South West Birmingham network review

[jnl1984]

I am sure it is on this forum somewhere already, but am i right in saying there is a further review coming later this year?
If so, is anyone aware of any planned / rumored changes?

[Liverpool Street]

September indeed!!

- x64 curtailed to Bangham Pit
- 29A extended to Great Park via Northfield and up to Great Park via old 61 route
- 49 curtailed to Northfield and isn't going to serve Great Park
- 98 going to use double deckers (thus meaning the trees are going yo get cut back)
- 24 is going to get extended
- 45 getting extended to Longbridge island
- 99 not doing that u-turn island after Q.E.
- Harborne/Great Park/Weoley Castle rota changes
- Pershore Road new buses (2014)
- Bristol Road total overhaul of times and timing points

To name a few.

[Mike K]

September indeed!!

- x64 curtailed to Bangham Pit
- 29A extended to Great Park via Northfield and up to Great Park via old 61 route
- 49 curtailed to Northfield and isn't going to serve Great Park
- 98 going to use double deckers (thus meaning the trees are going yo get cut back)
- 24 is going to get extended
- 45 getting extended to Longbridge island
- 99 not doing that u-turn island after Q.E.
- Harborne/Great Park/Weoley Castle rota changes

To name a few.

Interesting.

So does the 98 using deckers mean B7RLEs to move from BC (what's the PVR of the 98)?

And how do you extend the 24? It finishes with a giant loop around Simmons Drive and Quinton Road West, I can't imagine where it could possibly be extended to.

[Liverpool Street]

September indeed!!

- x64 curtailed to Bangham Pit
- 29A extended to Great Park via Northfield and up to Great Park via old 61 route
- 49 curtailed to Northfield and isn't going to serve Great Park
- 98 going to use double deckers (thus meaning the trees are going yo get cut back)
- 24 is going to get extended
- 45 getting extended to Longbridge island
- 99 not doing that u-turn island after Q.E.
- Harborne/Great Park/Weoley Castle rota changes

To name a few.

Interesting.

So does the 98 using deckers mean B7RLEs to move from BC (what's the PVR of the 98)?

And how do you extend the 24? It finishes with a giant loop around Simmons Drive and Quinton Road West, I can't imagine where it could possibly be extended to.

I think about 11/12 for the PVR of 98, 2hr round trip, 20min service, include a few x64's... I'll have a look tomorrow to see how far the running board numbers go up to.

Mike K, I'm familiar with the 24 and am struggling to work out how it'll be extended but  it might  be in yhr city and not at the outer?

[Mike K]

September indeed!!

- x64 curtailed to Bangham Pit
- 29A extended to Great Park via Northfield and up to Great Park via old 61 route
- 49 curtailed to Northfield and isn't going to serve Great Park
- 98 going to use double deckers (thus meaning the trees are going yo get cut back)
- 24 is going to get extended
- 45 getting extended to Longbridge island
- 99 not doing that u-turn island after Q.E.
- Harborne/Great Park/Weoley Castle rota changes

To name a few.

Interesting.

So does the 98 using deckers mean B7RLEs to move from BC (what's the PVR of the 98)?

And how do you extend the 24? It finishes with a giant loop around Simmons Drive and Quinton Road West, I can't imagine where it could possibly be extended to.

I think about 11/12 for the PVR of 98, 2hr round trip, 20min service, include a few x64's... I'll have a look tomorrow to see how far the running board numbers go up to.

Mike K, I'm familiar with the 24 and am struggling to work out how it'll be extended but  it might  be in yhr city and not at the outer?

Good call Rat, possibly extending it back via the Markets like it used to. There were a lot of pensioners unhappy when it was taken away from the Markets. If you're retiring next week, you'll be up in arms about that sort of thing soon.

It'll be good to finally have a bus terminating at Bangham Pit again. Quality destination.

[Sh4318]

Where will the 24 be extended to? I think there's a lot that could be done with it, although it's a very good route at the moment, in my opinion

[Ex BC driver]

The 24 may be extended to serve the new Asda at Barnes Hill, that was the road rep's idea last month. As I'm no longer working for the company I haven't a clue if this is what is planned

[j789]

The 24 may be extended to serve the new Asda at Barnes Hill, that was the road rep's idea last month.

That would be a good idea as would link Quinton to it. Also, I have always thought it could be extended to Halesowen by going the other way around Simmons Drive and Quinton Road West outbound and the opposite back into the city. An extension to Merry Hill may be a tad optimistic but the old 004 used to pick up a fair few passengers in Harborne and Quinton so may work.

[Mike K]

The 24 may be extended to serve the new Asda at Barnes Hill, that was the road rep's idea last month.

That would be a good idea as would link Quinton to it. Also, I have always thought it could be extended to Halesowen by going the other way around Simmons Drive and Quinton Road West outbound and the opposite back into the city. An extension to Merry Hill may be a tad optimistic but the old 004 used to pick up a fair few passengers in Harborne and Quinton so may work.

I still can't figure out in my mind how a 24 extension could work with the current terminus loop. It would either have to miss out one of Quinton Rd West and Simmons Drive completely, or would have to miss out one in either direction. Which wouldn't be much use if you lived on Quinton Road West and could only catch a bus towards city, but couldn't catch a return service back to the same place for example.

[Nathan4775]

Whats happening with the 22/23 ? if anything

[Ex BC driver]

The 24 may be extended to serve the new Asda at Barnes Hill, that was the road rep's idea last month.

That would be a good idea as would link Quinton to it. Also, I have always thought it could be extended to Halesowen by going the other way around Simmons Drive and Quinton Road West outbound and the opposite back into the city. An extension to Merry Hill may be a tad optimistic but the old 004 used to pick up a fair few passengers in Harborne and Quinton so may work.

I still can't figure out in my mind how a 24 extension could work with the current terminus loop. It would either have to miss out one of Quinton Rd West and Simmons Drive completely, or would have to miss out one in either direction. Which wouldn't be much use if you lived on Quinton Road West and could only catch a bus towards city, but couldn't catch a return service back to the same place for example.

I know what you mean. I can't remember if the idea was to keep the 24 going round the loop.  Then a 24A which would go down Quinton Road West then right onto West Boulevard and straight over to Barnes Hill Asda. So every other bus. Guess we'll have to wait and see when they make the announce what they'll be doing

[jnl1984]

I personally would like to see a route leave the city as the 22/23/24/29 do up to Harborne High Street and then turn left at the Green Man (as the 21 used to)... However, then continue on to Metchley Lane, straight over the island, continue down to the bottom of Metchley Lane and then on to Quinton Road... and then on to Bartley Green and a final destination.

The benefits of this i believe would be
-Quicker and alternative route to Birmingham Uni / QE / Learning hub
-Would provide a further link to the 11A/C
-Eliminates traffic on and around Harborne High Street
-Provides a quicker route to Bartley Green
-Provides an alternative to the current 99 route.

[j789]

The 24 may be extended to serve the new Asda at Barnes Hill, that was the road rep's idea last month.

That would be a good idea as would link Quinton to it. Also, I have always thought it could be extended to Halesowen by going the other way around Simmons Drive and Quinton Road West outbound and the opposite back into the city. An extension to Merry Hill may be a tad optimistic but the old 004 used to pick up a fair few passengers in Harborne and Quinton so may work.
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I still can't figure out in my mind how a 24 extension could work with the current terminus loop. It would either have to miss out one of Quinton Rd West and Simmons Drive completely, or would have to miss out one in either direction. Which wouldn't be much use if you lived on Quinton Road West and could only catch a bus towards city, but couldn't catch a return service back to the same place for example.

I guess the idea of having the 24a (or even the 25!!!!!) would work so one bus would go straight down Quinton Rd West and the next Simmons drive - QRW residents would get a bus every 10 mins due to the current loop and Simmons Drive would still have a regular 20 min service.

[Mike K]

I personally would like to see a route leave the city as the 22/23/24/29 do up to Harborne High Street and then turn left at the Green Man (as the 21 used to)... However, then continue on to Metchley Lane, straight over the island, continue down to the bottom of Metchley Lane and then on to Quinton Road... and then on to Bartley Green and a final destination.

The benefits of this i believe would be
-Quicker and alternative route to Birmingham Uni / QE / Learning hub
-Would provide a further link to the 11A/C
-Eliminates traffic on and around Harborne High Street
-Provides a quicker route to Bartley Green
-Provides an alternative to the current 99 route.

A near identical route has existed in the past, the 72 City to Kitwell, the predecessor of the current 22 route. It took the route you suggest, except went left off Methchley Lane via Pritchatts Road and Vincent Drive (no longer possible) to the bottom of Metchley Lane, then along Quinton Road. It wasn't successful and lasted only about a year before it was replaced by the 22 via Harborne High St and War Lane instead.

[lgr]

I think it's likely that the 27 will be changed in some way - perhaps curtailed to Yardley Wood garage? Or maybe back to Kings Heath. Since it was extended to Maypole it's become a lot less reliable, in my opinion, and loadings always seem very light towards that end of the route.

I think it's excellent that double dockers will be introduced on the 98, but it's a bit of a shame that it's most likely going to end up with BC's clapped out fleet of Tridents when the B7RLEs were only introduced to that part of the city a year ago. :(