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Worcestershire services to continue as they are until the end of next March after an agreement is reached with the County Council:

https://www.redditchadvertiser.co.uk/news/20624095.worcestershire-bus-services-continue-council-recaches-agreement/

[Less on board staff = potential for uncontrolled evacuations when things go wrong, more crime on-board, fare evasion increases.]

Its not all about pay though. Its about safety as well.

Less NR staff = potential for another Hatfield
Less on board staff = potential for uncontrolled evacuations when things go wrong, more crime on-board, fare evasion increases.
Less station staff = more crime.

That's why I'm in favour of this industrial action.

Don't disagree with your points at all. Unfortunately on the Snow Hill lines at least you very rarely see the conductors, so they don't provide any deterrent to anti-social behaviour or fare evasion. If the Unions are arguing that these staff are needed and deserve pay rises, they need to get out the rear cab and do these things. 

There are no trains Tuesday to Saturday.

Yes, and on the Monday no service on the Dorridge and Whitlocks End lines and only an hourly service to Stourbridge.

40726 has been on the Kidderminster 3 and associated 52 workings to and from Redditch, currently on its way back to Redditch on the 52 if anyone wants to see it!

Well done to Diamond who are currently dropping editions of a current Kidderminster Bus Guide through postboxes.
 in the town. It's highly informative with a clear map, all timetables and local fare details.

A great initiative which will hopefully result in increased patronage and attract plenty of new users. V vastly different from many operators these days who say it's all on the Internet which is no good for getting new passengers on board.

Even if NX were to extend the 63, at the moment with such a shortage of drivers including at Birmingham Central garage, I don't see that is any way that an extension of the 63 could be reliable I'm afraid.

As NXWM like most operators have not got the drivers to run their existing routes, I can't see that a speculative extension of the 63 would be a good use of the resources they currently have no matter what a good idea it seems.

Without having been on the ground, it is hard to say what actually happened.

However, yes the Evening service on the N15 is supported by TfWM.

It should be noted that Wolves were playing at home on Thursday Evening, so if there was a City Centre diversion, it would highly likely be down to this and the Ring Road was kept clear by Police?

Also the date when a few TfWM Tenders are due for renewal, so we will see if anything changes on those.

Or forget speculation and wait to hear where the new East Birmingham depot is going to be when NX are in a position to officially announce it?

From the latest issue of N & P :

Section 3.6 – Cancellations of Existing Services Granted
Under Short Notice

PD1078264/4 RAJINDER BANGA, 4 VICARAGE ROAD, ALLSAINTS,
WOLVERHAMPTON, WV2 1DT
Operating between Wolverhampton Tower Street and Bilston Bus Station given
service number 545 effective from 24 January 2022.

Weren't all the production batch of 50 Volvo Ailsas pretty much complete when they were sold?

Yes, all 50 were sold to London Buses.

I think I speculated about this before, where I suggested the NX Bus divisions (NXWM and NXC) could eventually become absorbed into the Stagecoach Midlands operation. This obviously wouldn't happen straight away though.

West Midlands Travel Ltd (NXWM and NX Cov) 1600+ buses is far larger than Stagecoach Midlands, so it would be easier for the Stagecoach Midlands operations to be merged into West Midlands Travel I would have thought!

It was the last day of Astons operation on the 15A/15C today.

Diamond will operate the service from Monday.

This response is quite apt given the discussions over traffic around the West Brom ground in the late journeys thread. The trains are struggling, pushing people into using cars. Meanwhile there are advertisements everywhere trying to woo people back onto the trains. If the above is the experience they are going to get, then more people will be driving and adding to the traffic issues.

Yes, good points.

I had to laugh that they asked the BBC to go to Snow Hill yesterday morning to launch the campaign given the awful service now on the Snow Hill lines. There were numerous cancellations this afternoon, up to 3 trains in a row were cancelled on the Stourbridge line which must have been fun with WBA playing at home.

Even when things are "normal" now the service is bad. I caught a peak hour train on Wednesday afternoon, and it was only 3 carriages in length and full and standing, why do they think people want to put up with that given that a lot of people now have the choice to work from home.