road and Chase Road not Cannock Road.  Always has done since the service started.

Remove the part of the blue line going North from Swan Island (Cannock Road/Chase Road/Lichfield Road junction), no service here.

3 - in Norton Canes runs via Hednesford Road then Walsall Road, Chapel Street, Church Road, Norton Green Lane, Walsall Road, then Burntwood Road as shown. Terminates in Brownhills via High Street, Church Street, Short Street, Brickkiln Street and High Street.

60A missing entirely from inset (currently suspended due to Covid) - runs via Hednesford Road, Brownhills Road, Norton East Road, Burntwood Road the as per route 60 to Chase Road then Spring Hill Road, Cannock Road and as per route 60.  60A (and 10A for that matter) numbers to be added to top right of box, with 62 removed.

Great to see some more of the Bob Cutt photos Tony, thanks for uploading them.  The East Midland ones are really interesting, in various locations such as Mansfield, Worksop, Nottingham, Retford and possibly some in Chesterfield.  Always used to enjoy a visit to Chesterfield as a child seeing East Midland's green VRs/Olympians and Nationals and Chesterfield Transport's varied fleet.

Does anyone know what bus route used to run on the Cross farm road (it is between Harborne park road and Metchley lane)? I couldn't see it clearly when I drove past that road and through google map but it was a Midland red bus stop.

Also the same question about Ridgacre Lane (by Quinton Tesco) but sadly, there isn't bus stop. It was removed when the street lights modernised.

It might have been the 453/454 that used Cross Farm Road at some point, my Midland Red West guide from Summer 94 has them going a different way but I'm sure I've seen a timetable showing they may have gone that way at some point?

4557 (59 branded) on the 15.

Liking the pics from Liverpool recently, have spotted an error however in that the pic on the Arriva NW 4658 page is actually a photo of 4568.

Claribels could take them. Both services aren't far from the depot so less dead runs.Probably wouldn't though considering the current climate.

Surely considering the current climate any operator would want to win any tendered work they can, assuming both services are tendered, as long they could resource it properly.