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The new NXC X1 timetable has been uploaded to Traveline today... click HERE to view.

Let's hope that losing two journeys before 7am doesn't prove a problem on train strike days. On a recent strike day I had to catch the 5:30 for an early flight (and there are a lot of those from BHX) and the 73 seater platinum was packed.

As a reasonably regular visitor to Wales, I agree about the on-board announcements. The train I was on last week from Carmarthen to Cardiff didn't seem to have any announcements at all and the display read "this station is Carmarthen" for the whole journey. 

In TFW's defence, their e-mail journey alerts system works well and is often more up to date than their website, their staff reply quickly via Whatsapp and if you book via the TFW app they automatically refund via delay repay without the need to apply.

Purely crystal ball gazing: Belfast style Van Hool artics will be ordered for the Walsall-Airport-Solihull route, WMCA have invested in too much publicity for this not to happen, lots of resources will initially be needed to combat fare dodging. Cross-city 50/82/87 will be introduced using (electric?) deckers as a test-bed to see if traffic delays on such long routes impact reliability (I suspect they will) if not, other proposed cross-city routes will be rolled out. The expense of changes to infrastructure or other factors will prove too expensive to use artics on some or possibly all of these new routes. All this will take several years. I'll update this in 2026.

Mentioned in the Public pack agenda document for the latest WMCA meeting is the news that the 124 buses in the ZEBRA scheme will now comprise 24 electric articulated vehicles (changed from hydrogen) and 100 hydrogen vehicles. The Department For Transport has extended the project delivery deadline to May 2026.

I'm not sure what routes BC could pick up because dead milage has to be taken into consideration, it would have to be a route that goes into the city centre given the location (currently) of the garage. Me personally I would like to see something like the 6 or the 67 come to BC but that's me.

The 35 in the future? The much heralded cross city routes plan puts the 35/45/47 into the same "package". Probably more likely for a new "BC South West" garage than for now though.

For the purchase of the attics. I may have misunderstood if it comes under BSIP.

Just to correct myself, I meant ZEBRA not BSIP (too many acronyms).

I have seen reference to Department For Transport deadlines somewhere but can't find it, I would be surprised if it went past the end of 2024 but who knows. This includes 100 double deckers (in addition to the 300 being discussed) and the 24 artics.

Deadline for what?

For the purchase of the attics. I may have misunderstood if it comes under BSIP.

Do we know if there's a deadline for this in terms of government funding contribution?

Are the influx of platinums at WB to allow another service to go platinum, or just to strength the 82/87?

Or just because WB have the second highest number of Euro3 buses to oust, any Euro6 buses they can get will help and 6965-6967 fit in with their existing fleet.

Maybe they'll replace some of the 48** on the 7, 33 and 101 and allow them to be cascaded to replace tridents elsewhere.

4843-4862 would slot in nicely at WN and WA but I'm getting ahead of myself. PB was described as having the "capacity" to house electric buses and chargers so hopefully it won't take too long to get the actual electricity to power them when it goes ahead.

In the 90's and regardless of the colour, they would whack any old decal that came to hand.

This time, the decals have been shaped, greater thought into single colours and keeping it on brand so it's a softer attempt to absorb into the NXWM fleet.

Granted, not sure I "get" the 'on loan' element. I know why they have done it, but does it add any value to what it's trying to do?

4576 has an "on-loan from NX West Midlands" decal and that transferred to Coventry two years ago so maybe they had some made back then and didn't want to waste them?

The remaining Coventry ones are very close, the charging points are in, just needing enough electricity to use them which we are promised this month. The Birmingham ones are looking like November/December time

We are a few weeks on from this message now, so it must be frustrating to still have so many Coventry electrics waiting to enter service and delaying cascades.

The information is on the NXBus site.

https://nxbus.co.uk/west-midlands/tickets-prices/single-trips-day-tickets

Daysaver (NX only) on the app, cash, contactless, tap&cap, swift
n-Bus (ALL NX Buses + other operators) only cash, contactless or swift

I'm on that Facebook page and according to someone (who I prefer not to name here) in the know, NX have not yet committed to the extension of the £2 scheme.

Hardly "in the know" when it literally says that on the NXBus website....

National Express West Midlands is reviewing whether it will participate in the Government's forthcoming £2 fare cap scheme

Why have PB lost the branding on buses Sutton's 33 101?

CONJECTURE

Early preparation for fleet movements when E164-E333 enter service? Being a brand new garage I would imagine PB will be in pole position to get quite a few of them.