Hi,
I am Simon Mathieson, Operations Director at NXWM. I have read this forum for a while now and always found it interesting.
I would like to offer you the opportunity to ask me questions through this forum and on this thread. If I can answer I will do so and if not will say so. I will try to answer questions pretty quickly for you.
I will not get involved or respond on any other threads (even though I might be tempted!).
I hope my presence here will be a benefit and not seen as stifling debate or discussion.
Thanks
Simon
Hi have you any plans to return to operating in the cannock/Hednesford /staffs area?
Thanks Bob.
We had a look at the recent Staffordshire tenders and we have won the X56 tender as a result.
We have no other plans at the moment but would never say never.
when are Pensnetts services up for a review again? Any more busses coming over?
Thanks driver.
The 205 and 297 are Pensnett services that are almost under constant review and we are looking at the impact of the recent changes to them. The other routes that we are having a look at are the 243/44 which seem to be attracting a lot of complaints at the moment - nothing might come of it but they are worth our consideration.
The 222 is much improved on timekeeping since the change in June.
In terms of buses there are the moves of double deckers across for the 246 but nothing else planned.
When, as a company, will they pro-actively do something to target the amount of fraud and drug-users which abuse our services? What don't these people understand that NXWM does NOT operate a free service?! I know its against your morals to spend money but even a proper increase in Revenue staff and daily checks on all routes will subside the problem. Oh sorry, that'll mean spending money.
Seriously though, will Swift card arrangement make any impact on the constant flow of fare evasion?
Regards,
Rat.
Thanks. any new services coming over to Pensnett?
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 10:19:19 AM
Thanks Bob.
We had a look at the recent Staffordshire tenders and we have won the X56 tender as a result.
We have no other plans at the moment but would never say never.
I heard that nx had also won the 2, 25/6 & 33 in cannock but arriva then registered these journeys commercially. Just one other point, the three peak X51 journeys that start/end in cannock are not advertised at all and there are no timetables on any bus stops in the staffs area ( not even in cannock bus station), people wont use it if they dont know it exists etc
Thanks Rat.
Over the past 18 months or so the Revenue Inspector team has gone up from 13 to 22 people. Buses checked and passengers checked have risen some 22% so we are doing more and being more successful.
We have seen some really good results since January 2013 on some corridors, most notably the Coventry Road where the level of fraudulent travel has dropped significantly.
The investment we have made in the PDA machines (that look up people's addresses to make sure they are who they say they are) and the PDQ machines (that allow people to pay their fine by credit/debit card) have meant that we are now recovering a lot more money from people who we catch.
As ever we are driven by drivers pressing the anomaly button on the ticket machine as well as known hotspots. I am not sure it will ever be possible to have daily checks on all routes but our strategy is to target the major corridors to catch the most people for around 80% of the teams time and spend around 20% on the rest of the network.
I think Smartcards will help but as long as we still issue paper tickets and have some members of public with the mentality that it is OK to 'steal' their travel then we will have fraud.
Good to see/ read you Simon, and respect where it's due for mentioning that you won't comment on other threads, even though you might be tempted!
We're feeling a little downbeat in Sutton at the moment with newish buses transferring to Walsall and the only discernible improvements the appearance of ex-Coventry Omnilinks to replace the exhausted B10Ls on the 28, plus a general smartening-up of the 2004 Geminis.
Can we expect any new buses on the Sutton routes in the near future, and will there be any expenditure on the 2002 Volvo B7s (the 42XX) to get these looking something like, as they are a fairly scabby bunch these days, it must be said.
Thanks for this opportunity, it's very welcome.
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 10:39:30 AM
Thanks Rat.
Over the past 18 months or so the Revenue Inspector team has gone up from 13 to 22 people. Buses checked and passengers checked have risen some 22% so we are doing more and being more successful.
We have seen some really good results since January 2013 on some corridors, most notably the Coventry Road where the level of fraudulent travel has dropped significantly.
The investment we have made in the PDA machines (that look up people's addresses to make sure they are who they say they are) and the PDQ machines (that allow people to pay their fine by credit/debit card) have meant that we are now recovering a lot more money from people who we catch.
As ever we are driven by drivers pressing the anomaly button on the ticket machine as well as known hotspots. I am not sure it will ever be possible to have daily checks on all routes but our strategy is to target the major corridors to catch the most people for around 80% of the teams time and spend around 20% on the rest of the network.
I think Smartcards will help but as long as we still issue paper tickets and have some members of public with the mentality that it is OK to 'steal' their travel then we will have fraud.
Thank you for the detailed response, Simon.
Sorry if my post seemed a little 'short' with you, but you must understand that when a so-called passenger walks past you flashing month old tickets, it really does get you down. Its OK for Walsall and training office etc to say let it go over your head but its easily said then done. Every single journey you get the same type of scum; tracksuits, missing teeth, gold chains, etc and its the same people who go upstairs and start smoking, usually marijuana. I know you shouldn't tar everyone with the same brush but on this occasion, I can make an exception.
There is, I've noticed, a sharp increase of mothers refusing to pay for the children over 5. And as always the 2 pushchair rule causes conflict.
But, thanks again Simon, nice to hear a down to earth voice from the top.
Any news you know of for the South West Brum Review? I've posted in the thread on this forum the ones I've heard, can you confirm 100% if those will be finalised?
How much input do you have in such affairs?
Quote from: bob on July 24, 2013, 10:36:31 AM
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 10:19:19 AM
Thanks Bob.
We had a look at the recent Staffordshire tenders and we have won the X56 tender as a result.
We have no other plans at the moment but would never say never.
I heard that nx had also won the 2, 25/6 & 33 in cannock but arriva then registered these journeys commercially. Just one other point, the three peak X51 journeys that start/end in cannock are not advertised at all and there are no timetables on any bus stops in the staffs area ( not even in cannock bus station), people wont use it if they dont know it exists etc
I can't say too much more on the Staffs tenders really.
I will ask the team at Walsall to try and make some progress with X51 timetable information 'over the border'.
Quote from: The Real 4778 on July 24, 2013, 10:53:02 AM
Good to see/ read you Simon, and respect where it's due for mentioning that you won't comment on other threads, even though you might be tempted!
We're feeling a little downbeat in Sutton at the moment with newish buses transferring to Walsall and the only discernible improvements the appearance of ex-Coventry Omnilinks to replace the exhausted B10Ls on the 28, plus a general smartening-up of the 2004 Geminis.
Can we expect any new buses on the Sutton routes in the near future, and will there be any expenditure on the 2002 Volvo B7s (the 42XX) to get these looking something like, as they are a fairly scabby bunch these days, it must be said.
Thanks for this opportunity, it's very welcome.
Hi Real 4778,
The remaining double deck delivery for 2013 is currenlty earmarked for the Suttons but this has not been finalised as yet. They may still go elsewhere but it is a corridor we want to improve soon.
There are some plans developing for refurbishment of the 42XX vehicles but it is only early days.
Thanks.
Quote from: The Retiring Rat on July 24, 2013, 11:02:01 AM
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 10:39:30 AM
Thanks Rat.
Over the past 18 months or so the Revenue Inspector team has gone up from 13 to 22 people. Buses checked and passengers checked have risen some 22% so we are doing more and being more successful.
We have seen some really good results since January 2013 on some corridors, most notably the Coventry Road where the level of fraudulent travel has dropped significantly.
The investment we have made in the PDA machines (that look up people's addresses to make sure they are who they say they are) and the PDQ machines (that allow people to pay their fine by credit/debit card) have meant that we are now recovering a lot more money from people who we catch.
As ever we are driven by drivers pressing the anomaly button on the ticket machine as well as known hotspots. I am not sure it will ever be possible to have daily checks on all routes but our strategy is to target the major corridors to catch the most people for around 80% of the teams time and spend around 20% on the rest of the network.
I think Smartcards will help but as long as we still issue paper tickets and have some members of public with the mentality that it is OK to 'steal' their travel then we will have fraud.
Thank you for the detailed response, Simon.
Sorry if my post seemed a little 'short' with you, but you must understand that when a so-called passenger walks past you flashing month old tickets, it really does get you down. Its OK for Walsall and training office etc to say let it go over your head but its easily said then done. Every single journey you get the same type of scum; tracksuits, missing teeth, gold chains, etc and its the same people who go upstairs and start smoking, usually marijuana. I know you shouldn't tar everyone with the same brush but on this occasion, I can make an exception.
There is, I've noticed, a sharp increase of mothers refusing to pay for the children over 5. And as always the 2 pushchair rule causes conflict.
But, thanks again Simon, nice to hear a down to earth voice from the top.
Any news you know of for the South West Brum Review? I've posted in the thread on this forum the ones I've heard, can you confirm 100% if those will be finalised?
How much input do you have in such affairs?
Thanks for the reply.
I think the level of fraud varies greatly by route. I drive half a shift every month and some trips I carry 100% payers. I drove on Saturday on the 24 and the 60 and had nobody with a fraudulent ticket (unless they were very good copies) and nobody who tried not to pay. Last month I was driving on the 37 and took a travelcard from a passenger which had expired in March 2013.
There are no final plans as yet for South Birmingham. The plans in the other thread have all been discussed and are being evaluated. All or none of it might happen! I am very much involved in the process and decisions - you can blame me!
Hi Simon,
Pleased to have your input on the forum & thanks for the opportunitiy ;)
A couple of questions/points from me
1. Did NXWM seriously look in to buying both RH & KR operations from First Group in autumn 2012?
2. Have NXWM now finally standardised on the current livery variation with the current shades of both orange/red & cargo white being applied? As there seems to have been a large number of livery variations over the years, with different shades of red / white / full connector bars / small connector bars on fleetnames etc etc
3. I'd also like to see garages making a concerted effort to paint in accident damage with the correct shades of red / white to help improve the appearance/image of the fleet
4. Is it not about time that the TWM brand was finally eliminated from the NXWM fleet across all garages regardless of livery? It has now been six years since the NXWM brand / livery was first introduced by Richard Bowker, Dundee, Bordesley & Coventry have finally managed to do away with the 'Travel' brand, can all TWM logos not be replaced on currently liveries? In WMT / WM Buses & TWM days a large proportion of logos would have been changed over a weekend with the remainder done within a couple of weeks of a name change.
5. Are the remaining 26 x E400's due from NX 2013 orders in addition to the 300 new buses due by June 2015 or included in that quantity?
On a positive note re: livery the latest shades of red/white currently being applied & standards of refurbishment appear far superior, keep up the good work!
It may not be under your direct control, but I personally would like to see NX Group expand its UK bus division in to other areas of the UK through acquisitions
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 11:36:21 AM
Quote from: bob on July 24, 2013, 10:36:31 AM
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 10:19:19 AM
Thanks Bob.
We had a look at the recent Staffordshire tenders and we have won the X56 tender as a result.
We have no other plans at the moment but would never say never.
I heard that nx had also won the 2, 25/6 & 33 in cannock but arriva then registered these journeys commercially. Just one other point, the three peak X51 journeys that start/end in cannock are not advertised at all and there are no timetables on any bus stops in the staffs area ( not even in cannock bus station), people wont use it if they dont know it exists etc
I can't say too much more on the Staffs tenders really.
I will ask the team at Walsall to try and make some progress with X51 timetable information 'over the border'.
Thanks thatd be good. If people knew about it it cpuld be a decent alternative to the train with the price of a monthly travel card being loads cheaper!
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 11:42:27 AM
Quote from: The Retiring Rat on July 24, 2013, 11:02:01 AM
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 10:39:30 AM
Thanks Rat.
Over the past 18 months or so the Revenue Inspector team has gone up from 13 to 22 people. Buses checked and passengers checked have risen some 22% so we are doing more and being more successful.
We have seen some really good results since January 2013 on some corridors, most notably the Coventry Road where the level of fraudulent travel has dropped significantly.
The investment we have made in the PDA machines (that look up people's addresses to make sure they are who they say they are) and the PDQ machines (that allow people to pay their fine by credit/debit card) have meant that we are now recovering a lot more money from people who we catch.
As ever we are driven by drivers pressing the anomaly button on the ticket machine as well as known hotspots. I am not sure it will ever be possible to have daily checks on all routes but our strategy is to target the major corridors to catch the most people for around 80% of the teams time and spend around 20% on the rest of the network.
I think Smartcards will help but as long as we still issue paper tickets and have some members of public with the mentality that it is OK to 'steal' their travel then we will have fraud.
Thank you for the detailed response, Simon.
Sorry if my post seemed a little 'short' with you, but you must understand that when a so-called passenger walks past you flashing month old tickets, it really does get you down. Its OK for Walsall and training office etc to say let it go over your head but its easily said then done. Every single journey you get the same type of scum; tracksuits, missing teeth, gold chains, etc and its the same people who go upstairs and start smoking, usually marijuana. I know you shouldn't tar everyone with the same brush but on this occasion, I can make an exception.
There is, I've noticed, a sharp increase of mothers refusing to pay for the children over 5. And as always the 2 pushchair rule causes conflict.
But, thanks again Simon, nice to hear a down to earth voice from the top.
Any news you know of for the South West Brum Review? I've posted in the thread on this forum the ones I've heard, can you confirm 100% if those will be finalised?
How much input do you have in such affairs?
Thanks for the reply.
I think the level of fraud varies greatly by route. I drive half a shift every month and some trips I carry 100% payers. I drove on Saturday on the 24 and the 60 and had nobody with a fraudulent ticket (unless they were very good copies) and nobody who tried not to pay. Last month I was driving on the 37 and took a travelcard from a passenger which had expired in March 2013.
There are no final plans as yet for South Birmingham. The plans in the other thread have all been discussed and are being evaluated. All or none of it might happen! I am very much involved in the process and decisions - you can blame me!
It must be that white shirt you wear, Simon! Haha
But a couple of things for the South Birmingham Review is the x64 mainly.. as has been mentioned hundreds of times before.
And if the decisions are stupid, don't worry - we will all blame you haha
Thanks for your input, Simon.
Hello Simon
Can you please confirm what vehicles are on order for the remainder of 2013?
I assume it is 41 (89 delivered) as previous press releases have staed 130 new vehicles for 2013
26 ADL E400
15 ????
In addition is it fair to assume these vehicles are part of the Bus Travel partnership with Centro investment of 300 vehicles between now and July 2015?
Hello Simon,
I'm a regular user of the 28 and 907, the 28 has always suffered from delays especially if there is an RTA on the motorways which impacts on the 28 both at the Scott Arms and Castle Bromwich. May I suggest the following:
28 Bordesley Green to Dyas Road only (every 15 mins)
38 Castle Vale to Scott Arms (every 15mins), replacing 638.
This would mean each service would only be impacted ONCE if there is an RTA on the motorway (28 at Castle Bromwich, 38 at the Scott Arms) and would combine 7/8 mins between Chester Road and Dyas Road which is the busiest section of the route.
Finally please STOP Perry Barr garage putting single deckers on the 907 especially in peaks, the amount of times I've had to walk to Livery Street to get the 7 or jumping on a 934 etc to Hawthorn Road then walking or getting a 28 because the 907 was full or coming from Sutton they can be full before reaching the Crossways, the 15 min frequency in peaks is inadequate as it is (it was every 10 mins 3 years ago) , this route has been neglected for too long the fact is that passengers have been driven away.
Hi Simon, a couple of questions from me.
Is it possible something can be changed with the situation where after 10pm it is impossible to print child tickets?
It is an awkward situation when you have to try to explain to parents that they cant have a ticket for their children, it has led to arguements and I have now just pressed an adult ticket instead to keep the peace, but I dont like to do this as the wrong ticket is issued.
Also I have had a lot of people showing me their concessionary passes and saying "It wont scan", and I explain they still have to scan it cus it might be blocked, when they do scan it, it doesnt come up neither red or green. Surely this is like showing a blank travel card and they should pay as they will probably use this card till the end of their lives.
As for the revenue inspectors increasing from 13 to 22, I would say it needs to be 3 times that. The ammount of fraud is widespread. And the revenue recupriated could go towards new buses. More often than not it is the passengers with out of date passes that also smoke on the buses too.
Many thanks
Hi Simon, quick question from me.
Would it be possible to improve the reliability of the 28 route, not just peaks but evenings and, in particular Sundays as it is often 10-15 minutes late on Sunday afternoons. Unlike what has been suggested further up I wouldn't suggest splitting the route in two as it does provide some useful links.
Thanks for your input.
Hey Simon!
I know you'll be busy replying to all the questions before this, but I just thought I'd ask if there are any plans to improve or upgrade East Birmingham's services in the near future? i.e. new buses, improved frequencies, new routes etc.? I only ask because it seems a lot of the focus lately has been on North Birmingham, Walsall and Wolverhampton and it seems they've had their fill of brand new buses if I'm honest. You can't go up the Birchfield Road without 90% of buses being an Enviro400, and if you go into East Birmingham it just seems to be decade-old Tridents, similarly aged ALX400s on the 94, and the odd unrefurbished Omnilink dotted about. I know the Coventry Road has just received new Enviros for 2 of it's routes but the point remains, you go anywhere in East Birmingham and the only routes you'll see with brand spanking new buses are the 71/72, and maybe the 94 if an Enviro creeps out of North Birmingham. Even the 97, which I thought would become a high profile route now being the only one to run 24 hours and connecting many areas to the airport, is using, albeit branded, old Tridents. It seems that since Lea Hall closed down, the standards and upkeep of East Birmingham's routes have been neglected.
I just thought maybe some investment in the future is needed to bring East Birmingham up to the standards that Walsall, Wolverhampton and North Birmingham (especially Pheasey) are now enjoying.
Kind Regards :)
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 10:26:40 AM
Thanks driver.
The 205 and 297 are Pensnett services that are almost under constant review and we are looking at the impact of the recent changes to them. The other routes that we are having a look at are the 243/44 which seem to be attracting a lot of complaints at the moment - nothing might come of it but they are worth our consideration.
The 222 is much improved on timekeeping since the change in June.
In terms of buses there are the moves of double deckers across for the 246 but nothing else planned.
Great to have you with us Simon.
My nearest garage is Pensnett and notice you are still looking at routes 297 & 205. Never had a problem with the 297, but the 205 does seem to run late more often than never. With very little or run time at either end, i am surprised it works as well as it does. Surely it would be better if it was split in half?
My other question concerns the condition of some of the buses, some of the Mercs like 1633, 1645 & 1646 and others seem in a very poor external condition.
Is there any chance some money could be put aside to give these buses a freshen up.
Thanks for joining the forum Simon, and many thanks so far for the interesting answers you've provided to the questions being asked.
On my Facebook page, something that crops up fairly often are suggestions of extending or introducing new routes that travel far out of the current operating area (Birmingham to Leamington, Stafford, Lichfield, Stratford etc etc).
Is it fair to assume that NX route policy is to concentrate on developing and streamlining the existing network within the West Midlands operating area? Rather than introducing 'nice lengthy routes to far away places' that people simply wouldn't use, and wouldn't be commercially viable while there are long-distance coach routes and existing train lines that people would rather use as they would be quicker!
Quote from: Stu on July 24, 2013, 06:05:56 PM
Thanks for joining the forum Simon, and many thanks so far for the interesting answers you've provided to the questions being asked.
On my Facebook page, something that crops up fairly often are suggestions of extending or introducing new routes that travel far out of the current operating area (Birmingham to Leamington, Stafford, Lichfield, Stratford etc etc).
Is it fair to assume that NX route policy is to concentrate on developing and streamlining the existing network within the West Midlands operating area? Rather than introducing 'nice lengthy routes to far away places' that people simply wouldn't use, and wouldn't be commercially viable while there are long-distance coach routes and existing train lines that people would rather use as they would be quicker!
In other words, you can officially tell the likes of Reiss, that he's talking out of his hat, & you've had it from 'the horse's mouth'!
Hi Simon, always good to see a friendly face on here. Welcome to the forum!
I think Winston and JB93 have already raised my questions, but I too would have asked about the East Birmingham services. As JB93 had said since Lea Hall closed they just seem to be outcasts at other garages and no longer seem important, even though they have huge passenger numbers.
My other comment would have been about the exterior state of the buses. Different colour shades, vinyl wrap around liveries, multiple fleet names and multiple fonts and lettering. There seems to be no brand identity or pride in the fleet. Miller Street garage has a NX logo on the wall by its yard, yet Head Office in Bordesley stil has the 'Travel' logo. Surely a few hundred pounds could be spent on vinyls covering the old TWM logos on buses?
Gareth
Hi Simon,
Are there any plans for the 289? Patronage is poor between Rowley Regis Hospital and Old Hill, and residents of Brickhouse Farm don't have a direct (NXWM) service to Merry Hill anymore
Hi Simon.
Must admit I'm surprised a 'big boss' has come onto what is essentially a 'hobby' site, but anyway welcome.
(What is the current relationship between NX & the Beeb, as since Ed Doolan stopped doing regular shows, I haven't heard of any phone in involving you & Centro, like the ones Phil Bateman used to do with Ed, lately!)
How come 'traditional' circular services, like the old 370/371/372/373 in Walsall have fallen out of favour?
While it is good to see the likes of the 302 operate all day, restoring a evening & Sunday link between Lower Farm & Walsall via Leamore, the same as the daytime service, it seems to have had the reverse effect on the 70 evening service, the entire service being cut back a few years ago to run Walsall - Beechdale - Bloxwich only anyway.
While it appears to have healthy loadings during the day, the loadings have detiorated on the evening service to the point, where you have withdrawn the journeys, & being offered up for tender to be won by another company.
Surely it would've been easier to keep the services as 'Circulars', running back to Walsall via Leamore & perhaps look at the timetable again for the 301 service, as there seems to be lot of half empty buses during the daytime on this service. (I'm taking a guess that the frequency for this timetable seems to be for the benefit of the drivers going to & from the depot!)
There has been comments elsewhere about the reliability of the 302 service, compared to the 301. There is a guy called 'Stuart Williams', who runs a Facebook/Twitter/website called 'The Bloxwich Telegraph', who I believe has been in touch with local management via Walsall Council, plus I have a friend on Lower Farm, who has moaned about reliability too. (I know this service has changed recently, so hopefully that's fixed)
I do have a suggestion. Why don't you run the 301 & 302 as a circular service north of Bloxwich, so both services could serve Turnberry Road after serving Mossley & Lower Farm? (Interworking, I believe you call it?)
On behalf on my sister, who works in Birmingham, once the tunnel works are over, can you look at the to & from Cannock X51 journeys, as they seem to be unreliable.
Not for the first time, that the first journey leaving City after 5pm to Cannock seems to go 'missing', leaving her to either catch either a 'short' journey to Walsall or at worst, catch a 51 instead, which takes ages, as you're probably aware.
One day last week, the 2nd journey from Cannock was at least 15 mins late. (Followed 5 mins later by the 3rd journey! I know, as I saw both journeys pass the stop outside my house in Bloxwich!)
Surely there should not be an issue on journeys running straight from the garage to the outer terminus onwards?
By the way, definetely agree on the fleetname issue already raised.
Wow someone is going to be busy. Has any one moaned about the poor state of east birmingham routes since Lea Hall closure i'e scrap of the pile buses etc. I'm being lazy not reading it all lol.
Not being cynical if 94 does get upgraded it will be buses handed down from Sutton lines and no real investment like on other routes.
Quote from: monkeyjoe on July 24, 2013, 07:39:26 PM
Wow some is going to be busy. Has any one moaned about the poor state of east birmingham routes since Lea Hall closure i'e scrap of the pile buses etc. I'm being lazy not reading it all lol.
Yes, that's been asked and is awaiting an answer.
Hello Simon,
Obviously,as OD,you see actual figures but casual observations seem to suggest that the 71A (certainly) and the 638 (possibly)may not be the company's biggest earners.
Would it improve matters if the two were joined (with a slight rerouting in Castle Vale) to form a Sutton-Erdington route.I would suggest additionally routing the 71A out of Sutton via Coleshill Street,Lisures Drive,Far Highfield,Retford Drive,Preston Avenue and Sir Alfreds Way,rejoining the present route on Walmley Road.
This would give a service to the Newhall Estate,presently only having an hourly tendered route by WMSNT.
Also,the large ASDA Minworth store would be reachable from Chester Road and The Yenton.
I should perhaps declare an interest since I live on Newhall Estate,but this merely convinces me such a move,if well advertised,could be feasable.I would even be willing to put leaflets,advertising the route,through letterboxes on Newhall Estate.Perhaps it could be route 70?
Simon,
during this year, the weather conditions have been from one extreme to the other. as a passenger, I travel on wn routes mainly, and am lucky the routes i use are served by newer buses in the wn fleet.
however, in the winter they are cold, and this weather red hot! wouldnt it be worth the investment in an all round climate control system. may cost a little mpg, but surely if you want folk to use your buses instead of other means, a comfortable temperature would improve the experience. i even notice the drivers red hot, sweating buckets, and half of their fans are now missing!
another point is the amount of older buses looking tired, constantly breaking down etc. my wife uses the 82, 26, 27 alot which is normally served by b6's or mercedes. they are constantly breaking down and journeys broken or missed. isnt it time these were got shut of? due to lack of investment a lot of fleet replacement carried out in the previous 2/3 years will end up with the same situation with a large percentage of fleet renewal required at the same time again.
after reading several posts above, one thing that gets my goat is fair evasion. ive never seen revenue except in their regular places in wn. id like to see them target other parts such as molineux/whitmore reans area. tonight ive seen a regular attempt to fool the driver, but when driver said excuse me to call him back he walked! this must cost nx thousands every year. maybe if everyone paid you wouldnt need to raise fares!
glad to see someone from management on here.
I would like to know are there any demonstrators due for evaluation,also are you planning/considering on using any other manufacturers other than adl/Volvo*wrightbus combination in the new vehicle order,also why havn't you used mcv bodywork for Volvo b7rle instead of just using wrightbus,costs aside.
Quote from: Winston on July 24, 2013, 11:48:41 AM
Hi Simon,
Pleased to have your input on the forum & thanks for the opportunitiy ;)
A couple of questions/points from me
1. Did NXWM seriously look in to buying both RH & KR operations from First Group in autumn 2012?
2. Have NXWM now finally standardised on the current livery variation with the current shades of both orange/red & cargo white being applied? As there seems to have been a large number of livery variations over the years, with different shades of red / white / full connector bars / small connector bars on fleetnames etc etc
3. I'd also like to see garages making a concerted effort to paint in accident damage with the correct shades of red / white to help improve the appearance/image of the fleet
4. Is it not about time that the TWM brand was finally eliminated from the NXWM fleet across all garages regardless of livery? It has now been six years since the NXWM brand / livery was first introduced by Richard Bowker, Dundee, Bordesley & Coventry have finally managed to do away with the 'Travel' brand, can all TWM logos not be replaced on currently liveries? In WMT / WM Buses & TWM days a large proportion of logos would have been changed over a weekend with the remainder done within a couple of weeks of a name change.
5. Are the remaining 26 x E400's due from NX 2013 orders in addition to the 300 new buses due by June 2015 or included in that quantity?
On a positive note re: livery the latest shades of red/white currently being applied & standards of refurbishment appear far superior, keep up the good work!
It may not be under your direct control, but I personally would like to see NX Group expand its UK bus division in to other areas of the UK through acquisitions
Hi Winston,
1. No comment.
2. Yes we have and the latest repaints are the standard version.
3. I quite agree and this is being looked at.
4. Logo's - The programme of eliminating all intermediate logos [twin peaks - part of National Express Group.] from the fleet was completed last weekend. We have already completed removal of all TWM logos on vehicles at Bordesley, and TC logos at Coventry except for two vehicles which are due for withdrawal. It is now the intention to move on to replacing the Travel West Midlands logos on vehicles at the other garages very shortly.
5. The 26 E400's do form part of the 300. No orders have been placed for remaining vehicles and it is unlikely that any detail will be confirmed until next year.
Hope that helps.
Thanks again.
Quote from: The Rat on July 24, 2013, 11:56:13 AM
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 11:42:27 AM
Quote from: The Retiring Rat on July 24, 2013, 11:02:01 AM
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 10:39:30 AM
Thanks Rat.
Over the past 18 months or so the Revenue Inspector team has gone up from 13 to 22 people. Buses checked and passengers checked have risen some 22% so we are doing more and being more successful.
We have seen some really good results since January 2013 on some corridors, most notably the Coventry Road where the level of fraudulent travel has dropped significantly.
The investment we have made in the PDA machines (that look up people's addresses to make sure they are who they say they are) and the PDQ machines (that allow people to pay their fine by credit/debit card) have meant that we are now recovering a lot more money from people who we catch.
As ever we are driven by drivers pressing the anomaly button on the ticket machine as well as known hotspots. I am not sure it will ever be possible to have daily checks on all routes but our strategy is to target the major corridors to catch the most people for around 80% of the teams time and spend around 20% on the rest of the network.
I think Smartcards will help but as long as we still issue paper tickets and have some members of public with the mentality that it is OK to 'steal' their travel then we will have fraud.
Thank you for the detailed response, Simon.
Sorry if my post seemed a little 'short' with you, but you must understand that when a so-called passenger walks past you flashing month old tickets, it really does get you down. Its OK for Walsall and training office etc to say let it go over your head but its easily said then done. Every single journey you get the same type of scum; tracksuits, missing teeth, gold chains, etc and its the same people who go upstairs and start smoking, usually marijuana. I know you shouldn't tar everyone with the same brush but on this occasion, I can make an exception.
There is, I've noticed, a sharp increase of mothers refusing to pay for the children over 5. And as always the 2 pushchair rule causes conflict.
But, thanks again Simon, nice to hear a down to earth voice from the top.
Any news you know of for the South West Brum Review? I've posted in the thread on this forum the ones I've heard, can you confirm 100% if those will be finalised?
How much input do you have in such affairs?
Thanks for the reply.
I think the level of fraud varies greatly by route. I drive half a shift every month and some trips I carry 100% payers. I drove on Saturday on the 24 and the 60 and had nobody with a fraudulent ticket (unless they were very good copies) and nobody who tried not to pay. Last month I was driving on the 37 and took a travelcard from a passenger which had expired in March 2013.
There are no final plans as yet for South Birmingham. The plans in the other thread have all been discussed and are being evaluated. All or none of it might happen! I am very much involved in the process and decisions - you can blame me!
It must be that white shirt you wear, Simon! Haha
But a couple of things for the South Birmingham Review is the x64 mainly.. as has been mentioned hundreds of times before.
And if the decisions are stupid, don't worry - we will all blame you haha
Thanks for your input, Simon.
I always wear a normal uniform when I drive ;)
Quote from: Wolves256 on July 24, 2013, 12:02:51 PM
Hello Simon
Can you please confirm what vehicles are on order for the remainder of 2013?
I assume it is 41 (89 delivered) as previous press releases have staed 130 new vehicles for 2013
26 ADL E400
15 ????
In addition is it fair to assume these vehicles are part of the Bus Travel partnership with Centro investment of 300 vehicles between now and July 2015?
Hi Wolves.
The 26 are the only ones left for 2013 and do form part of the 300.
1592 still has the intermediate logos Simon ;) unless it still has them because it is due to be withdrawn.
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 09:02:12 PM
Quote from: Winston on July 24, 2013, 11:48:41 AM
Hi Simon,
Pleased to have your input on the forum & thanks for the opportunitiy ;)
A couple of questions/points from me
1. Did NXWM seriously look in to buying both RH & KR operations from First Group in autumn 2012?
2. Have NXWM now finally standardised on the current livery variation with the current shades of both orange/red & cargo white being applied? As there seems to have been a large number of livery variations over the years, with different shades of red / white / full connector bars / small connector bars on fleetnames etc etc
3. I'd also like to see garages making a concerted effort to paint in accident damage with the correct shades of red / white to help improve the appearance/image of the fleet
4. Is it not about time that the TWM brand was finally eliminated from the NXWM fleet across all garages regardless of livery? It has now been six years since the NXWM brand / livery was first introduced by Richard Bowker, Dundee, Bordesley & Coventry have finally managed to do away with the 'Travel' brand, can all TWM logos not be replaced on currently liveries? In WMT / WM Buses & TWM days a large proportion of logos would have been changed over a weekend with the remainder done within a couple of weeks of a name change.
5. Are the remaining 26 x E400's due from NX 2013 orders in addition to the 300 new buses due by June 2015 or included in that quantity?
On a positive note re: livery the latest shades of red/white currently being applied & standards of refurbishment appear far superior, keep up the good work!
It may not be under your direct control, but I personally would like to see NX Group expand its UK bus division in to other areas of the UK through acquisitions
Hi Winston,
1. No comment.
2. Yes we have and the latest repaints are the standard version.
3. I quite agree and this is being looked at.
4. Logo's - The programme of eliminating all intermediate logos [twin peaks - part of National Express Group.] from the fleet was completed last weekend. We have already completed removal of all TWM logos on vehicles at Bordesley, and TC logos at Coventry except for two vehicles which are due for withdrawal. It is now the intention to move on to replacing the Travel West Midlands logos on vehicles at the other garages very shortly.
5. The 26 E400's do form part of the 300. No orders have been placed for remaining vehicles and it is unlikely that any detail will be confirmed until next year.
Hope that helps.
Thanks again.
Simon,
Many thanks for your response, much appreciated. I wasn't really expecting any response re - question 1, but thought it was still worth a bash anyway ;)
If details of order aren't being confirmed until next year, I take it NX are considering going for Euro 6 models straight off the drawing board, rather than trialing demonstrators first?
Quote from: Lukeee on July 24, 2013, 03:40:59 PM
Hi Simon, quick question from me.
Would it be possible to improve the reliability of the 28 route, not just peaks but evenings and, in particular Sundays as it is often 10-15 minutes late on Sunday afternoons. Unlike what has been suggested further up I wouldn't suggest splitting the route in two as it does provide some useful links.
Thanks for your input.
Hi Lukee,
There is a new 28 timetable in place from 1st September. I will check if this includes the Sundays.
Quote from: JB93 on July 24, 2013, 04:47:11 PM
Hey Simon!
I know you'll be busy replying to all the questions before this, but I just thought I'd ask if there are any plans to improve or upgrade East Birmingham's services in the near future? i.e. new buses, improved frequencies, new routes etc.? I only ask because it seems a lot of the focus lately has been on North Birmingham, Walsall and Wolverhampton and it seems they've had their fill of brand new buses if I'm honest. You can't go up the Birchfield Road without 90% of buses being an Enviro400, and if you go into East Birmingham it just seems to be decade-old Tridents, similarly aged ALX400s on the 94, and the odd unrefurbished Omnilink dotted about. I know the Coventry Road has just received new Enviros for 2 of it's routes but the point remains, you go anywhere in East Birmingham and the only routes you'll see with brand spanking new buses are the 71/72, and maybe the 94 if an Enviro creeps out of North Birmingham. Even the 97, which I thought would become a high profile route now being the only one to run 24 hours and connecting many areas to the airport, is using, albeit branded, old Tridents. It seems that since Lea Hall closed down, the standards and upkeep of East Birmingham's routes have been neglected.
I just thought maybe some investment in the future is needed to bring East Birmingham up to the standards that Walsall, Wolverhampton and North Birmingham (especially Pheasey) are now enjoying.
Kind Regards :)
Hi JB,
I will use this reply to answer all the posts about East Birmingham.
I don't think that we view East Birmingham as being neglected. The 71/72 have had new buses and the Coventry Road Enviro's are in place now as well. The buses on the 97 have all been refurbished as well. The 17 and 55 have also benefited recently from having been converted to all Scania recently, some of which are being repainted at the moment.
We are planning on upgrading the 94 for early 2014 but this will be through cascades of newer buses from other routes rather than brand new.
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on July 24, 2013, 05:27:14 PM
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 10:26:40 AM
Thanks driver.
The 205 and 297 are Pensnett services that are almost under constant review and we are looking at the impact of the recent changes to them. The other routes that we are having a look at are the 243/44 which seem to be attracting a lot of complaints at the moment - nothing might come of it but they are worth our consideration.
The 222 is much improved on timekeeping since the change in June.
In terms of buses there are the moves of double deckers across for the 246 but nothing else planned.
Great to have you with us Simon.
My nearest garage is Pensnett and notice you are still looking at routes 297 & 205. Never had a problem with the 297, but the 205 does seem to run late more often than never. With very little or run time at either end, i am surprised it works as well as it does. Surely it would be better if it was split in half?
My other question concerns the condition of some of the buses, some of the Mercs like 1633, 1645 & 1646 and others seem in a very poor external condition.
Is there any chance some money could be put aside to give these buses a freshen up.
Hi Stu,
I think the sum of all the parts of the 205 is what makes it work.
In terms of 1633, 1645 and 1646 we feel that the resources available to us for repainting and refurbishment are best used on vehicles which will remain in service for some years to come and hence give us and customers the greatest benefit. The priority for repaints at Pensnett in the coming months will therefore be the three newly transferred Tridents still in old TWM livery
Quote from: Stu on July 24, 2013, 06:05:56 PM
Thanks for joining the forum Simon, and many thanks so far for the interesting answers you've provided to the questions being asked.
On my Facebook page, something that crops up fairly often are suggestions of extending or introducing new routes that travel far out of the current operating area (Birmingham to Leamington, Stafford, Lichfield, Stratford etc etc).
Is it fair to assume that NX route policy is to concentrate on developing and streamlining the existing network within the West Midlands operating area? Rather than introducing 'nice lengthy routes to far away places' that people simply wouldn't use, and wouldn't be commercially viable while there are long-distance coach routes and existing train lines that people would rather use as they would be quicker!
Hi Stu,
I think that is a fair summary of our position although if we thought there was something worth doing that made sense then we would do it. I have not seen or heard any ideas that fall in to this category though.
Quote from: Gareth on July 24, 2013, 06:33:31 PM
Hi Simon, always good to see a friendly face on here. Welcome to the forum!
I think Winston and JB93 have already raised my questions, but I too would have asked about the East Birmingham services. As JB93 had said since Lea Hall closed they just seem to be outcasts at other garages and no longer seem important, even though they have huge passenger numbers.
My other comment would have been about the exterior state of the buses. Different colour shades, vinyl wrap around liveries, multiple fleet names and multiple fonts and lettering. There seems to be no brand identity or pride in the fleet. Miller Street garage has a NX logo on the wall by its yard, yet Head Office in Bordesley stil has the 'Travel' logo. Surely a few hundred pounds could be spent on vinyls covering the old TWM logos on buses?
Gareth
Hi Gareth - thanks for the welcome.
Logo's - The programme of eliminating all intermediate logos [twin peaks - part of National Express Group.] from the fleet was completed last weekend. We have already completed removal of all TWM logos on vehicles at Bordesley, and TC logos at Coventry except for two vehicles which are due for withdrawal. It is now the intention to move on to replacing the Travel West Midlands logos on vehicles at the other garages very shortly.
Quote from: Sh4166 on July 24, 2013, 06:40:12 PM
Hi Simon,
Are there any plans for the 289? Patronage is poor between Rowley Regis Hospital and Old Hill, and residents of Brickhouse Farm don't have a direct (NXWM) service to Merry Hill anymore
Hi Sh4166,
We are still monitoring the 289 from the recent change so no plans at present.
Hi Simon.
Can i start by commenting how commendable i think it is that you come on here and answer questions in the way you are.
Which leads me on to...
With the supposed South West Birmingham review due to take place, is there any thought or been mention of re-introducing the 'Network Harborne' branding for the 22/23/24/29/29A/99 and any potential new route?
Quote from: arrifirststage on July 24, 2013, 08:06:31 PM
Hello Simon,
Obviously,as OD,you see actual figures but casual observations seem to suggest that the 71A (certainly) and the 638 (possibly)may not be the company's biggest earners.
Would it improve matters if the two were joined (with a slight rerouting in Castle Vale) to form a Sutton-Erdington route.I would suggest additionally routing the 71A out of Sutton via Coleshill Street,Lisures Drive,Far Highfield,Retford Drive,Preston Avenue and Sir Alfreds Way,rejoining the present route on Walmley Road.
This would give a service to the Newhall Estate,presently only having an hourly tendered route by WMSNT.
Also,the large ASDA Minworth store would be reachable from Chester Road and The Yenton.
I should perhaps declare an interest since I live on Newhall Estate,but this merely convinces me such a move,if well advertised,could be feasable.I would even be willing to put leaflets,advertising the route,through letterboxes on Newhall Estate.Perhaps it could be route 70?
Hi arrifirststage,
Thanks for the suggestions and for the offer of help. I don't live too far away from you!
Funnily enough we have been debating joining the 71A and 638 together for some time. The 638 is a good route and people like it. The 71A is something and nothing really. There is a plan emerging for the 71/71A/72 for the Autumn, which is why we have been discussing the 71A/638 idea.
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 09:18:35 PM
Quote from: JB93 on July 24, 2013, 04:47:11 PM
Hey Simon!
I know you'll be busy replying to all the questions before this, but I just thought I'd ask if there are any plans to improve or upgrade East Birmingham's services in the near future? i.e. new buses, improved frequencies, new routes etc.? I only ask because it seems a lot of the focus lately has been on North Birmingham, Walsall and Wolverhampton and it seems they've had their fill of brand new buses if I'm honest. You can't go up the Birchfield Road without 90% of buses being an Enviro400, and if you go into East Birmingham it just seems to be decade-old Tridents, similarly aged ALX400s on the 94, and the odd unrefurbished Omnilink dotted about. I know the Coventry Road has just received new Enviros for 2 of it's routes but the point remains, you go anywhere in East Birmingham and the only routes you'll see with brand spanking new buses are the 71/72, and maybe the 94 if an Enviro creeps out of North Birmingham. Even the 97, which I thought would become a high profile route now being the only one to run 24 hours and connecting many areas to the airport, is using, albeit branded, old Tridents. It seems that since Lea Hall closed down, the standards and upkeep of East Birmingham's routes have been neglected.
I just thought maybe some investment in the future is needed to bring East Birmingham up to the standards that Walsall, Wolverhampton and North Birmingham (especially Pheasey) are now enjoying.
Kind Regards :)
Hi JB,
I will use this reply to answer all the posts about East Birmingham.
I don't think that we view East Birmingham as being neglected. The 71/72 have had new buses and the Coventry Road Enviro's are in place now as well. The buses on the 97 have all been refurbished as well. The 17 and 55 have also benefited recently from having been converted to all Scania recently, some of which are being repainted at the moment.
We are planning on upgrading the 94 for early 2014 but this will be through cascades of newer buses from other routes rather than brand new.
Thanks for the reply Simon. It's great that the 94 will soon be upgraded, but is there no chance of it getting new buses seeing as the Sutton Lines have already been upgraded in the past few years whilst the 94 still soldiers on using decade-old ALX400s? I appreciate the improvements made to some East Birmingham services but it still feels as though North Birmingham, Walsall and Wolverhampton are prioritised over areas in need of investment. If you compare Chelmsley Wood's bus terminal to let's say, Pheasey or Sutton Coldfield, you'll see a radically different picture and standard of the buses that operate there.
Quote from: pb2012 on July 24, 2013, 08:48:20 PM
I would like to know are there any demonstrators due for evaluation,also are you planning/considering on using any other manufacturers other than adl/Volvo*wrightbus combination in the new vehicle order,also why havn't you used mcv bodywork for Volvo b7rle instead of just using wrightbus,costs aside.
Hi pb2012,
This is not really my area to be honest. As far as I know there are no demonstrators due.
Quote from: uniquicity on July 24, 2013, 09:09:07 PM
1592 still has the intermediate logos Simon ;) unless it still has them because it is due to be withdrawn.
Hi,
I will try and get this one sorted.
Quote from: jnl1984 on July 24, 2013, 09:28:47 PM
Hi Simon.
Can i start by commenting how commendable i think it is that you come on here and answer questions in the way you are.
Which leads me on to...
With the supposed South West Birmingham review due to take place, is there any thought or been mention of re-introducing the 'Network Harborne' branding for the 22/23/24/29/29A/99 and any potential new route?
Hi jnl.
There are no plans for reintroduce this branding.
Hi Simon
Can you tell me if there are any changes coming for the 58/59/60/900/900E/957 Please :)
Quote from: Rob2832 on July 24, 2013, 09:46:41 PM
Hi Simon
Can you tell me if there are any changes coming for the 58/59/60/900/900E/957 Please :)
Hi Rob2832,
The new buses are rolling out on the 900/957 and there is a plan to separate the 900 and 957 workings later this year but apart from that no plans.
Thanks Simon re 1592.
From my personal experience the 48 gets very busy during the peaks in term times (especially since the new Sandwell College opened). Could the frequency be increased or bigger vehicles (not necessarily new) be used?
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 09:49:52 PM
Quote from: Rob2832 on July 24, 2013, 09:46:41 PM
Hi Simon
Can you tell me if there are any changes coming for the 58/59/60/900/900E/957 Please :)
Hi Rob2832,
The new buses are rolling out on the 900/957 and there is a plan to separate the 900 and 957 workings later this year but apart from that no plans.
Thank You for the Info Simon :)
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 09:41:35 PM
Quote from: pb2012 on July 24, 2013, 08:48:20 PM
I would like to know are there any demonstrators due for evaluation,also are you planning/considering on using any other manufacturers other than adl/Volvo*wrightbus combination in the new vehicle order,also why havn't you used mcv bodywork for Volvo b7rle instead of just using wrightbus,costs aside.
Hi pb2012,
This is not really my area to be honest. As far as I know there are no demonstrators due.
Hi simon, thank's for answering my querry guess we'll all have to wait until next year,for my answers.Could you tell us if wn 81/82 routes are being converted to full b7rle operation for the brierly hill/merryhill bus network.
Many thank's pb2012.
Quote from: uniquicity on July 24, 2013, 09:51:10 PM
Thanks Simon re 1592.
From my personal experience the 48 gets very busy during the peaks in term times (especially since the new Sandwell College opened). Could the frequency be increased or bigger vehicles (not necessarily new) be used?
Thanks for the feedback. I will ask West Brom garage to have a look.
Hi there Simon, Firstly I think its great you are on here answering questions for us, Kudos for that!
I wondered if the Presidents are going to be spending the foreseeable future on the 11, then will they be receiving any route branding? The 5 has just had its Presidents rebranded so they obviously aren't up for withdrawal anytime soon and as the 11 is Birminghams biggest route, it would be nice to see a return to Outer Circle branding of some kind!
Thanks,
G
Quote from: Winston on July 24, 2013, 09:12:50 PM
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 09:02:12 PM
Quote from: Winston on July 24, 2013, 11:48:41 AM
Hi Simon,
Pleased to have your input on the forum & thanks for the opportunitiy ;)
A couple of questions/points from me
1. Did NXWM seriously look in to buying both RH & KR operations from First Group in autumn 2012?
2. Have NXWM now finally standardised on the current livery variation with the current shades of both orange/red & cargo white being applied? As there seems to have been a large number of livery variations over the years, with different shades of red / white / full connector bars / small connector bars on fleetnames etc etc
3. I'd also like to see garages making a concerted effort to paint in accident damage with the correct shades of red / white to help improve the appearance/image of the fleet
4. Is it not about time that the TWM brand was finally eliminated from the NXWM fleet across all garages regardless of livery? It has now been six years since the NXWM brand / livery was first introduced by Richard Bowker, Dundee, Bordesley & Coventry have finally managed to do away with the 'Travel' brand, can all TWM logos not be replaced on currently liveries? In WMT / WM Buses & TWM days a large proportion of logos would have been changed over a weekend with the remainder done within a couple of weeks of a name change.
5. Are the remaining 26 x E400's due from NX 2013 orders in addition to the 300 new buses due by June 2015 or included in that quantity?
On a positive note re: livery the latest shades of red/white currently being applied & standards of refurbishment appear far superior, keep up the good work!
It may not be under your direct control, but I personally would like to see NX Group expand its UK bus division in to other areas of the UK through acquisitions
Hi Winston,
1. No comment.
2. Yes we have and the latest repaints are the standard version.
3. I quite agree and this is being looked at.
4. Logo's - The programme of eliminating all intermediate logos [twin peaks - part of National Express Group.] from the fleet was completed last weekend. We have already completed removal of all TWM logos on vehicles at Bordesley, and TC logos at Coventry except for two vehicles which are due for withdrawal. It is now the intention to move on to replacing the Travel West Midlands logos on vehicles at the other garages very shortly.
5. The 26 E400's do form part of the 300. No orders have been placed for remaining vehicles and it is unlikely that any detail will be confirmed until next year.
Hope that helps.
Thanks again.
Simon,
Many thanks for your response, much appreciated. I wasn't really expecting any response re - question 1, but thought it was still worth a bash anyway ;)
If details of order aren't being confirmed until next year, I take it NX are considering going for Euro 6 models straight off the drawing board, rather than trialing demonstrators first?
Winston,
Not really my area but I expect next years order to be Euro 5.
Hiya Simon and a big welcome to the forum, it really is nice to have the opitunity to ask you questions directly.
My questions are......
1)Are their any plans to introduce more branding across the network?
2) the Volvo with MCV bodywork 1908 trialled on the X96, are their any plans to make an order or did it fail to impress.
3) can you reveal any plans on the new gold corridors.
Thank you for answering questions btw.
What is the criteria for a route(S) to recieve branding and why are so many major corridors without it, like in other major cities? etc.
Quote from: GB_91 on July 24, 2013, 09:54:21 PM
Hi there Simon, Firstly I think its great you are on here answering questions for us, Kudos for that!
I wondered if the Presidents are going to be spending the foreseeable future on the 11, then will they be receiving any route branding? The 5 has just had its Presidents rebranded so they obviously aren't up for withdrawal anytime soon and as the 11 is Birminghams biggest route, it would be nice to see a return to Outer Circle branding of some kind!
Thanks,
G
Hi GB_91,
Thank you.
We would all love new buses on the Outer Circle but with the SQPS in Birmingham City Centre we had to find a place for the Presidents. The branding is being discussed but is not a certainty.
Quote from: danny on July 24, 2013, 09:57:23 PM
Hiya Simon and a big welcome to the forum, it really is nice to have the opitunity to ask you questions directly.
My questions are......
1)Are their any plans to introduce more branding across the network?
2) the Volvo with MCV bodywork 1908 trialled on the X96, are their any plans to make an order or did it fail to impress.
3) can you reveal any plans on the new gold corridors.
Gold Corridors centro published maps some time ago of a network of superbuses. Can't remember where now but google it. It was on PDF somewhere.
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 09:59:11 PM
Quote from: GB_91 on July 24, 2013, 09:54:21 PM
Hi there Simon, Firstly I think its great you are on here answering questions for us, Kudos for that!
I wondered if the Presidents are going to be spending the foreseeable future on the 11, then will they be receiving any route branding? The 5 has just had its Presidents rebranded so they obviously aren't up for withdrawal anytime soon and as the 11 is Birminghams biggest route, it would be nice to see a return to Outer Circle branding of some kind!
Thanks,
G
Hi GB_91,
Thank you.
We would all love new buses on the Outer Circle but with the SQPS in Birmingham City Centre we had to find a place for the Presidents. The branding is being discussed but is not a certainty.
Thanks for the reply Simon, I actually don't mind the Presidents being on the O/C if I'm honest, I just wish they were a bit smarter in appearance and do miss the old Gemini branding!
Quote from: danny on July 24, 2013, 09:57:23 PM
Hiya Simon and a big welcome to the forum, it really is nice to have the opitunity to ask you questions directly.
My questions are......
1)Are their any plans to introduce more branding across the network?
2) the Volvo with MCV bodywork 1908 trialled on the X96, are their any plans to make an order or did it fail to impress.
3) can you reveal any plans on the new gold corridors.
Hi Danny,
1. Yes. I think the 9 is in preparation along with the 934/5/6 and maybe the 900. May well be others as well. We believe in it as part of a package of service improvements, marketing, door drops etc..
2. Not my area but does not appear to have been something we want to pursue.
3. No but only because we have not developed our plans enough yet.
2.
Quote from: monkeyjoe on July 24, 2013, 09:58:46 PM
Thank you for answering questions btw.
What is the criteria for a route(S) to recieve branding and why are so many major corridors without it, like in other major cities? etc.
Hi monkeyjoe,
The reasons are many and varied! There is a plan to do most of our major corridors but it all takes time and needs to be part of a package of measures to be successful.
Thank you for your response I look forward to seeing these brandings in action
1) Are the current Soho Road vehicles going to be refurbished and branded?
2) Do the 83/89 break the emissions rule by using Mercs?
Quote from: uniquicity on July 24, 2013, 10:08:35 PM
1) Are the current Soho Road vehicles going to be refurbished and branded?
2) Do the 83/89 break the emissions rule by using Mercs?
They don't break the emissions rule because individually their frequency is every 30 mins. It would have to be a route with a higher frequency than every 30 mins to break the emissions rule.
Quote from: JB93 on July 24, 2013, 10:11:37 PM
Quote from: uniquicity on July 24, 2013, 10:08:35 PM
1) Are the current Soho Road vehicles going to be refurbished and branded?
2) Do the 83/89 break the emissions rule by using Mercs?
They don't break the emissions rule because individually their frequency is every 30 mins. It would have to be a route with a higher frequency than every 30 mins to break the emissions rule.
They could have used Presidents on the 127/128/129 then. But chose not to. Something is fishy.
Not sure, I'm guessing WB just want their Presidents for the 5. :) that's why the 73 still uses Presidents, because it's every 30 minutes.
Quote from: uniquicity on July 24, 2013, 10:08:35 PM
1) Are the current Soho Road vehicles going to be refurbished and branded?
2) Do the 83/89 break the emissions rule by using Mercs?
1. Maybe. We are discussing it but it is a massive task.
2. No because they are less frequent than every 20 minutes each.
Quote from: JB93 on July 24, 2013, 09:38:58 PM
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 09:18:35 PM
Quote from: JB93 on July 24, 2013, 04:47:11 PM
Hey Simon!
I know you'll be busy replying to all the questions before this, but I just thought I'd ask if there are any plans to improve or upgrade East Birmingham's services in the near future? i.e. new buses, improved frequencies, new routes etc.? I only ask because it seems a lot of the focus lately has been on North Birmingham, Walsall and Wolverhampton and it seems they've had their fill of brand new buses if I'm honest. You can't go up the Birchfield Road without 90% of buses being an Enviro400, and if you go into East Birmingham it just seems to be decade-old Tridents, similarly aged ALX400s on the 94, and the odd unrefurbished Omnilink dotted about. I know the Coventry Road has just received new Enviros for 2 of it's routes but the point remains, you go anywhere in East Birmingham and the only routes you'll see with brand spanking new buses are the 71/72, and maybe the 94 if an Enviro creeps out of North Birmingham. Even the 97, which I thought would become a high profile route now being the only one to run 24 hours and connecting many areas to the airport, is using, albeit branded, old Tridents. It seems that since Lea Hall closed down, the standards and upkeep of East Birmingham's routes have been neglected.
I just thought maybe some investment in the future is needed to bring East Birmingham up to the standards that Walsall, Wolverhampton and North Birmingham (especially Pheasey) are now enjoying.
Kind Regards :)
Hi JB,
I will use this reply to answer all the posts about East Birmingham.
I don't think that we view East Birmingham as being neglected. The 71/72 have had new buses and the Coventry Road Enviro's are in place now as well. The buses on the 97 have all been refurbished as well. The 17 and 55 have also benefited recently from having been converted to all Scania recently, some of which are being repainted at the moment.
We are planning on upgrading the 94 for early 2014 but this will be through cascades of newer buses from other routes rather than brand new.
Thanks for the reply Simon. It's great that the 94 will soon be upgraded, but is there no chance of it getting new buses seeing as the Sutton Lines have already been upgraded in the past few years whilst the 94 still soldiers on using decade-old ALX400s? I appreciate the improvements made to some East Birmingham services but it still feels as though North Birmingham, Walsall and Wolverhampton are prioritised over areas in need of investment. If you compare Chelmsley Wood's bus terminal to let's say, Pheasey or Sutton Coldfield, you'll see a radically different picture and standard of the buses that operate there.
Totally agree with the comments made about the 94, but let's face it some routes are always going to take priority over others. The 94 is probably not as profitable as it was with the competition, closing down of manufacturing on that corridors and people like myself who have left it. So decisions have to be made I guess. :)
Quote from: pb2012 on July 24, 2013, 09:53:42 PM
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 09:41:35 PM
Quote from: pb2012 on July 24, 2013, 08:48:20 PM
I would like to know are there any demonstrators due for evaluation,also are you planning/considering on using any other manufacturers other than adl/Volvo*wrightbus combination in the new vehicle order,also why havn't you used mcv bodywork for Volvo b7rle instead of just using wrightbus,costs aside.
Hi pb2012,
This is not really my area to be honest. As far as I know there are no demonstrators due.
Hi simon, thank's for answering my querry guess we'll all have to wait until next year,for my answers.Could you tell us if wn 81/82 routes are being converted to full b7rle operation for the brierly hill/merryhill bus network.
Many thank's pb2012.
There are no plans to convert the 81/82 to B7RLE.
Hi Simon, really glad you've come here to answer our questions.
Is there plans for some more new midibuses? I ask this because the B6LE are deteriorating fast and it won't be long before they're not going to be able to run. (I say this having travelled on two today)
I presume (Please don't slate me as its just my opinion) that the Sutton Lines will gain new E400's (Sometimes appearing on other routes like all new buses seem to do) displacing E400's onto the 94 and either ALX400 or Wright.Eclipse Gemini B7TL's transfering to WB to start to withdraw older mercs
By the way Very warm welcome to the forum simon :) Great for you to answer our questions
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 09:57:01 PM
Winston,
Not really my area but I expect next years order to be Euro 5.
Simon,
I had anticipated NX may choose to order further Euro 5 models for 2014 deliveries, given the significant cost differences between Euro 5 & Euro 6, additionally it would give NX time to weigh up its options re future buying policy whilst allowing manufacturers time to iron out any teething troubles.
One further question, is the intention still to sell Lea Hall garage? Or is this now being retained to provide additional garage capacity to allow for future growth of the fleet?
I really wish you would reintroduce a Walsall to Cannock service, itd knock spots off arriva's 1 service and a daysaver would provide links to loads of places in the west midlands :)
Hi Simon,
I would like to ask why NXWM are not competing against Diamond on some of the areas/routes they run commercially that have gaps between existing NXWM routes, for example 002, the 4H section between Hayley Green and Halesowen, 142 (Stourbridge) and similar, especially as NXWM have the travelcard which is more useful (because of the better validity than the diamond period ticket).
Also, will BC be getting a bus painted in Birmingham Corporation Tramways or Birmingham City Transport livery next year, especially as it would be 100 years since the first motorbus in Birmingham in 2014?
If you cant answer any of these then thats ok, its just a matter of curiosity (killed the cat :-)
Any chance of the 82 becoming full volvo b7rle operated sick of mercs
Any idea when Swift will be fully implemented onto the NXWM network?
Thanks
Hello Simon,
I'm a regular user of the 28 and 907, the 28 has always suffered from delays especially if there is an RTA on the motorways which impacts on the 28 both at the Scott Arms and Castle Bromwich. May I suggest the following:
28 Bordesley Green to Dyas Road only (every 15 mins)
38 Castle Vale to Scott Arms (every 15mins), replacing 638.
This would mean each service would only be impacted ONCE if there is an RTA on the motorway (28 at Castle Bromwich, 38 at the Scott Arms) and would combine 7/8 mins between Chester Road and Dyas Road which is the busiest section of the route.
Finally please STOP Perry Barr garage putting single deckers on the 907 especially in peaks, the amount of times I've had to walk to Livery Street to get the 7 or jumping on a 934 etc to Hawthorn Road then walking or getting a 28 because the 907 was full or coming from Sutton they can be full before reaching the Crossways, the 15 min frequency in peaks is inadequate as it is (it was every 10 mins 3 years ago) , this route has been neglected for too long the fact is that passengers have been driven away.
Quote from: uniquicity on July 24, 2013, 10:08:35 PM
1) Are the current Soho Road vehicles going to be refurbished and branded?
2) Do the 83/89 break the emissions rule by using Mercs?
No, they don't they're classed as two separate routes running every 30 minutes
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 09:25:20 PM
Quote from: Sh4166 on July 24, 2013, 06:40:12 PM
Hi Simon,
Are there any plans for the 289? Patronage is poor between Rowley Regis Hospital and Old Hill, and residents of Brickhouse Farm don't have a direct (NXWM) service to Merry Hill anymore
Hi Sh4166,
We are still monitoring the 289 from the recent change so no plans at present.
Could I also ask about the future of the 83 & 89, as far as vehicle allocations are concerned? Both routes appear to be allocated more and more double deckers, with at 5 of the 9 buses today being double decker. Will both routes eventually become fully double deck?
Hi Simon, A friend of mine has asked me to ask if the 35 will be getting any kind of frequency increase soon as there are a lot of journeys that struggle to cope now. He also said is there a chance of an earlier Sunday morning journey being introduced soon as the first one currently doesn't arrive into city until 9 o' Clock. Thanks
In case it was missed first time!
Quote from: Westy on July 24, 2013, 06:53:45 PM
Hi Simon.
Must admit I'm surprised a 'big boss' has come onto what is essentially a 'hobby' site, but anyway welcome.
(What is the current relationship between NX & the Beeb, as since Ed Doolan stopped doing regular shows, I haven't heard of any phone in involving you & Centro, like the ones Phil Bateman used to do with Ed, lately!)
How come 'traditional' circular services, like the old 370/371/372/373 in Walsall have fallen out of favour?
While it is good to see the likes of the 302 operate all day, restoring a evening & Sunday link between Lower Farm & Walsall via Leamore, the same as the daytime service, it seems to have had the reverse effect on the 70 evening service, the entire service being cut back a few years ago to run Walsall - Beechdale - Bloxwich only anyway.
While it appears to have healthy loadings during the day, the loadings have detiorated on the evening service to the point, where you have withdrawn the journeys, & being offered up for tender to be won by another company.
Surely it would've been easier to keep the services as 'Circulars', running back to Walsall via Leamore & perhaps look at the timetable again for the 301 service, as there seems to be lot of half empty buses during the daytime on this service. (I'm taking a guess that the frequency for this timetable seems to be for the benefit of the drivers going to & from the depot!)
There has been comments elsewhere about the reliability of the 302 service, compared to the 301. There is a guy called 'Stuart Williams', who runs a Facebook/Twitter/website called 'The Bloxwich Telegraph', who I believe has been in touch with local management via Walsall Council, plus I have a friend on Lower Farm, who has moaned about reliability too. (I know this service has changed recently, so hopefully that's fixed)
I do have a suggestion. Why don't you run the 301 & 302 as a circular service north of Bloxwich, so both services could serve Turnberry Road after serving Mossley & Lower Farm? (Interworking, I believe you call it?)
On behalf on my sister, who works in Birmingham, once the tunnel works are over, can you look at the to & from Cannock X51 journeys, as they seem to be unreliable.
Not for the first time, that the first journey leaving City after 5pm to Cannock seems to go 'missing', leaving her to either catch either a 'short' journey to Walsall or at worst, catch a 51 instead, which takes ages, as you're probably aware.
One day last week, the 2nd journey from Cannock was at least 15 mins late. (Followed 5 mins later by the 3rd journey! I know, as I saw both journeys pass the stop outside my house in Bloxwich!)
Surely there should not be an issue on journeys running straight from the garage to the outer terminus onwards?
By the way, definetely agree on the fleetname issue already raised.
Simon,
Good to see you here.
Do you know when the Scania Omnicity/link deckers at Perry Barr will be in for repaint?
Quote from: NXWM Spectra on July 24, 2013, 10:27:20 PM
Hi Simon, really glad you've come here to answer our questions.
Is there plans for some more new midibuses? I ask this because the B6LE are deteriorating fast and it won't be long before they're not going to be able to run. (I say this having travelled on two today)
Hi NXWM Spectra,
We had a meeting where this was discussed this week. They had a refurb some 3-4 years ago and are pretty good inside and out. It is the mechanical reliability that is a challenger for us.
Quote from: Winston on July 24, 2013, 10:32:10 PM
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 09:57:01 PM
Winston,
Not really my area but I expect next years order to be Euro 5.
Simon,
I had anticipated NX may choose to order further Euro 5 models for 2014 deliveries, given the significant cost differences between Euro 5 & Euro 6, additionally it would give NX time to weigh up its options re future buying policy whilst allowing manufacturers time to iron out any teething troubles.
One further question, is the intention still to sell Lea Hall garage? Or is this now being retained to provide additional garage capacity to allow for future growth of the fleet?
It is still our intention to sell Lea Hall unless a better plan comes along.
Quote from: DJ trainbasher on July 24, 2013, 10:36:17 PM
Hi Simon,
I would like to ask why NXWM are not competing against Diamond on some of the areas/routes they run commercially that have gaps between existing NXWM routes, for example 002, the 4H section between Hayley Green and Halesowen, 142 (Stourbridge) and similar, especially as NXWM have the travelcard which is more useful (because of the better validity than the diamond period ticket).
Also, will BC be getting a bus painted in Birmingham Corporation Tramways or Birmingham City Transport livery next year, especially as it would be 100 years since the first motorbus in Birmingham in 2014?
If you cant answer any of these then thats ok, its just a matter of curiosity (killed the cat :-)
The first question is not one that I can answer really but thank you anyway.
The idea for a bus in heritage livery is a good one so maybe.
Thanks for answering questions. Are their still plans for a WB out station to house routes like 16/ 101 & soho Rd routes. To free up space at PB & WB?
Quote from: domino.99 on July 24, 2013, 10:36:26 PM
Any chance of the 82 becoming full volvo b7rle operated sick of mercs
Hi Domino,
As stated on an earlier post there are no plans for this.
Quote from: vinh1000 on July 24, 2013, 10:36:43 PM
Any idea when Swift will be fully implemented onto the NXWM network?
Thanks
Hi vinh1000
Likely to be throughout 2014.
Quote from: Steve3229vp on July 24, 2013, 10:37:59 PM
Hello Simon,
I'm a regular user of the 28 and 907, the 28 has always suffered from delays especially if there is an RTA on the motorways which impacts on the 28 both at the Scott Arms and Castle Bromwich. May I suggest the following:
28 Bordesley Green to Dyas Road only (every 15 mins)
38 Castle Vale to Scott Arms (every 15mins), replacing 638.
This would mean each service would only be impacted ONCE if there is an RTA on the motorway (28 at Castle Bromwich, 38 at the Scott Arms) and would combine 7/8 mins between Chester Road and Dyas Road which is the busiest section of the route.
Finally please STOP Perry Barr garage putting single deckers on the 907 especially in peaks, the amount of times I've had to walk to Livery Street to get the 7 or jumping on a 934 etc to Hawthorn Road then walking or getting a 28 because the 907 was full or coming from Sutton they can be full before reaching the Crossways, the 15 min frequency in peaks is inadequate as it is (it was every 10 mins 3 years ago) , this route has been neglected for too long the fact is that passengers have been driven away.
Hi Steve,
I did reply to this but it seems to have got lost.
I have asked PB to look at the 907 and single deckers.
In terms of the 28 plan I can see the merits so will pass this on as well.
Thanks for the feedback.
Quote from: Sh4166 on July 24, 2013, 10:52:45 PM
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 09:25:20 PM
Quote from: Sh4166 on July 24, 2013, 06:40:12 PM
Hi Simon,
Are there any plans for the 289? Patronage is poor between Rowley Regis Hospital and Old Hill, and residents of Brickhouse Farm don't have a direct (NXWM) service to Merry Hill anymore
Hi Sh4166,
We are still monitoring the 289 from the recent change so no plans at present.
Could I also ask about the future of the 83 & 89, as far as vehicle allocations are concerned? Both routes appear to be allocated more and more double deckers, with at 5 of the 9 buses today being double decker. Will both routes eventually become fully double deck?
There are no plans to do this at present.
Quote from: BU07 LGO on July 24, 2013, 11:26:39 PM
Hi Simon, A friend of mine has asked me to ask if the 35 will be getting any kind of frequency increase soon as there are a lot of journeys that struggle to cope now. He also said is there a chance of an earlier Sunday morning journey being introduced soon as the first one currently doesn't arrive into city until 9 o' Clock. Thanks
Hi BU07 LGO,
There are no plans for a frequency increase at the moment.
We will have a look at the Sunday morning journeys for you.
Quote from: Westy on July 24, 2013, 11:39:04 PM
In case it was missed first time!
Quote from: Westy on July 24, 2013, 06:53:45 PM
Hi Simon.
Must admit I'm surprised a 'big boss' has come onto what is essentially a 'hobby' site, but anyway welcome.
(What is the current relationship between NX & the Beeb, as since Ed Doolan stopped doing regular shows, I haven't heard of any phone in involving you & Centro, like the ones Phil Bateman used to do with Ed, lately!)
How come 'traditional' circular services, like the old 370/371/372/373 in Walsall have fallen out of favour?
While it is good to see the likes of the 302 operate all day, restoring a evening & Sunday link between Lower Farm & Walsall via Leamore, the same as the daytime service, it seems to have had the reverse effect on the 70 evening service, the entire service being cut back a few years ago to run Walsall - Beechdale - Bloxwich only anyway.
While it appears to have healthy loadings during the day, the loadings have detiorated on the evening service to the point, where you have withdrawn the journeys, & being offered up for tender to be won by another company.
Surely it would've been easier to keep the services as 'Circulars', running back to Walsall via Leamore & perhaps look at the timetable again for the 301 service, as there seems to be lot of half empty buses during the daytime on this service. (I'm taking a guess that the frequency for this timetable seems to be for the benefit of the drivers going to & from the depot!)
There has been comments elsewhere about the reliability of the 302 service, compared to the 301. There is a guy called 'Stuart Williams', who runs a Facebook/Twitter/website called 'The Bloxwich Telegraph', who I believe has been in touch with local management via Walsall Council, plus I have a friend on Lower Farm, who has moaned about reliability too. (I know this service has changed recently, so hopefully that's fixed)
I do have a suggestion. Why don't you run the 301 & 302 as a circular service north of Bloxwich, so both services could serve Turnberry Road after serving Mossley & Lower Farm? (Interworking, I believe you call it?)
On behalf on my sister, who works in Birmingham, once the tunnel works are over, can you look at the to & from Cannock X51 journeys, as they seem to be unreliable.
Not for the first time, that the first journey leaving City after 5pm to Cannock seems to go 'missing', leaving her to either catch either a 'short' journey to Walsall or at worst, catch a 51 instead, which takes ages, as you're probably aware.
One day last week, the 2nd journey from Cannock was at least 15 mins late. (Followed 5 mins later by the 3rd journey! I know, as I saw both journeys pass the stop outside my house in Bloxwich!)
Surely there should not be an issue on journeys running straight from the garage to the outer terminus onwards?
By the way, definetely agree on the fleetname issue already raised.
Hi Westy,
Another one that I replied to and it got lost. I think I lost a couple because when I clicked post there was a message saying that a new post had appeared and I didn't realise this would mean mine did not get posted. Anyway....
We all have a hobby and mine might just be my job as well!
In terms of the BBC we have been on WM a few times since Ed Doolan semi retired whether that be an interview or a phone in. I think that Jack Kelly did the last one. I have not done one for a while.
Circulars can be difficult to make work and we are very pleased with the new networks in North and West Walsall which have seen good overall patronage growth. The recent change to the 302 has been a big improvment in terms of punctuality.
I will ask the garage to look at the reliability of the X51.
Quote from: nx4737 on July 25, 2013, 04:59:47 AM
Simon,
Good to see you here.
Do you know when the Scania Omnicity/link deckers at Perry Barr will be in for repaint?
Hi nx4737,
I don't know I am afraid.
Quote from: monkeyjoe on July 25, 2013, 07:41:15 AM
Thanks for answering questions. Are their still plans for a WB out station to house routes like 16/ 101 & soho Rd routes. To free up space at PB & WB?
No problem.
No plans at the moment.
Thanks for your replies.
It's the Spectra that I'm really interested in, so I have to ask: Are the Spectra going to be withdrawn soon? They're great buses but they are getting a little more unreliable.
Quote from: NXWM Spectra on July 25, 2013, 08:39:36 AM
Thanks for your replies.
It's the Spectra that I'm really interested in, so I have to ask: Are the Spectra going to be withdrawn soon? They're great buses but they are getting a little more unreliable.
Not everyone shares your view on Spectras!
Their time with us is coming to an end but there is no set date as yet.
Quote from: NX OD on July 25, 2013, 07:37:32 AM
It is still our intention to sell Lea Hall unless a better plan comes along.
Simon,
Many thanks for all your responses to my question, much appreciated!
It's a shame there aren't more directors around of big companies like you ;)
Quote from: domino.99 on July 24, 2013, 10:36:26 PM
Any chance of the 82 becoming full volvo b7rle operated sick of mercs
Simon did answer the question already and said there are no plans for the 81/2 to become fully B7RLE operation although i have noticed more B7RLE appearing on the 81/2
Hi again
Any chance on the restrictions on posting on the Facebook site being relaxed, so you can actually start your own thread instead of tagging onto to others, which may get missed.
Perhaps a polite word to Reiss & co, along the lines of 'Behave else we'll block you' as they were spoiling it for everyone else.
Coventry Facebook seem to be able to keep control of theirs.
Why cant the NX one do the same?
By the way, I enjoyed my trip on the entire Outer Circle yesterday.
Hi Simon
I was just wondering when will Walsall Tridents be Refurbised/Repainted some buses have not been repainted since new
4307/4308/4309/4329/4331/4332
Being 12 Years Old
Thanks
A few questions for you Simon if you could possibly help me that would be great:
Firstly is there any plans to introduce new route branding for the 126? (I've noticed that the current branded tridents are starting to be repainted with 4576 just coming back from repaint)
Could you possibly moniter my local route WN59 as it has a 5-6 minute frequency but recently there has been some late running meaning massive queues waiting.(My mom waited 28 minutes in Wolverhampton for the 59 and only two turned up)
If you could possibly look at the reliability of the route that would be great :)
Apart from the 9 and 934/5/6 which you mentioned are there plans for any other high profile routes to be route branded?
Also another route that could possibly be monitered is WA89. It runs at a 30 minute frequency but regually turns up 10- even sometimes 20 minutes late. Personally i think its due to the 89 not being given enough time to get from Walsall-Wolverhampton
And finally could you possibly tell me why all the E400H Hybrids at WN (5410-21) are route branded for the 1 because they regually appear off route especially evenings and Sundays. Maybe some could be debranded so not all are branded like Volvo B5LH 5510-14
1) Any plans for completely new route? It seems that every time network review is implemented, completely new routes are rarely introduced, it's almost always modification of current route.
2) What happened to route 958, that went from Birmingham to Airport partially using A45 bypass? Some said it was because of low amount of passengers, others said it was because of unreliability.
Hi, Simon
1) Any plan for order a more new bendy buses in nearly the future?
2) I would like to see in next October, when the 11/12 need changes frequency from Every 15min to Every 10min from Coventry to University and Every 20min from Coventry to Leamington Spa. And need extra peak times in morning and evening on the 11/12 make turn on the time.
3) I would like Bendibuses can board on peak time on the 11/12 in morning and evening with University term timetable? I am sure there are no problem with tight on the road for bendy buses running on the 11/12.
4) I would like take two board can use the bendy buses running on 20's in Every Saturday only?? and I do know bendy buses can two board mon-friday on the 21.
Thanks many 6013 ;)
Hi Simon,
I know you are getting swamped with questions here, and rather you than me having to answer them all.
My question is, after 10pm it is impossible to issue child tickets.
This has led to arguements as parents pay for their children and they expect a ticket, I have to try and explain that I cant issue a ticket and they ask why. Its an awkward situation.
Many thanks
Another quickie from me.
What was the overall customer feed back like for the experimental livery on 4177? Was it not rolled out as standard because of feedback or were there other factors involved?
Personally I liked it. It would need a few tweaks, such as replacing the orange detail with a different colour, but otherwise, it was very good! A vast improvement on the current livery!
Hi Simon really glad you are on the forum to answer our questions-it is really appreciated
Just a few quick questions:
1) Why did NX start buying omnilinks and then stop fairly shortly afterwards? Were they cheap initially and then the quality issues esposed?
2) Who came up with the current livery design-i imagine it was in house and certainly not best impressions or if so it is one of the ones they keep more quiet about lol
3) Why was the toothpaste livery never standardised on-brilliant smart livery.... shame it is not the current design
4) Why were vehicles like B10Bs repainted only to be withdrawn shortly when there were b7tl/alx400s which look a mess internally and externally still unrepainted
5) When will the presidents/spectras/tridents be withdrawn?
6) Why were NX in such a rush to refurb the presidents when left pretty much alone vehicles of a similar age until very recently until the good programme of refurbs began?
7) What was the point of the green branding? Did it increase ridership at all or just look cheap and tacky?
8) Why did it take so long to settle on a corporate style?
9) Isn't the current interior a bit sterile and bland-compared to that on the toothpaste buses-the interiors a bit like 50 shades of grey??
10) Why did WMT/TWM avoid buying darts for years?
11) Are routes on which competition has started on recently suffering in terms of patronage-im thinking the 50 here as NX seem to have resorted to desperation tactics-sudden branding, NX officials at the stop in town and buses suddenly short turning at the maypole which they didnt do before tgb upped the frequency?
12) Out of interest, what are relations like between rotala and NX-in the past, weren't relations between competing operators a bit frosty but what about now
Thanks again and look forward to your reply
Quote from: Gareth on July 25, 2013, 06:27:02 PM
Another quickie from me.
What was the overall customer feed back like for the experimental livery on 4177? Was it not rolled out as standard because of feedback or were there other factors involved?
Personally I liked it. It would need a few tweaks, such as replacing the orange detail with a different colour, but otherwise, it was very good! A vast improvement on the current livery!
I agree I believe 4177's livery looked really good and the orange dettail should be changed to white .. It would look very professional and nice!
Is this going to work if people start writing essay's on their pages to answer, just a thought?? :-\
Hi Simon:
1.why pink branding on red fronted vehicle, if your supporting breast cancer great idea but there's no ribbon, don't thinks it's that eye catching for the general public to really notice it.
2.As for these gold corridors I've heard about i'm assuming the buses wont be painted gold/white but branding similar to WN 1 service would catch the eye of most people it certainly did for Wolverhampton looks great.
3.I also think it would be great if another of your colleagues would be kind enough to answer questions we may have regarding vehicle movements and new buses coming to the region, I know info regarding new buses is vague, but would be nice to know what type of buses you have ordered when this batch of 300 start arriving.
Many thanks pb2012.
Quote from: monkeyjoe on July 25, 2013, 06:51:20 PM
Is this going to work if people start writing essay's on their pages to answer, just a thought?? :-\
Here Here!
Simon has very kindly agreed to answer our question, but we can't expect him to get in from work and find pages & pages of questions off everyone, short, sweet & to the point i think is what is needed.
Just a quick question from me
Could you tell me why certain busy routes (59 and 529 mainly) start late on a sunday as they always seem to be busy on the first journey).First 59 journey on a sunday is 08:50 from Ashmore Park and 09:20 from Wolverhamton
Could you possibly look into possibly starting say an hour earlier (7:50 from Ashmore Park and 08:20 from Wolverhampton) as it can get very busy on the first journey and the amount of times i've heard other passengers moan about how late it starts on a sunday.
Very sorry for the 1001 questions i am asking its just there are many questions i would like to ask
Quote from: Westy on July 25, 2013, 10:12:49 AM
Hi again
Any chance on the restrictions on posting on the Facebook site being relaxed, so you can actually start your own thread instead of tagging onto to others, which may get missed.
Perhaps a polite word to Reiss & co, along the lines of 'Behave else we'll block you' as they were spoiling it for everyone else.
Coventry Facebook seem to be able to keep control of theirs.
Why cant the NX one do the same?
Hi again,
The facility to post on the West Midlands Facebook page was removed because we seemed to be attracting endless numbers of comments from transport enthusiasts suggesting how we should modify our services.
The volume of these transport enthusiast comments was far outweighing genera passenger comments and as we don't really have the resource within the department to monitor and moderate these comments it was felt it would be better to disable them.
Depending on the way things progress we may consider re-instating comments for a trial period in the future.
Quote from: lynx1103 on July 25, 2013, 10:26:09 AM
Hi Simon
I was just wondering when will Walsall Tridents be Refurbised/Repainted some buses have not been repainted since new
4307/4308/4309/4329/4331/4332
Being 12 Years Old
Thanks
Hi lynx1103,
I am not sure to be honest. I will try and find out.
Quote from: Trident 4609 on July 25, 2013, 10:42:56 AM
A few questions for you Simon if you could possibly help me that would be great:
Firstly is there any plans to introduce new route branding for the 126? (I've noticed that the current branded tridents are starting to be repainted with 4576 just coming back from repaint)
Could you possibly moniter my local route WN59 as it has a 5-6 minute frequency but recently there has been some late running meaning massive queues waiting.(My mom waited 28 minutes in Wolverhampton for the 59 and only two turned up)
If you could possibly look at the reliability of the route that would be great :)
Apart from the 9 and 934/5/6 which you mentioned are there plans for any other high profile routes to be route branded?
Also another route that could possibly be monitered is WA89. It runs at a 30 minute frequency but regually turns up 10- even sometimes 20 minutes late. Personally i think its due to the 89 not being given enough time to get from Walsall-Wolverhampton
And finally could you possibly tell me why all the E400H Hybrids at WN (5410-21) are route branded for the 1 because they regually appear off route especially evenings and Sundays. Maybe some could be debranded so not all are branded like Volvo B5LH 5510-14
Hi Trident4609,
No plans for the 126 at the moment to receive new branding.
I will ask for the 59 to be monitored. My apologies for the long waits.
There will be other routes branded but the ones I mentioned are the ones we are working on at the moment.
I will have the 89 reviewed but the last time we looked at it seemed OK. It achieved a higher than the company average on time performance last week.
There should be no wrongly branded buses on routes unless there are no other buses available. I will ask my manager at WN for a report.
Quote from: :D on July 25, 2013, 01:07:29 PM
1) Any plans for completely new route? It seems that every time network review is implemented, completely new routes are rarely introduced, it's almost always modification of current route.
2) What happened to route 958, that went from Birmingham to Airport partially using A45 bypass? Some said it was because of low amount of passengers, others said it was because of unreliability.
Hi,
1. If there was something that made sense then we would do it but as most of the area is already covered completely new routes are hard to find.
2. I only remember a 58 that went to the Airport or Arden Oak. It was taken off when we introduced the revised 957/900/58/59/60. I don't recall a 958.
Quote from: 6013 on July 25, 2013, 01:27:58 PM
Hi, Simon
1) Any plan for order a more new bendy buses in nearly the future?
2) I would like to see in next October, when the 11/12 need changes frequency from Every 15min to Every 10min from Coventry to University and Every 20min from Coventry to Leamington Spa. And need extra peak times in morning and evening on the 11/12 make turn on the time.
3) I would like Bendibuses can board on peak time on the 11/12 in morning and evening with University term timetable? I am sure there are no problem with tight on the road for bendy buses running on the 11/12.
4) I would like take two board can use the bendy buses running on 20's in Every Saturday only?? and I do know bendy buses can two board mon-friday on the 21.
Thanks many 6013 ;)
Hi 6013,
I am afraid that I do not look after Coventry. Sorry, I should have made this clear.
There are certainly no plans to buy anymore bendy buses.
I will pass your other comments on to Coventry.
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on July 25, 2013, 01:48:04 PM
Hi Simon,
I know you are getting swamped with questions here, and rather you than me having to answer them all.
My question is, after 10pm it is impossible to issue child tickets.
This has led to arguements as parents pay for their children and they expect a ticket, I have to try and explain that I cant issue a ticket and they ask why. Its an awkward situation.
Many thanks
Hi,
Sorry, this was another reply that got lost.
I will have a look at this but you should be able to issue a child value ticket on the Open Values option in the Promotions and Returns menu I think? I will try and have a look at this as I have not considered it from the point of view you have highlighted. Good feedback, thanks.
Quote from: Gareth on July 25, 2013, 06:27:02 PM
Another quickie from me.
What was the overall customer feed back like for the experimental livery on 4177? Was it not rolled out as standard because of feedback or were there other factors involved?
Personally I liked it. It would need a few tweaks, such as replacing the orange detail with a different colour, but otherwise, it was very good! A vast improvement on the current livery!
Hi,
It was mixed and not particularly strong either way. Some people said it was too much like London and this was Birmingham.
We made the concious decision to work on getting everything in to red and white before we started on anything new.
Quote from: Peter123 on July 25, 2013, 06:41:33 PM
Hi Simon really glad you are on the forum to answer our questions-it is really appreciated
Just a few quick questions:
1) Why did NX start buying omnilinks and then stop fairly shortly afterwards? Were they cheap initially and then the quality issues esposed?
2) Who came up with the current livery design-i imagine it was in house and certainly not best impressions or if so it is one of the ones they keep more quiet about lol
3) Why was the toothpaste livery never standardised on-brilliant smart livery.... shame it is not the current design
4) Why were vehicles like B10Bs repainted only to be withdrawn shortly when there were b7tl/alx400s which look a mess internally and externally still unrepainted
5) When will the presidents/spectras/tridents be withdrawn?
6) Why were NX in such a rush to refurb the presidents when left pretty much alone vehicles of a similar age until very recently until the good programme of refurbs began?
7) What was the point of the green branding? Did it increase ridership at all or just look cheap and tacky?
8) Why did it take so long to settle on a corporate style?
9) Isn't the current interior a bit sterile and bland-compared to that on the toothpaste buses-the interiors a bit like 50 shades of grey??
10) Why did WMT/TWM avoid buying darts for years?
11) Are routes on which competition has started on recently suffering in terms of patronage-im thinking the 50 here as NX seem to have resorted to desperation tactics-sudden branding, NX officials at the stop in town and buses suddenly short turning at the maypole which they didnt do before tgb upped the frequency?
12) Out of interest, what are relations like between rotala and NX-in the past, weren't relations between competing operators a bit frosty but what about now
Thanks again and look forward to your reply
Hi Peter,
I am afraid that many of your questions I can't really answer either because I was not in the business when the decisions were made (I joined in May 2008) or there is no real answer to the question it kind of just is how it is. However, I will try some of them:
1. No idea.
2. In house but I have no idea by whom.
3. No idea.
4. They were withdrawn mainly due to not being low floor. Someone decided to get them painted and so they were, nothing more than that probably.
5. No date set as yet.
6. This was all decided before I joined so I do not know.
7. The point was, as I understand it, to brand all the high frequency corridors in one identity that would represent that they were high frequency, ran all day and evenings and went to Birmingham city centre.
8. I don't know.
9. I think everyone will have their own opinion on what looks good and what does not. I think they look smart in the new interior. I am also not sure that passengers really notice much except is the interior clean, tidy and comfortable.
10. I don't know.
11. No comment.
12. No comment.
Thank for reply :)
Why not buy order a some more new Mercedes Citaro Single Decker?
Quote from: pb2012 on July 25, 2013, 06:52:58 PM
Hi Simon:
1.why pink branding on red fronted vehicle, if your supporting breast cancer great idea but there's no ribbon, don't thinks it's that eye catching for the general public to really notice it.
2.As for these gold corridors I've heard about i'm assuming the buses wont be painted gold/white but branding similar to WN 1 service would catch the eye of most people it certainly did for Wolverhampton looks great.
3.I also think it would be great if another of your colleagues would be kind enough to answer questions we may have regarding vehicle movements and new buses coming to the region, I know info regarding new buses is vague, but would be nice to know what type of buses you have ordered when this batch of 300 start arriving.
Many thanks pb2012.
Hi.
1. The Marketing people designed it and so it was put on. Nothing more than that.
2. We haven't got to that stage of detail yet.
3. Certainly the Commercial Director told me today that he would be happy to answer some questions at some point. Other than the 26 buses for the end of this year nothing else has been ordered.
Quote from: Trident 4609 on July 25, 2013, 07:32:49 PM
Just a quick question from me
Could you tell me why certain busy routes (59 and 529 mainly) start late on a sunday as they always seem to be busy on the first journey).First 59 journey on a sunday is 08:50 from Ashmore Park and 09:20 from Wolverhamton
Could you possibly look into possibly starting say an hour earlier (7:50 from Ashmore Park and 08:20 from Wolverhampton) as it can get very busy on the first journey and the amount of times i've heard other passengers moan about how late it starts on a sunday.
Very sorry for the 1001 questions i am asking its just there are many questions i would like to ask
Hi,
Yes we will look at this.
Certainly on some routes where we have started Sunday journeys earlier it has made sense such as on Soho Road.
Quote from: 6013 on July 25, 2013, 08:10:37 PM
Thank for reply :)
Why not buy order a some more new Mercedes Citaro Single Decker?
We might do but it comes down to the price, quality. reliability and service we negotiate with the manufacturers. This is often handled at Group level with some UK Bus input and is not simply a case of what we like or don't like.
Hi Simon,
Next time you are all in the board room, is there any chance that you could have a word in the engineering directors and persuade him by whatever means necceassary to order a batch of Citaros?
I think I am up to date with replies now. Thanks for the questions, it has been interesting to read them all and if there are more please do ask them.
Sometimes things just are what they are for no particular reason and often decisions made at the time seem like good ones but looking back on them can sometimes seem to make no sense.
The liveries over the years have all been done for good reasons often as a result of new people in the business. Like all things people and time move on and ideas change. I think we worry less about the colours these days and more about punctuality, reliability and presentation as that is what we think passengers really value most. We could all (believe me) spend a whole board meeting on the colour!
I think, personally, it would be nice to have the whole fleet in the same colour, though it will probably never happen.
However as the latest livery is pleasing to the eye, maybe it is time to give livery changes a rest.
Like everyone i do like branding, but to me sometimes it can restrict what buses you can use on a particular route.
Quote from: NX OD on July 25, 2013, 07:45:25 PM
Quote from: lynx1103 on July 25, 2013, 10:26:09 AM
Hi Simon
I was just wondering when will Walsall Tridents be Refurbised/Repainted some buses have not been repainted since new
4307/4308/4309/4329/4331/4332
Being 12 Years Old
Thanks
Hi lynx1103,
I am not sure to be honest. I will try and find out.
The next WA repaints will be the toothpaste E400's just transferred from PB; the TWM liveried Tridents should follow them
Thanks for the reply Simon :) I would be extremely greatful if something does happen as Mon-Sat it does start quite early (5AM from Ashmore Park) so as i suggested that if it could possibly start an hour earlier at 07:50 from Ashmore Park.
Also another question (Highlighted by My friend matt who is on holiday atm and is a forum member so may ask you some questions but on his behalf). He is an very very regular user of the 9 and he thinks that the sunday service frequency should be increased from 20 minutes to say 15 minutes. I also now use the 9 on a regular basis and agree that it is still very busy on sundays and could do with a slight increase.
Also another route me and matt were discussing were the frequency of the 140/241.
Especially on a sunday the 140/241 are hourly and do need to be increased to half hourly namely the 140 which a couple of times on a sunday when we have caught the 140 to Birmingham the bus has been packed with standees only and one occasion passengers turned away.
I possibly suggest a half hourly service on the 140/241 on sundays. Also another option we discussed was keep the hourly frequency but use E400's instead of B7RLE's on Sundays.
Hi simon:
Do you know or could you tell us all if/when and into what livery will 2153 be painted.
thanks.
Quote from: pb2012 on July 25, 2013, 09:22:12 PM
Hi simon:
Do you know or could you tell us all if/when and into what livery will 2153 be painted.
thanks.
A batch of red seats appeared at Miller Street today, so I suspect it may have got to Walsall
Quote from: Tony on July 25, 2013, 09:39:55 PM
Quote from: pb2012 on July 25, 2013, 09:22:12 PM
Hi simon:
Do you know or could you tell us all if/when and into what livery will 2153 be painted.
thanks.
A batch of red seats appeared at Miller Street today, so I suspect it may have got to Walsall
Are they re-moquetteing these seats then into the "proper" NX style-aren't they a different type of seat on this bus, more similar to what the diamond batch of eclipse 2s have?
Quote from: Tony on July 25, 2013, 09:39:55 PM
Quote from: pb2012 on July 25, 2013, 09:22:12 PM
Hi simon:
Do you know or could you tell us all if/when and into what livery will 2153 be painted.
thanks.
A batch of red seats appeared at Miller Street today, so I suspect it may have got to Walsall
Thanks tony was wondering what was going to happen to 2153, will have keep an eye out to see what livery it reappears in.
Quote from: Peter123 on July 25, 2013, 09:45:43 PM
Quote from: Tony on July 25, 2013, 09:39:55 PM
Quote from: pb2012 on July 25, 2013, 09:22:12 PM
Hi simon:
Do you know or could you tell us all if/when and into what livery will 2153 be painted.
thanks.
A batch of red seats appeared at Miller Street today, so I suspect it may have got to Walsall
Are they re-moquetteing these seats then into the "proper" NX style-aren't they a different type of seat on this bus, more similar to what the diamond batch of eclipse 2s have?
2153 will be the same as Diamond's as they all came from Volvo dealer stock. No point changing the plastic seats for the sake of it
with the merryhill bus improvement scheme, any ideas what the new routes will be? Also are the other merryhill dudley and stourbridge area services going to be reviewed along side?
Simon,
re: New buses for 2013
With the 30 x Hybrids (WN & Dundee), 25 x B7RLE & 34 E400, if only another 26 E400's are due before the end of the year, the total quantity will fall short of the 130+ new buses promised in Jan this year
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/new-fleet-of-buses-lined-up-640938
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 09:57:01 PM
Winston,
Not really my area but I expect next years order to be Euro 5.
I appreciate that vehicle procurement isn't your responsibility, but looking at the EU implementation dates for the Euro 6, it suggests that all new buses registered from 1st Jan 2014 have to have a Euro 6 certified engine, how would NX be able to continue to buy Euro 5?
Hi Simon,
Just the one question from me ( at the moment ;) )
Can we have a bus named after Tony, for his incredible dedication to the job and for his work out side of the company (aka this website) ?
Many thanks!
Hi Simon,
Thanks for the opportunity for us enthusiasts to put comments / questions to Senior Management in NXWM.
Firstly, a personal opinion that the new brighter red being used for repaints is excellent and looks very clean and smart. I can appreciate why the livery is simple as it makes repairs much easier, but I echo the call from a previous posting to ensure garages affecting repairs to match the paint and not to have a 'patchwork quilt' effect.
Just two questions as I take the point of not wishing to bombard you.
1.Has the font and positioning of fleet numbering finally been settled now? All new deliveries it has been noted have a different font and are positioned differently to existing vehicles. Will all repaints be adopting the new font / positioning of numbers?
2.The 16 had route branded buses new in February 2002; these followed the route when Hockley closed in 2005 to WB and to PB when it moved again in May 2006. Time moved on and an abortive attempt to convert to Single Decker Omnilink resulted in 2 buses being briefly branded. Now there is just a mis-mash (it would appear) of anything that is going, but usually 12 year old B7 ALX400's or 10 year old Gemini's, although the latter following repaint are now a lot smarter. Are there any plans to upgrade the route to compete with the Diamond offering of Hybrid buses? Just new branded buses would give the route a boost.
Alan
Quote from: wmacb13 on July 26, 2013, 08:50:35 AM
Hi Simon,
Thanks for the opportunity for us enthusiasts to put comments / questions to Senior Management in NXWM.
Firstly, a personal opinion that the new brighter red being used for repaints is excellent and looks very clean and smart. I can appreciate why the livery is simple as it makes repairs much easier, but I echo the call from a previous posting to ensure garages affecting repairs to match the paint and not to have a 'patchwork quilt' effect.
Just two questions as I take the point of not wishing to bombard you.
1.Has the font and positioning of fleet numbering finally been settled now? All new deliveries it has been noted have a different font and are positioned differently to existing vehicles. Will all repaints be adopting the new font / positioning of numbers?
2.The 16 had route branded buses new in February 2002; these followed the route when Hockley closed in 2005 to WB and to PB when it moved again in May 2006. Time moved on and an abortive attempt to convert to Single Decker Omnilink resulted in 2 buses being briefly branded. Now there is just a mis-mash (it would appear) of anything that is going, but usually 12 year old B7 ALX400's or 10 year old Gemini's, although the latter following repaint are now a lot smarter. Are there any plans to upgrade the route to compete with the Diamond offering of Hybrid buses? Just new branded buses would give the route a boost.
Alan
Diamond aren't offering hybrids to be fair. NX are compteting with T reg warrington darts and R RAU trent barton darts, as of yesterday AE10CSF, X63.AKW ex petes dart, a solo, and an mpd i think and the day before it temporarily included buses from wessex and heathrow which was unusual-they were on the 50 yesterday, dont know about today. Hybrids havent been on the 16 for a while now, with the greater commitments to the signature network
Quote from: Driver03 on July 26, 2013, 01:54:23 AM
Hi Simon,
Just the one question from me ( at the moment ;) )
Can we have a bus named after Tony, for his incredible dedication to the job and for his work out side of the company (aka this website) ?
Many thanks!
Driver 03,
I couldn't agree more, Tony is an old school dedicated company man & devotes a lot of his spare time for the good of the company & us enthusiasts alike....
3rd that, would be nice to see a bus rumbling arround the streets in honour of Tony :)
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 09:18:35 PM
Quote from: JB93 on July 24, 2013, 04:47:11 PM
Hey Simon!
I know you'll be busy replying to all the questions before this, but I just thought I'd ask if there are any plans to improve or upgrade East Birmingham's services in the near future? i.e. new buses, improved frequencies, new routes etc.? I only ask because it seems a lot of the focus lately has been on North Birmingham, Walsall and Wolverhampton and it seems they've had their fill of brand new buses if I'm honest. You can't go up the Birchfield Road without 90% of buses being an Enviro400, and if you go into East Birmingham it just seems to be decade-old Tridents, similarly aged ALX400s on the 94, and the odd unrefurbished Omnilink dotted about. I know the Coventry Road has just received new Enviros for 2 of it's routes but the point remains, you go anywhere in East Birmingham and the only routes you'll see with brand spanking new buses are the 71/72, and maybe the 94 if an Enviro creeps out of North Birmingham. Even the 97, which I thought would become a high profile route now being the only one to run 24 hours and connecting many areas to the airport, is using, albeit branded, old Tridents. It seems that since Lea Hall closed down, the standards and upkeep of East Birmingham's routes have been neglected.
I just thought maybe some investment in the future is needed to bring East Birmingham up to the standards that Walsall, Wolverhampton and North Birmingham (especially Pheasey) are now enjoying.
Kind Regards :)
Hi JB,
I will use this reply to answer all the posts about East Birmingham.
I don't think that we view East Birmingham as being neglected. The 71/72 have had new buses and the Coventry Road Enviro's are in place now as well. The buses on the 97 have all been refurbished as well. The 17 and 55 have also benefited recently from having been converted to all Scania recently, some of which are being repainted at the moment.
We are planning on upgrading the 94 for early 2014 but this will be through cascades of newer buses from other routes rather than brand new.
New to this interesting reading.
It is good something is being done with the 94 at last. I am just curious. "Why is th 94 not entitled to new buses?", especially when it sounds like they will be getting the scraps from the Sutton routes which were upgraded about 5 years ago.
Doesn't exactly sound fair. 94 has not had new branded buses since about 2002.
This is just a view but seems to be a correlation between lack of interest in this corridor and the increasing numbers using the Claribels service.
Would be interested in your views, many thanks. As you can tell I feel strongly about this. I also know a few people that agree with me. :)
Hello again Simon, many thanks for answering my previous question!
I have just one more question to ask, with regards to the Outer Circle 11A/C service, how important is this service to National Express?
As well as being a very popular local bus service, it has become a very famous route, not just in Birmingham, or England/Britain as a whole, but is known throughout Europe. As a flagship service, are there any plans in the pipeline to upgrade the service with new buses in the near future, as well as to promote and/or market the route as a local tourist attraction?
In 2016, the service will have been operated for 90 years, along pretty much the same route, having survived numerous network reviews. By this time it would be great for the service to be using state-of-the-art buses, equipped with information screens providing information about the numerous places the service visits, not just for the benefit of the regular passengers, but for those trying the service from a tourist perspective.
As much as I enjoy travelling on the refurbished Plaxton Presidents which are currently being mostly used on the service, mainly due to them not being permitted on more frequent routes into the City Centre due to emission rulings, they are actually older than the vehicles that originally upgraded the service back in 2004 to a Showcase route.
Quote from: Trident 4609 on July 25, 2013, 09:10:34 PM
Thanks for the reply Simon :) I would be extremely greatful if something does happen as Mon-Sat it does start quite early (5AM from Ashmore Park) so as i suggested that if it could possibly start an hour earlier at 07:50 from Ashmore Park.
Also another question (Highlighted by My friend matt who is on holiday atm and is a forum member so may ask you some questions but on his behalf). He is an very very regular user of the 9 and he thinks that the sunday service frequency should be increased from 20 minutes to say 15 minutes. I also now use the 9 on a regular basis and agree that it is still very busy on sundays and could do with a slight increase.
Also another route me and matt were discussing were the frequency of the 140/241.
Especially on a sunday the 140/241 are hourly and do need to be increased to half hourly namely the 140 which a couple of times on a sunday when we have caught the 140 to Birmingham the bus has been packed with standees only and one occasion passengers turned away.
I possibly suggest a half hourly service on the 140/241 on sundays. Also another option we discussed was keep the hourly frequency but use E400's instead of B7RLE's on Sundays.
Hi,
Yes we will have a look.
Quote from: driver on July 25, 2013, 10:28:23 PM
with the merryhill bus improvement scheme, any ideas what the new routes will be? Also are the other merryhill dudley and stourbridge area services going to be reviewed along side?
The Brierley Hill Better Bus Area Fund covers a number of initiatives to improve bus services in the Brierley Hill and Merry Hill areas. New buses on the 222 are part of this and have already been delivered. There are some bus priority measures and a new bus station plus other things.
I am not sure there will be any new routes or any other reviews of anything in any scale.
Quote from: Winston on July 25, 2013, 10:52:24 PM
Simon,
re: New buses for 2013
With the 30 x Hybrids (WN & Dundee), 25 x B7RLE & 34 E400, if only another 26 E400's are due before the end of the year, the total quantity will fall short of the 130+ new buses promised in Jan this year
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/new-fleet-of-buses-lined-up-640938
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 09:57:01 PM
Winston,
Not really my area but I expect next years order to be Euro 5.
I appreciate that vehicle procurement isn't your responsibility, but looking at the EU implementation dates for the Euro 6, it suggests that all new buses registered from 1st Jan 2014 have to have a Euro 6 certified engine, how would NX be able to continue to buy Euro 5?
We will have made the 130 but don't have my numbers to hand as back home.
It may be that we have Euro 6 or it may be that you can still order Euro 5 as long as you order before Jan 2014 but I don't really know - you might be correct.
Quote from: Driver03 on July 26, 2013, 01:54:23 AM
Hi Simon,
Just the one question from me ( at the moment ;) )
Can we have a bus named after Tony, for his incredible dedication to the job and for his work out side of the company (aka this website) ?
Many thanks!
Well he is now a TV star as well......
Quote from: wmacb13 on July 26, 2013, 08:50:35 AM
Hi Simon,
Thanks for the opportunity for us enthusiasts to put comments / questions to Senior Management in NXWM.
Firstly, a personal opinion that the new brighter red being used for repaints is excellent and looks very clean and smart. I can appreciate why the livery is simple as it makes repairs much easier, but I echo the call from a previous posting to ensure garages affecting repairs to match the paint and not to have a 'patchwork quilt' effect.
Just two questions as I take the point of not wishing to bombard you.
1.Has the font and positioning of fleet numbering finally been settled now? All new deliveries it has been noted have a different font and are positioned differently to existing vehicles. Will all repaints be adopting the new font / positioning of numbers?
2.The 16 had route branded buses new in February 2002; these followed the route when Hockley closed in 2005 to WB and to PB when it moved again in May 2006. Time moved on and an abortive attempt to convert to Single Decker Omnilink resulted in 2 buses being briefly branded. Now there is just a mis-mash (it would appear) of anything that is going, but usually 12 year old B7 ALX400's or 10 year old Gemini's, although the latter following repaint are now a lot smarter. Are there any plans to upgrade the route to compete with the Diamond offering of Hybrid buses? Just new branded buses would give the route a boost.
Alan
Hi Alan,
1. I am not sure to be honest. I will see if I can find out.
2. Nothing planned for the 16 at present - it's running pretty well at the moment.
Quote from: Greg1978 on July 26, 2013, 03:50:33 PM
Quote from: NX OD on July 24, 2013, 09:18:35 PM
Quote from: JB93 on July 24, 2013, 04:47:11 PM
Hey Simon!
I know you'll be busy replying to all the questions before this, but I just thought I'd ask if there are any plans to improve or upgrade East Birmingham's services in the near future? i.e. new buses, improved frequencies, new routes etc.? I only ask because it seems a lot of the focus lately has been on North Birmingham, Walsall and Wolverhampton and it seems they've had their fill of brand new buses if I'm honest. You can't go up the Birchfield Road without 90% of buses being an Enviro400, and if you go into East Birmingham it just seems to be decade-old Tridents, similarly aged ALX400s on the 94, and the odd unrefurbished Omnilink dotted about. I know the Coventry Road has just received new Enviros for 2 of it's routes but the point remains, you go anywhere in East Birmingham and the only routes you'll see with brand spanking new buses are the 71/72, and maybe the 94 if an Enviro creeps out of North Birmingham. Even the 97, which I thought would become a high profile route now being the only one to run 24 hours and connecting many areas to the airport, is using, albeit branded, old Tridents. It seems that since Lea Hall closed down, the standards and upkeep of East Birmingham's routes have been neglected.
I just thought maybe some investment in the future is needed to bring East Birmingham up to the standards that Walsall, Wolverhampton and North Birmingham (especially Pheasey) are now enjoying.
Kind Regards :)
Hi JB,
I will use this reply to answer all the posts about East Birmingham.
I don't think that we view East Birmingham as being neglected. The 71/72 have had new buses and the Coventry Road Enviro's are in place now as well. The buses on the 97 have all been refurbished as well. The 17 and 55 have also benefited recently from having been converted to all Scania recently, some of which are being repainted at the moment.
We are planning on upgrading the 94 for early 2014 but this will be through cascades of newer buses from other routes rather than brand new.
New to this interesting reading.
It is good something is being done with the 94 at last. I am just curious. "Why is th 94 not entitled to new buses?", especially when it sounds like they will be getting the scraps from the Sutton routes which were upgraded about 5 years ago.
Doesn't exactly sound fair. 94 has not had new branded buses since about 2002.
This is just a view but seems to be a correlation between lack of interest in this corridor and the increasing numbers using the Claribels service.
Would be interested in your views, many thanks. As you can tell I feel strongly about this. I also know a few people that agree with me. :)
Hi Greg,
I think that many other routes could also claim it to be unfair not to have new buses such as the Soho Road, Dudley Road, Bristol Road, 65, 14, 126 and so on. We have a limited number of new buses each year (although more than in some years) and we need to do what we think is best with them. Usually we will look at growth opportunites, outside influences like the SQPS, bus priority on a route and the resultant cascades from putting new buses in to a garage.
There is certainly no lack of interest in the 94 - the PB General Manager was very passionate about it in a meeting today!
NX OD, Just to add to my comment about the 59 in Wolverhampton. It was running unreliably again today with alot of buses bunching and at one point 4012 overheated 3 times on the 59 today then finally went back to garage plus another 3 buses running together so when i got to Wolverhampton there were mass amounts of people waiting. Can i ask you to monitor the route over the next few weeks.
Too many spectras are put on there and are overworked on there. More Tridents need to be allocated to the route?
Quote from: Stu on July 26, 2013, 07:30:09 PM
Hello again Simon, many thanks for answering my previous question!
I have just one more question to ask, with regards to the Outer Circle 11A/C service, how important is this service to National Express?
As well as being a very popular local bus service, it has become a very famous route, not just in Birmingham, or England/Britain as a whole, but is known throughout Europe. As a flagship service, are there any plans in the pipeline to upgrade the service with new buses in the near future, as well as to promote and/or market the route as a local tourist attraction?
In 2016, the service will have been operated for 90 years, along pretty much the same route, having survived numerous network reviews. By this time it would be great for the service to be using state-of-the-art buses, equipped with information screens providing information about the numerous places the service visits, not just for the benefit of the regular passengers, but for those trying the service from a tourist perspective.
As much as I enjoy travelling on the refurbished Plaxton Presidents which are currently being mostly used on the service, mainly due to them not being permitted on more frequent routes into the City Centre due to emission rulings, they are actually older than the vehicles that originally upgraded the service back in 2004 to a Showcase route.
It is very important to us and we are all aware of its significance. I am very proud to be involved with it and was at AG today for some meetings, one of which we looked at the Outer Circle in some detail.
We have some ambitions for it and some thoughts but that is all for 2014 really. This autumn there will be some timing changes and timing point changes but nothing more.
Quote from: Trident 4609 on July 26, 2013, 08:36:56 PM
NX OD, Just to add to my comment about the 59 in Wolverhampton. It was running unreliably again today with alot of buses bunching and at one point 4012 overheated 3 times on the 59 today then finally went back to garage plus another 3 buses running together so when i got to Wolverhampton there were mass amounts of people waiting. Can i ask you to monitor the route over the next few weeks.
Too many spectras are put on there and are overworked on there. More Tridents need to be allocated to the route?
Sorry about today. I will get the WN (or PL!) team on to it.
That would be great if you could :) I have found that more Tridents are put on routes like the 11/32/33 plus the 25/7/8 which can do with spectras and single deckers. Could you possibly ask them about what they allocate to the 59.
Also they do use Single Deckers on the 59 quite a bit which is a bad idea as the 59 can be a very busy route (I live and travel on the route and know). Could you possibly ask them maybe to stop putting single deckers on the 59 regually. Only the peak board really should be a single decker
Quote from: Trident 4609 on July 26, 2013, 08:45:34 PM
That would be great if you could :) I have found that more Tridents are put on routes like the 11/32/33 plus the 25/7/8 which can do with spectras and single deckers. Could you possibly ask them about what they allocate to the 59.
Also they do use Single Deckers on the 59 quite a bit which is a bad idea as the 59 can be a very busy route (I live and travel on the route and know). Could you possibly ask them maybe to stop putting single deckers on the 59 regually. Only the peak board really should be a single decker
There are all kinds of reasons why the 59 gets the allocation that it does but I will ask them to have another look.
Thanks Simon :) I know there are various reasons why the 59 sometimes is allocated a single decker which sometimes can't be helped but there has been occasions when single deck routes have had a trident allocated and then a B7RLE on the 59.
Just one question that just popped into my head
Have NXWM ever considered operating the 900 24 hr?
Quote from: Trident 4609 on July 26, 2013, 09:02:04 PM
Just one question that just popped into my head
Have NXWM ever considered operating the 900 24 hr?
Yes we have.
Quote from: NX OD on July 26, 2013, 09:04:36 PM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on July 26, 2013, 09:02:04 PM
Just one question that just popped into my head
Have NXWM ever considered operating the 900 24 hr?
Yes we have.
But what made you think it wouldn't work?
Simon,
would like to ask about Night Buses in general.
Now London have such a good night bus service, as Birmingham is regarded as the 2nd city, has it never been thought of to bring back Night buses to a number of routes.
i kn ow you have made the 97 a 24hr service, but when the bus gets into city, it links with nothing.
Thanks
Stu
I would think the 9 could benefit from A 24/7 service possibly linking with the 97 at night.
Quote from: Trident 4609 on July 26, 2013, 09:10:52 PM
Quote from: NX OD on July 26, 2013, 09:04:36 PM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on July 26, 2013, 09:02:04 PM
Just one question that just popped into my head
Have NXWM ever considered operating the 900 24 hr?
Yes we have.
But what made you think it wouldn't work?
The 97 was funded by the Airport/NEC , the idea to increase employment oppurtunities for people a long the route. It's not really a case that NXWM didn't think the 900 wouldn't work.
Quote from: Trident 4609 on July 26, 2013, 09:18:23 PM
I would think the 9 could benefit from A 24/7 service possibly linking with the 97 at night.
Apparently the 9N used to be packed when it operated in the past..... I agree i think it could work
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on July 26, 2013, 09:14:18 PM
Simon,
would like to ask about Night Buses in general.
Now London have such a good night bus service, as Birmingham is regarded as the 2nd city, has it never been thought of to bring back Night buses to a number of routes.
i kn ow you have made the 97 a 24hr service, but when the bus gets into city, it links with nothing.
Thanks
Stu
Night buses when they were around had a lot of incidents happen on them and developed a bad reputation, people think crime during the day is bad. A lot of journeys on these routes had incidents. A lot of work would need to come back I think before they came back. That being just one significant factor.
Quote from: Peter123 on July 26, 2013, 09:24:13 PM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on July 26, 2013, 09:18:23 PM
I would think the 9 could benefit from A 24/7 service possibly linking with the 97 at night.
Apparently the 9N used to be packed when it operated in the past..... I agree i think it could work
Well there isn't much of a gap between the first journey starting and the last journey ending.
Matt regually reports the last few 9's of the night as packed
re the wn59, why were the original allocation of tridents refurbed and moved onto 529, then spectras cascaded to 59? isnt it time the spectras were put out to pastures new, they are unreliable and some are very slow. (you often wonder if they will make it under the railway bridge up the incline onto ringroad).
Quote from: mranon on July 26, 2013, 10:54:26 PM
re the wn59, why were the original allocation of tridents refurbed and moved onto 529, then spectras cascaded to 59? isnt it time the spectras were put out to pastures new, they are unreliable and some are very slow. (you often wonder if they will make it under the railway bridge up the incline onto ringroad).
I did wonder why that happened. The 59 used to have 4600-09 dedicated to the route and before that on the 559 you had 4310/11/12/16/18 braned and before that 4170-79 for the 559/560.
Well i have noticed that More Spectras have gone onto the 59 and moe tridents onto the 79.
I think in the summer there are 10 buses on the 59 (11th peak bus) and that is regually around 3 tridents, 2-3 B5's and 4-5 Spectras.
As i asked NXOD Putting the majority of buses on the 59 as spectras they are overworked and overheat in hot weather.
Quote from: Peter123 on July 26, 2013, 09:24:13 PM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on July 26, 2013, 09:18:23 PM
I would think the 9 could benefit from A 24/7 service possibly linking with the 97 at night.
Apparently the 9N used to be packed when it operated in the past..... I agree i think it could work
I used to catch the 9N from 2am in Broad st & both opetated by MRW & Pete's Travel & never witnessed a single incident......
Quote from: Trident 4609 on July 26, 2013, 11:27:56 PM
Quote from: mranon on July 26, 2013, 10:54:26 PM
re the wn59, why were the original allocation of tridents refurbed and moved onto 529, then spectras cascaded to 59? isnt it time the spectras were put out to pastures new, they are unreliable and some are very slow. (you often wonder if they will make it under the railway bridge up the incline onto ringroad).
I did wonder why that happened. The 59 used to have 4600-09 dedicated to the route and before that on the 559 you had 4310/11/12/16/18 braned and before that 4170-79 for the 559/560.
Well i have noticed that More Spectras have gone onto the 59 and moe tridents onto the 79.
I think in the summer there are 10 buses on the 59 (11th peak bus) and that is regually around 3 tridents, 2-3 B5's and 4-5 Spectras.
As i asked NXOD Putting the majority of buses on the 59 as spectras they are overworked and overheat in hot weather.
I would assume that more Spectras are put on the 59 due to reliability issues. Firstly if one breaks down it is relatively near to the garage wherever it fails on route so it is easier and quicker to recover or send a replacement out... A bit more of a problem if one on the 79 breaks down in West Brom or on a 1 in Dudley for example thus reducing lost mileage/service disruption. I also assume this is why a majority of the other Spectras are regularly allocated to the 11,32,33.
Also as the 59 is a very regular service a bus 'missing' (as often referred but in fact usually means 'a mechanical problem)' it has a less of an impact on the service thus reducing complaints (theoretically) and causing less disruption
i.e a break down on the 59, next one will be in 7mins total maximum wait for 1 missing bus = 14mins
i.e a break down on the 79, next one will be in 20mins total maximum wait for 1 missing bus = 40mins
We can see how this worsens if 2 buses in succession 'break down'
on the 59 - maximum wait is still only 21 mins (yes I know its a long time when your physically waiting...but...
on the 79 - maximum wait is now an hour!!
I'm probably wrong but thats my guess :)
I also will mention Diamond no longer operate the 59..I'll leave you to work that one out :P :P :P
Quote from: Winston on July 27, 2013, 12:00:09 AM
Quote from: Peter123 on July 26, 2013, 09:24:13 PM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on July 26, 2013, 09:18:23 PM
I would think the 9 could benefit from A 24/7 service possibly linking with the 97 at night.
Apparently the 9N used to be packed when it operated in the past..... I agree i think it could work
I used to catch the 9N from 2am in Broad st & both opetated by MRW & Pete's Travel & never witnessed a single incident......
That is very fortunate for you. I was not referring to the 9N specifically, I was talking about the whole Birmingham night network in general. Also I was stating it was a factor (not the only reason) in the networks demise.
Quote from: 4006 on July 27, 2013, 01:04:36 AMI also will mention Diamond no longer operate the 59..I'll leave you to work that one out :P :P :P
Bizarrely, it died on its a**e once they pulled out of Wolvo' Bus Station. There was also a timekeeping 'issue' that I never quite got to the bottom of (I was getting there, but a 'new brooms' ideas put paid to that). Shame, used to look forward to a Pork sarnie lunch @ Wednesfield whilst checking that route :-)
Quote from: dave47549 (no longer NEL111P) on July 27, 2013, 01:50:29 AM
Quote from: 4006 on July 27, 2013, 01:04:36 AMI also will mention Diamond no longer operate the 59..I'll leave you to work that one out :P :P :P
Bizarrely, it died on its a**e once they pulled out of Wolvo' Bus Station. There was also a timekeeping 'issue' that I never quite got to the bottom of (I was getting there, but a 'new brooms' ideas put paid to that). Shame, used to look forward to a Pork sarnie lunch @ Wednesfield whilst checking that route :-)
you should still do it....now the service don't run you can have a longer lunch :P :P :P
Quote from: 4006 on July 27, 2013, 01:58:57 AMyou should still do it....now the service don't run you can have a longer lunch :P :P :P
Not my problem any more. If it was, I understand there's one TE driver (ex T/M) i'd be paying particular attention to!
Now i'm one of Camerons millions, i'm free to choose where I lunch, :-)
Quote from: dave47549 (no longer NEL111P) on July 27, 2013, 02:11:03 AM
Quote from: 4006 on July 27, 2013, 01:58:57 AMyou should still do it....now the service don't run you can have a longer lunch :P :P :P
Not my problem any more. If it was, I understand there's one TE driver (ex T/M) i'd be paying particular attention to!
Now i'm one of Camerons millions, i'm free to choose where I lunch, :-)
There are many T/E drivers that should be 'payed more attention to' more fun & games I guess when they start on the 529, they have already made their presence known...I hope the contract is a short one for their sake :P
diamond did their usual on the 59, wowed everyone with decent buses/drivers then started putting clapped out rubbish which kept breaking down. they also varied by looping around the hospital, which we all know whilst handy for passengers is a logistical delaying knightmare.
my point with the spectras is if they are that unreliable why were they not disposed of. i heard a rumour that the 21 hybrids should have seen them off. instead wn have lost tridents instead. even arriva/midland using similar db250's seem to be having reliability issues.
Arriva Wednesfield having reliability issues?? Never in this world lol :-p
Hi simon,
Have you got any idea if buses on the lion farm estate will be improved at all.
We have lost the 128/129 twm side and the 200/201 from midland.
TO get to bearwood i now have to get the 89 which is constently late and full to wait 20 mins in oldbury for the 128 which i used to be able to get there in the first place.
And to get to brimingham from my own door i have to get on a service which takes forever instead of the 40 or so mins on the 128.
The 238/289 is now useless as it does not go to merry hill, so we have to change buses yet again.
We had a very good bus services a few years ago and now they have gone to pot.
Is there anything anyone is doing about it????
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on July 26, 2013, 09:14:18 PM
Simon,
would like to ask about Night Buses in general.
Now London have such a good night bus service, as Birmingham is regarded as the 2nd city, has it never been thought of to bring back Night buses to a number of routes.
i kn ow you have made the 97 a 24hr service, but when the bus gets into city, it links with nothing.
Thanks
We are monitoring it to see how it goes but it is not really supposed to link with anything. It is for people in East Birmingham and North Solihull to access employment opportunities at the Airport, NEC and the surrounding area.
Stu
Quote from: makkacdt on July 27, 2013, 01:20:05 PM
Hi simon,
Have you got any idea if buses on the lion farm estate will be improved at all.
We have lost the 128/129 twm side and the 200/201 from midland.
TO get to bearwood i now have to get the 89 which is constently late and full to wait 20 mins in oldbury for the 128 which i used to be able to get there in the first place.
And to get to brimingham from my own door i have to get on a service which takes forever instead of the 40 or so mins on the 128.
The 238/289 is now useless as it does not go to merry hill, so we have to change buses yet again.
We had a very good bus services a few years ago and now they have gone to pot.
Is there anything anyone is doing about it????
I will pass your comments on to the Network Planning team but I am not aware of any other plans for the area.
Hi Simon, fantastic to have you on board here (No pun intended hehe) :D
Now that the 246 is becoming pretty much fully trident operated, I think its important that the 276/X96 get use of the E400's and B7RLE's that operated on the route before. The 276/X96 are two very popular routes that I frequently see with people having to stand up on, especially at peaks. Could it be made sure these buses especially the Double deckers get more involved on these routes in order to improve capacity? I see the 276 has often had an E400 on it most days this week already which is a start. To keep this going would be an improvement.
Many thanks.
Simon,
When will the Minories close, to save money?
LS.
Quote from: Liverpool Street on July 28, 2013, 12:04:39 PM
Simon,
When will the Minories close, to save money?
LS.
Hi,
That is not something I can talk about here. Thanks.
Quote from: s94 on July 28, 2013, 01:15:10 AM
Hi Simon, fantastic to have you on board here (No pun intended hehe) :D
Now that the 246 is becoming pretty much fully trident operated, I think its important that the 276/X96 get use of the E400's and B7RLE's that operated on the route before. The 276/X96 are two very popular routes that I frequently see with people having to stand up on, especially at peaks. Could it be made sure these buses especially the Double deckers get more involved on these routes in order to improve capacity? I see the 276 has often had an E400 on it most days this week already which is a start. To keep this going would be an improvement.
Many thanks.
Hi,
I will ask Pensnett garage to have a look at this. I have certainly seen some busy X96 journeys recently. Thanks.
Thanks for all the questions. I have really enjoyed reading them all.
I am on annual leave now until 7th August so will not be able to reply to your questions until then. I will, however, do my best to answer any posted here between now and then as soon as I can when I get back.
Quote from: Liverpool Street on July 28, 2013, 12:04:39 PM
Simon,
When will the Minories close, to save money?
LS.
Hi LS,
Which particular 'Minories' were you referring too?
Quote from: Winston on July 28, 2013, 05:56:21 PM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on July 28, 2013, 12:04:39 PM
Simon,
When will the Minories close, to save money?
LS.
Hi LS,
Which particular 'Minories' were you referring too?
I presume he's referring to the driver's rest location in the Minories shopping centre (between Bull Street and Old Square)
Quote from: Liverpool Street on July 28, 2013, 12:04:39 PM
Simon,
When will the Minories close, to save money?
LS.
I hope it doesnt close, it makes life easier or drivers to sign on without having to trek to the garage.
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on July 28, 2013, 10:48:22 PM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on July 28, 2013, 12:04:39 PM
Simon,
When will the Minories close, to save money?
LS.
I hope it doesnt close, it makes life easier or drivers to sign on without having to trek to the garage.
You won't be saying that when you lose your walking time
Hi Simon,
Just a small issue but one which has proved very annoying for me.
In the second half of the evening, the 9 has a half hour frequency, departing Stourbridge at 20 and 50 minutes past the hour. However, the final 9 departs Stourbridge at 23:45 - 5 minutes earlier than you'd expect it to. The other night I forgot that the last 9 runs 5 minutes early and just missed it, meaning I had to walk all the way home.
Would it be possible for the final 9 to depart at 23:50, not 23:45, so it fits the pattern and stops people from making the same mistake?
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 02, 2013, 11:50:53 PM
Hi Simon,
Just a small issue but one which has proved very annoying for me.
In the second half of the evening, the 9 has a half hour frequency, departing Stourbridge at 20 and 50 minutes past the hour. However, the final 9 departs Stourbridge at 23:45 - 5 minutes earlier than you'd expect it to. The other night I forgot that the last 9 runs 5 minutes early and just missed it, meaning I had to walk all the way home.
Would it be possible for the final 9 to depart at 23:50, not 23:45, so it fits the pattern and stops people from making the same mistake?
Go home earlier.
Or jump a taxi.
;)
Hi simon?
Just wondering is what centro is saying that the 33 new buses provided for Coventry are also part of the 300 confirmed new buses that are due?
If so are the 19x BC, 5 x WA, 1xPN also part of this order, that would leave us with 216 buses for 2014/15 including the 26 due later this year?
Thanks.
Hello, I have just discovered this site, and would like to thank everybody involved for their efforts in making it available. Hope this gets through this time...
My concern is about the proposal to join the 71A to the 638, and how this would work in practice given that both routes - for good reason in IMHO - go round Castle Vale in a clockwise loop. Heading from Sutton, the two routes do of course run into each other rather nicely, but in the other direction it doesn't work quite as well: running a 638 into a 71A at the Tyburn House would result in missing Castle Vale out altogether.
So assuming the combined route heads into Castle Vale via either Kingsbury or Chester Road, how does it get back out again?
Spitfire Island and Chester Road would be to go round a long circle and waste a lot of time;
The right turn from Yatesbury Avenue into Kingsbury Road didn't work last time, and nothing has changed since;
Minworth via Park Lane is a long way round, prone to disruption and would dictate use of single-deckers.
I was told it had been a long-standing ambition of the company to use double-deckers on the 71, and given that they re-appeared on the 71A after the changes in June I take it this is still valid?
My latest journey on a 71A, on Saturday afternoon from Sutton Parade, was typical in that the bus arrived at the stop seconds after a 71 had left, carrying nearly all the people who had been waiting. When we passed the other 71A, heading in the opposite direction, that too was trailing a 71 which again would have taken all the waiting trade - there being very few places for buses to pass. Of course, for three months of the year one of the 71As is doomed anyway because it is actually timetabled to be right behind a 71. I'm sure if all the buses left Sutton on time the 71A would see improved numbers; either way both variants should be considered together, rather than as separate routes.
For me, the 71A is there to provide capacity and reliability to the 71 and so am concerned about changes which may affect these factors. The 71 is far too long a route, and passes through too many congested areas, to be operating reliably (if at all) by the time it gets to Sutton, so it would be bad news if the 71A were also to import delays from further afield. The 71A is used for journeys to school from the western end of Castle Vale, as it is far quicker than the 71; what would be the effect on these users of any change, for example?
The 71A may well be something and nothing, but I think it most important that the role it does play continues beyond any proposed changes. The danger is that if the combined route doesn't work out the 71 gets overloaded and all three routes get messed up, and buses stuck in traffic in Castle Vale means no service in and out of Sutton - particularly in the evening peak.
Following on, what are the plans for the 71/71A/72 for Autumn? Haven't these routes been messed around enough already in the last few years?
Oh, and one last thing. Wouldn't a Sutton - Castle Vale - Erdington route take the number 68?? To go with 66, 67, that kind of thing.
Quote from: pb2012 on August 06, 2013, 07:36:11 PM
Hi simon?
Just wondering is what centro is saying that the 33 new buses provided for Coventry are also part of the 300 confirmed new buses that are due?
If so are the 19x BC, 5 x WA, 1xPN also part of this order, that would leave us with 216 buses for 2014/15 including the 26 due later this year?
Thanks.
Winston already answered this and No the 33 CV buses plus 2154 and 4880-4913 are not part of th 300
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 07, 2013, 09:07:53 AM
Quote from: pb2012 on August 06, 2013, 07:36:11 PM
Hi simon?
Just wondering is what centro is saying that the 33 new buses provided for Coventry are also part of the 300 confirmed new buses that are due?
If so are the 19x BC, 5 x WA, 1xPN also part of this order, that would leave us with 216 buses for 2014/15 including the 26 due later this year?
Thanks.
Winston already answered this and No the 33 CV buses plus 2154 and 4880-4913 are not part of th 300
Will it start with the 63-plate vehicles then?
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 07, 2013, 09:13:55 AM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 07, 2013, 09:07:53 AM
Quote from: pb2012 on August 06, 2013, 07:36:11 PM
Hi simon?
Just wondering is what centro is saying that the 33 new buses provided for Coventry are also part of the 300 confirmed new buses that are due?
If so are the 19x BC, 5 x WA, 1xPN also part of this order, that would leave us with 216 buses for 2014/15 including the 26 due later this year?
Thanks.
Winston already answered this and No the 33 CV buses plus 2154 and 4880-4913 are not part of th 300
Will it start with the 63-plate vehicles then?
Looks that way Matt, as Tony now has body numbers for 4914-4939 on his fleetlist, I suspect production isn't that far away if body numbers have been allocated
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 02, 2013, 11:50:53 PM
Hi Simon,
Just a small issue but one which has proved very annoying for me.
In the second half of the evening, the 9 has a half hour frequency, departing Stourbridge at 20 and 50 minutes past the hour. However, the final 9 departs Stourbridge at 23:45 - 5 minutes earlier than you'd expect it to. The other night I forgot that the last 9 runs 5 minutes early and just missed it, meaning I had to walk all the way home.
Would it be possible for the final 9 to depart at 23:50, not 23:45, so it fits the pattern and stops people from making the same mistake?
Thanks for this. It is a bit odd and having looked at the running boards it is the same from Birmingham. There is no real reason for it so it is now on the list for looking at next time we change the 9 (not September as this is already registered).
Quote from: mistertee on August 06, 2013, 08:59:14 PM
Hello, I have just discovered this site, and would like to thank everybody involved for their efforts in making it available. Hope this gets through this time...
My concern is about the proposal to join the 71A to the 638, and how this would work in practice given that both routes - for good reason in IMHO - go round Castle Vale in a clockwise loop. Heading from Sutton, the two routes do of course run into each other rather nicely, but in the other direction it doesn't work quite as well: running a 638 into a 71A at the Tyburn House would result in missing Castle Vale out altogether.
So assuming the combined route heads into Castle Vale via either Kingsbury or Chester Road, how does it get back out again?
Spitfire Island and Chester Road would be to go round a long circle and waste a lot of time;
The right turn from Yatesbury Avenue into Kingsbury Road didn't work last time, and nothing has changed since;
Minworth via Park Lane is a long way round, prone to disruption and would dictate use of single-deckers.
I was told it had been a long-standing ambition of the company to use double-deckers on the 71, and given that they re-appeared on the 71A after the changes in June I take it this is still valid?
My latest journey on a 71A, on Saturday afternoon from Sutton Parade, was typical in that the bus arrived at the stop seconds after a 71 had left, carrying nearly all the people who had been waiting. When we passed the other 71A, heading in the opposite direction, that too was trailing a 71 which again would have taken all the waiting trade - there being very few places for buses to pass. Of course, for three months of the year one of the 71As is doomed anyway because it is actually timetabled to be right behind a 71. I'm sure if all the buses left Sutton on time the 71A would see improved numbers; either way both variants should be considered together, rather than as separate routes.
For me, the 71A is there to provide capacity and reliability to the 71 and so am concerned about changes which may affect these factors. The 71 is far too long a route, and passes through too many congested areas, to be operating reliably (if at all) by the time it gets to Sutton, so it would be bad news if the 71A were also to import delays from further afield. The 71A is used for journeys to school from the western end of Castle Vale, as it is far quicker than the 71; what would be the effect on these users of any change, for example?
The 71A may well be something and nothing, but I think it most important that the role it does play continues beyond any proposed changes. The danger is that if the combined route doesn't work out the 71 gets overloaded and all three routes get messed up, and buses stuck in traffic in Castle Vale means no service in and out of Sutton - particularly in the evening peak.
Following on, what are the plans for the 71/71A/72 for Autumn? Haven't these routes been messed around enough already in the last few years?
Oh, and one last thing. Wouldn't a Sutton - Castle Vale - Erdington route take the number 68?? To go with 66, 67, that kind of thing.
Hi,
There are no plans to link the 71 and 638 together. We have thought about it and looked quite hard at it but it is not something that we are planning to do at the moment. The Autumn plans for the 71/71A/72 are still taking shape so I can't comment at the moment.
Hi all,
I am back from my annual leave and have answered the questions that were posted while I was away. I will keep an eye out for any more that are posted.
Thanks
Simon
Hi Simon, welcome back :)
I don't know if this has been asked before but truth be told, I can't be bothered to read through 15 pages of posts to check - are there any plans to dual-source double deckers at the present time? Maybe buy some new deckers from Wright, Volvo or Scania?
Welcome back Simon, hope you enjoyed your break! And nice to see that people have been considerate enough here to not leave a mountain of questions to plough through on your return!
This may not be your department, so to speak, so I appreciate if you cannot answer this one.
With regards to customer service, I see that National Express take this quite seriously, as without customer feedback, there is no way that you can be aware of issues on your services that customers feel the need to complain about.
How much does NX value feedback that is submitted through 'third-party' websites? I was a volunteer 'anorak' for a time, and still make contributions, on the FixMyTransport (http://www.fixmytransport.com) website, where users can submit problems with bus stops, stations as well as individual routes, and then gain support from fellow transport users, as well as get responses directly from transport operators.
I'm pleased to say that National Express have so far been fully supportive, with most queries reported there receiving a satisfactory response from your customer service team. Worth noting that your competitor Arriva are generally not so supportive, choosing instead to ask the customer to contact them directly, rather than through a third-party.
To take things to the next level, we wonder if it would be beneficial if customer services would be interested in setting up an account on FixMyTransport, to directly engage with other users on issues that have been raised. I can see this only as being beneficial to both parties, as FixMyTransport is a rapidly growing community, and it would great to be seeing NX fully backing up their own customer service feedback forms, with feedback tools provided by third-parties.
I appreciate this may be outside the scope of your normal operations, but I can provide contact details if you wish to proceed.
Many thanks!
Quote from: JB93 on August 08, 2013, 06:42:20 PM
Hi Simon, welcome back :)
I don't know if this has been asked before but truth be told, I can't be bothered to read through 15 pages of posts to check - are there any plans to dual-source double deckers at the present time? Maybe buy some new deckers from Wright, Volvo or Scania?
Hi JB,
Anything is possible really. We set a spec for buses and then Group Purchasing work with the Engineering department to procure vehicles to that spec. No decisions are made on who we want to buy from until we know the prices from the manufacturers of what they are offering and that it meets our spec. We don't set out by saying we will buy from manufacturer A or B or even A and B.
Hi Simon, not sure whether this question falls within your remit but who chose white to be two thirds of NXWM's livery. The red is excellent looks great and retains its sheen well but the white....! After a short period of time it goes 'off' and starts to look distinctly shabby especially during the winter months when even following a wash by the time a vehicle reaches its 'start' point it can look a mess. Even at this late stage I would hope that at some point in time the use of white will be reviewed. May be a cheap option but then NX are going to be faced with more frequent repaints of their vehicles to maintain a satisfactory external appearance.
Quote from: RW on August 09, 2013, 06:24:58 PM
Hi Simon, not sure whether this question falls within your remit but who chose white to be two thirds of NXWM's livery. The red is excellent looks great and retains its sheen well but the white....! After a short period of time it goes 'off' and starts to look distinctly shabby especially during the winter months when even following a wash by the time a vehicle reaches its 'start' point it can look a mess. Even at this late stage I would hope that at some point in time the use of white will be reviewed. May be a cheap option but then NX are going to be faced with more frequent repaints of their vehicles to maintain a satisfactory external appearance.
The NXWM brand, livery & application were decided when the NX Group was headed by Richard Bowker back in 2007
Hi Simon,
Another quick one - would it be possible for the final 140 (23:45 from Dudley), which is a short journey to Blackheath, to be extended to Quinton Church?
This would create a useful connection with the 9: it would arrive at Quinton Church around midnight - there are three more 9's towards Stourbridge due after this time and one more 9 towards Birmingham.
Quote from: Winston on August 09, 2013, 07:48:27 PM
Quote from: RW on August 09, 2013, 06:24:58 PM
Hi Simon, not sure whether this question falls within your remit but who chose white to be two thirds of NXWM's livery. The red is excellent looks great and retains its sheen well but the white....! After a short period of time it goes 'off' and starts to look distinctly shabby especially during the winter months when even following a wash by the time a vehicle reaches its 'start' point it can look a mess. Even at this late stage I would hope that at some point in time the use of white will be reviewed. May be a cheap option but then NX are going to be faced with more frequent repaints of their vehicles to maintain a satisfactory external appearance.
The NXWM brand, livery & application were decided when the NX Group was headed by Richard Bowker back in 2007
But I assume NX Group Members are presumably not bound by that decision and I'm pretty sure some would think something similar regarding the use of so much white.
Any chance you could introduce one or two extra extensions to birmingham/cannock on the X51 in the future? During shopping hours? The train service isn't always very reliable and I think that advertised properly it could be a hit
Quote from: RW on August 09, 2013, 06:24:58 PM
Hi Simon, not sure whether this question falls within your remit but who chose white to be two thirds of NXWM's livery. The red is excellent looks great and retains its sheen well but the white....! After a short period of time it goes 'off' and starts to look distinctly shabby especially during the winter months when even following a wash by the time a vehicle reaches its 'start' point it can look a mess. Even at this late stage I would hope that at some point in time the use of white will be reviewed. May be a cheap option but then NX are going to be faced with more frequent repaints of their vehicles to maintain a satisfactory external appearance.
Couldnt agree more, was following 4744 and couldnt miss the ammount of oily fingerprints around the bonnet area, if it was a bus in TWM livery the fingerprints would barely be noticable.
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on August 10, 2013, 02:44:59 PM
Quote from: RW on August 09, 2013, 06:24:58 PM
Hi Simon, not sure whether this question falls within your remit but who chose white to be two thirds of NXWM's livery. The red is excellent looks great and retains its sheen well but the white....! After a short period of time it goes 'off' and starts to look distinctly shabby especially during the winter months when even following a wash by the time a vehicle reaches its 'start' point it can look a mess. Even at this late stage I would hope that at some point in time the use of white will be reviewed. May be a cheap option but then NX are going to be faced with more frequent repaints of their vehicles to maintain a satisfactory external appearance.
Couldnt agree more, was following 4744 and couldnt miss the ammount of oily fingerprints around the bonnet area, if it was a bus in TWM livery the fingerprints would barely be noticable.
Oh but will the NX elite admit they were wrong to change the perfectly fine TWM livery (or even Toothpaste) to that monstrosity of Red and White? Destroyed what was an excellent brand to something that's barely recognisable. You might be able to redeem yourself if you add some blue back to Birmingham buses, but with the constant war to save money there'll be a near impossible chance that'll happen.
I was told the reason for the livery change was to improve looks after a repair or whatever, but leaving white panels with scratch marks and various other damage looks worse then if they were on blue, or even a whole new panel a different colour.
Whoever designed that livery, must've been a 4 year old, should've asked the people what they thought. But that's not the way it works, does it?
If the company is making record profits, which I can believe, then surely you could've spent some of that cash on decent colours. (Or even going back a bit, you know like the Metrobuses had blue on the lower and around the upper saloon windows, mayble that'll be good as a solid block of colour of red with the middle (between the saloons) can be white?)
Ha, NXWM looks like a joke compared to Stagecoach and Arriva and even First to an extent.
Really that's whats letting NX down, they've exelled with safety and customer service, but brand wise? Ugh.
Yours,
LS
Well i saw Julie yesterday (4177) on the 24 and i think that livery looked brilliant.
I know it makes the bus look like a London one, but what is the problem with that. No white to become dirty after a couple of days.
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on August 10, 2013, 05:38:15 PM
Well i saw Julie yesterday (4177) on the 24 and i think that livery looked brilliant.
I know it makes the bus look like a London one, but what is the problem with that. No white to become dirty after a couple of days.
Should've been blue, though.
Obviously we can't do it now with Diamond.
So is it they want just one full colour?
Simon.
When will you give adequate running time on late nights and Sundays etc?
You know there is an issue with accidents etc and the elephant in the room is the running time.
It is, if anything, more busy of a Sunday then a Saturday due to reduced service, and with the increasing populace the pressure on public services is being felt and is increasing at an alarming rate.
It seems the Sunday running time especially hasn't been changed since the 80's, and layover time is there for genuine delays not to be an allowance for incompetence with scheduling.
I doesn't affect me anymore but that was one of my niggles.
Also, don't you wonder the reason for failed DQM's? If all roads had sufficient running time then I'm positive you'll see an increase in A's and B's.
It seems that its another reason to squeeze the marximum out of drivers.
I'm looking forward to your response.
Hi again Simon, I have a question that might seem bizarre but would be nice to discuss it none the less. Seeing as by now at least half the fleet must have TV screens on board, are there any plans to utilize them to show anything more than just CCTV? I know the previous system operators on the Outer Circle (Crystal Eyes?) went bust but maybe NXWM could run an "inhouse" service that could be used to show useful things aswell as CCTV like for example; service disruptions (like tunnel closures for example or upcoming diversions), fare increases in January, bank holiday services. network reviews etc. Even messages warning people not to smoke or fare dodge(maybe even name and shame people who are caught), mixed with general news and local events? It just seems a shame to me there is potential to have a really useful way of getting things across to the public and more people would take notice of a screen infront of them, than the notices that are stuck by the driver and can only be read whilst passing. I know this is unlikely to happen but it would be nice to hear your views about it.
[Hope you enjoyed your time off btw]
Just a quick one here on dead running on the 9. Would it be possible or early journeys (before 6am) and late journeys (after midnight), instead of running dead between the garage and Stourbridge to run as a 256E, as it would not add to mileage at all, but I believe there is something about PE drivers not being paid between end of route and depot, would this mean that this route would come at a cost??
Quote from: bususer12 on August 10, 2013, 11:22:14 PM
Just a quick one here on dead running on the 9. Would it be possible or early journeys (before 6am) and late journeys (after midnight), instead of running dead between the garage and Stourbridge to run as a 256E, as it would not add to mileage at all, but I believe there is something about PE drivers not being paid between end of route and depot, would this mean that this route would come at a cost??
Is there many late night journeys that run dead to garage?
Perhaps, some of the journeys that finish in Walsall & Bloxwich could continue in service along the Bloxwich Road to the depot, or is there a H&S issue?
From memory, arent there buses on the Brum, West Brom & Dudley routes that arrive back in Walsall after midnight?
Quote from: GB_91 on August 10, 2013, 11:13:27 PM
Hi again Simon, I have a question that might seem bizarre but would be nice to discuss it none the less. Seeing as by now at least half the fleet must have TV screens on board, are there any plans to utilize them to show anything more than just CCTV? I know the previous system operators on the Outer Circle (Crystal Eyes?) went bust but maybe NXWM could run an "inhouse" service that could be used to show useful things aswell as CCTV like for example; service disruptions (like tunnel closures for example or upcoming diversions), fare increases in January, bank holiday services. network reviews etc. Even messages warning people not to smoke or fare dodge(maybe even name and shame people who are caught), mixed with general news and local events? It just seems a shame to me there is potential to have a really useful way of getting things across to the public and more people would take notice of a screen infront of them, than the notices that are stuck by the driver and can only be read whilst passing. I know this is unlikely to happen but it would be nice to hear your views about it.
[Hope you enjoyed your time off btw]
I remember a time they used to show bbc news didn't it?
Quote from: Stu on August 08, 2013, 07:27:56 PM
Welcome back Simon, hope you enjoyed your break! And nice to see that people have been considerate enough here to not leave a mountain of questions to plough through on your return!
This may not be your department, so to speak, so I appreciate if you cannot answer this one.
With regards to customer service, I see that National Express take this quite seriously, as without customer feedback, there is no way that you can be aware of issues on your services that customers feel the need to complain about.
How much does NX value feedback that is submitted through 'third-party' websites? I was a volunteer 'anorak' for a time, and still make contributions, on the FixMyTransport (http://www.fixmytransport.com) website, where users can submit problems with bus stops, stations as well as individual routes, and then gain support from fellow transport users, as well as get responses directly from transport operators.
I'm pleased to say that National Express have so far been fully supportive, with most queries reported there receiving a satisfactory response from your customer service team. Worth noting that your competitor Arriva are generally not so supportive, choosing instead to ask the customer to contact them directly, rather than through a third-party.
To take things to the next level, we wonder if it would be beneficial if customer services would be interested in setting up an account on FixMyTransport, to directly engage with other users on issues that have been raised. I can see this only as being beneficial to both parties, as FixMyTransport is a rapidly growing community, and it would great to be seeing NX fully backing up their own customer service feedback forms, with feedback tools provided by third-parties.
I appreciate this may be outside the scope of your normal operations, but I can provide contact details if you wish to proceed.
Many thanks!
Hi Stu,
I am talking to the Commercial Director about this as Customer Relations falls under his command. I will let you know some more soon.
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 10, 2013, 12:37:56 AM
Hi Simon,
Another quick one - would it be possible for the final 140 (23:45 from Dudley), which is a short journey to Blackheath, to be extended to Quinton Church?
This would create a useful connection with the 9: it would arrive at Quinton Church around midnight - there are three more 9's towards Stourbridge due after this time and one more 9 towards Birmingham.
Hi matt,
I think this is unlikely due to the extra time it would take to operate the 140 service and get it back to Pensnett versus the very low passenger numbers that could be expected to make use of the Blackheath to Quinton section.
Quote from: bob on August 10, 2013, 10:37:23 AM
Any chance you could introduce one or two extra extensions to birmingham/cannock on the X51 in the future? During shopping hours? The train service isn't always very reliable and I think that advertised properly it could be a hit
Hi Bob,
Anything is possible but we have no plans at present. The Walsall Manager is having some success on getting the X51 timetables in to Cannock bus station and we have the X56 tender starting soon so maybe there will an increase in demand and we can lay on extra journeys.
Quote from: Liverpool Street on August 10, 2013, 08:59:36 PM
Simon.
When will you give adequate running time on late nights and Sundays etc?
You know there is an issue with accidents etc and the elephant in the room is the running time.
It is, if anything, more busy of a Sunday then a Saturday due to reduced service, and with the increasing populace the pressure on public services is being felt and is increasing at an alarming rate.
It seems the Sunday running time especially hasn't been changed since the 80's, and layover time is there for genuine delays not to be an allowance for incompetence with scheduling.
I doesn't affect me anymore but that was one of my niggles.
Also, don't you wonder the reason for failed DQM's? If all roads had sufficient running time then I'm positive you'll see an increase in A's and B's.
It seems that its another reason to squeeze the marximum out of drivers.
I'm looking forward to your response.
Hi LS,
We have put extra running time in to many routes over the last 5 years. I have done so myself when in charge of specific garages and know that this has happened over many routes. We have spent a large amount of resource ensuring that running times are realistic and I believe many now are.
My own driving experiences show this to be true. When I first drive for TWM as a student in 2000/2001 I did mainly late nights and they were an absolute racetrack with very little time to do the job properly. My most recent (in the last 6 months) experience of late night driving on the 37 and 60 have shown me that the time is a lot more realistic. I was able to keep to time on both services all evening and if I can do it then they must be OK!
I will never condone breaking the law when driving a bus. Those of us who hold a PCV licence are professional drivers with an enormous responsibility carrying precious human lives. When we forget this and drive dangerously we are putting lives at risk and that is not acceptable.
Of course if any employee or customer wants to let us/me know of any routes that are not achiveable then we will look in to it. With the AVL system now on 100% of the buses we have an immense amount of data on actual running times which we look at every week with the MD, Head of Network Planning and others. I would be more than happy to look in to (or go and drive) any routes that you may have concerns about.
I am afraid that I am not going to talk publicly too much about the DQM process but am happy to talk to any current employee about this if they want to contact me. The one thing I will say is that our driving standards are some of the best in the UK now and the vast majority of our employees achieve excellent scores from DQMs. A recent project at BC has shown this to be the case yet again and I am so impressed by the number of drivers there who have scored very well, particularly given we have some of the toughest operating conditions in the country in my opinion.
I would just say as well that I don't 'know there is an issue with accidents' as you claim. Would I like to see less accidents then the answer is yes but we still have some very good statistics in terms of accident reductions in recent years and are certainly not vastly different from other bus companies.
Quote from: GB_91 on August 10, 2013, 11:13:27 PM
Hi again Simon, I have a question that might seem bizarre but would be nice to discuss it none the less. Seeing as by now at least half the fleet must have TV screens on board, are there any plans to utilize them to show anything more than just CCTV? I know the previous system operators on the Outer Circle (Crystal Eyes?) went bust but maybe NXWM could run an "inhouse" service that could be used to show useful things aswell as CCTV like for example; service disruptions (like tunnel closures for example or upcoming diversions), fare increases in January, bank holiday services. network reviews etc. Even messages warning people not to smoke or fare dodge(maybe even name and shame people who are caught), mixed with general news and local events? It just seems a shame to me there is potential to have a really useful way of getting things across to the public and more people would take notice of a screen infront of them, than the notices that are stuck by the driver and can only be read whilst passing. I know this is unlikely to happen but it would be nice to hear your views about it.
[Hope you enjoyed your time off btw]
Hi GB,
We are looking at the Crystal Eyes kit at the moment to try and get the screens back and working. I think we favour the screens showing the CCTV images live in the bus as this gives passengers reassurance that the system is working and that the CCTV is recording should anything untoward happening. It is therefore unlikley that we would display anything else but you never know.
I will try and summarise the livery position as there have been a few comments about it.
We have, internally, debated the livery many times over the last couple of years. Some people like it and some do not and that is always the case with bus colours - some of the ones I have liked the most others have not.
The position we have agreed on is to get all the remaining non red and white buses in to that livery so we can have, for the first time in a long time, the whole fleet in one livery (granted there have been some variations of the red and white). We believe that having one simple identity is beneficial for passengers and will give us a strong, clear brand.
It also means that rather than starting a whole debate about the livery and then taking up the paint shop throughput putting on a new livery we can spend time on things that passengers value more and get more buses painted than would otherwise be the case.
I have strong views on bus livery, branding and other presentation issues (as do many of my colleagues, employees and enthusiasts) but the truth is that the vast majority of our passengers want the bus to be clean, well driven and on time rather than worrying if it has a blue skirt or a grey back (or whatever variation we might all come up with). It is on these things that we have been spending our time and energy rather than designing and implementing a new livery.
Quote from: NX OD on August 11, 2013, 10:30:10 AM
Quote from: bob on August 10, 2013, 10:37:23 AM
Any chance you could introduce one or two extra extensions to birmingham/cannock on the X51 in the future? During shopping hours? The train service isn't always very reliable and I think that advertised properly it could be a hit
Hi Bob,
Anything is possible but we have no plans at present. The Walsall Manager is having some success on getting the X51 timetables in to Cannock bus station and we have the X56 tender starting soon so maybe there will an increase in demand and we can lay on extra journeys.
Hi
Thats great about the timetable, at least people will know the bloody thing runs :-), the X56 doesnt go anywhere near Cannock lol?
Thanks for your input Simon.
When I said 'you know there's an issue with accidents' I meant the management at least did. at BC (when I was there at least) as that was the whole point of the DQM's as the drivers had alot of bumps. I would like to know the volume of mirror accidents across the company, and compare them to when we didn't have such large mirrors and mirror arms. I've often changed buses to the engineers annoyance due to the arm sticking out like a sore thumb.
Who ever designed the E400 N/S arm is onto a winner though, they're fantastic. You can have the mirror high or low to your liking without the need to bend the arm down.
Quote from: NX OD on August 11, 2013, 10:41:46 AM
Quote from: GB_91 on August 10, 2013, 11:13:27 PM
Hi again Simon, I have a question that might seem bizarre but would be nice to discuss it none the less. Seeing as by now at least half the fleet must have TV screens on board, are there any plans to utilize them to show anything more than just CCTV? I know the previous system operators on the Outer Circle (Crystal Eyes?) went bust but maybe NXWM could run an "inhouse" service that could be used to show useful things aswell as CCTV like for example; service disruptions (like tunnel closures for example or upcoming diversions), fare increases in January, bank holiday services. network reviews etc. Even messages warning people not to smoke or fare dodge(maybe even name and shame people who are caught), mixed with general news and local events? It just seems a shame to me there is potential to have a really useful way of getting things across to the public and more people would take notice of a screen infront of them, than the notices that are stuck by the driver and can only be read whilst passing. I know this is unlikely to happen but it would be nice to hear your views about it.
[Hope you enjoyed your time off btw]
Hi GB,
We are looking at the Crystal Eyes kit at the moment to try and get the screens back and working. I think we favour the screens showing the CCTV images live in the bus as this gives passengers reassurance that the system is working and that the CCTV is recording should anything untoward happening. It is therefore unlikley that we would display anything else but you never know.
That is better than nothing at least, I do see the importance of showing CCTV but I just hoped both could be shown together. Nice to know the Gemini's and Tridents Screens will soon be working again though, it seems a waste having dead screens! Thanks for the reply Simon!
re liverpool streets comment about the mirrors, i personally hate looking through a passenger door with a tiny little mirror. the mirrors on the b7rles are much better, and show a lot more. ok they are causing issues with street furniture etc, but why on earth are bus shelters etc so close anyway to kerbs? only nag i have, is the amount of damage caused by swinging arms in when the buses are washed, as this weakens the arms, enabling them to flop around. on the coaches, these same arms have to be slid off before entering the wash.
Quote from: GB_91 on August 11, 2013, 11:42:47 AM
Quote from: NX OD on August 11, 2013, 10:41:46 AM
Quote from: GB_91 on August 10, 2013, 11:13:27 PM
Hi again Simon, I have a question that might seem bizarre but would be nice to discuss it none the less. Seeing as by now at least half the fleet must have TV screens on board, are there any plans to utilize them to show anything more than just CCTV? I know the previous system operators on the Outer Circle (Crystal Eyes?) went bust but maybe NXWM could run an "inhouse" service that could be used to show useful things aswell as CCTV like for example; service disruptions (like tunnel closures for example or upcoming diversions), fare increases in January, bank holiday services. network reviews etc. Even messages warning people not to smoke or fare dodge(maybe even name and shame people who are caught), mixed with general news and local events? It just seems a shame to me there is potential to have a really useful way of getting things across to the public and more people would take notice of a screen infront of them, than the notices that are stuck by the driver and can only be read whilst passing. I know this is unlikely to happen but it would be nice to hear your views about it.
[Hope you enjoyed your time off btw]
Hi GB,
We are looking at the Crystal Eyes kit at the moment to try and get the screens back and working. I think we favour the screens showing the CCTV images live in the bus as this gives passengers reassurance that the system is working and that the CCTV is recording should anything untoward happening. It is therefore unlikley that we would display anything else but you never know.
That is better than nothing at least, I do see the importance of showing CCTV but I just hoped both could be shown together. Nice to know the Gemini's and Tridents Screens will soon be working again though, it seems a waste having dead screens! Thanks for the reply Simon!
Well I think that's a slight fabrication as the Screens on 4610-34 have been covered over by a metal plate and removed or, the TFT screen has been replaced by a piece of floor lino. Are the screens to be replaced by HD units?
I wish NX would spend some money on the 46's as they're the best Tridents, best facelift, and even after those 'refurbishments' they still look shoddy. Whats with the removal of the rubber wheel arches? Like on 4619 I think, it adds age to the vehicle. Refurbish them to 2004 as new standard and we'll talk lol . :-)
And for Mr. Anon, it depends on the route. You shouldn't have such an arm on the 99 where every inch counts to do maneuvers correctly and avoid mounting curbs.
Wasnt NX allowed to put timetables in Cannock Bus Station anyway?
Who owns the bus station? I thought it was the local authority, not Arriva.
If they are putting timetables in the bus station, why not do the roadside stops in South Staffs too?
There is a marked difference at Newtown, when you cross the boundary.
Arriva or nothing.
When you place an order for new buses, how do you decide which bus routes to allocate new buses on?
What are the factors affecting this decision?
Reason I'm asking is that I can already notice the pattern of new buses being allocated on bus routes that go through more "desirable" areas. Obviously this isn't wrong (In fact it's probably correct decision), but I'm thinking that after a while, all new buses would've been allocated on bus routes going through desirable areas, so how do you decide which to allocate on those remaining bus routes.
Yes cannock chase district council own the bus station. Its a pretty decent one to be fair, especially compared to thatmmonstrosity they have in walsall lol. Worst bus station in the world. Yea I cant see any reason why nx couldnt put up a timetable. Theres still a few bus stops dotted around Cannock with 'West Midlands' on them lol.
Just a quick one here on dead running on the 9. Would it be possible or early journeys (before 6am) and late journeys (after midnight), instead of running dead between the garage and Stourbridge to run as a 256E, as it would not add to mileage at all, but I believe there is something about PE drivers not being paid between end of route and depot, would this mean that this route would come at a cost??
Sorry, think this one was missed, just eager for a response
Quote from: :D on August 11, 2013, 03:29:14 PM
When you place an order for new buses, how do you decide which bus routes to allocate new buses on?
What are the factors affecting this decision?
Reason I'm asking is that I can already notice the pattern of new buses being allocated on bus routes that go through more "desirable" areas. Obviously this isn't wrong (In fact it's probably correct decision), but I'm thinking that after a while, all new buses would've been allocated on bus routes going through desirable areas, so how do you decide which to allocate on those remaining bus routes.
Hi D,
The factors are very varied and can include:
- likely passenger growth on a route
- age of current fleet on the route, in area or in garage
- bus priority measures on the route
- partnership commitment made to provide new buses to an area or route
- capacity issues
- cascade possibilities from putting the new buses on that route, in that area or in that garage
We have not been allocating new buses to 'desirable areas' as a policy and I am not sure that the actual allocation shows this to be true.
Quote from: bususer12 on August 11, 2013, 06:14:31 PM
Just a quick one here on dead running on the 9. Would it be possible or early journeys (before 6am) and late journeys (after midnight), instead of running dead between the garage and Stourbridge to run as a 256E, as it would not add to mileage at all, but I believe there is something about PE drivers not being paid between end of route and depot, would this mean that this route would come at a cost??
Sorry, think this one was missed, just eager for a response
Hi,
It is possible and there are no pay agreements that would stop it but I am not sure what the point would be?
It would take longer for the buses to get from the depot to Stourbridge and this may make some duties not work out properly but most would. The timetable would be very odd and irregular as well.
Quote from: bob on August 11, 2013, 05:28:28 PM
Yes cannock chase district council own the bus station. Its a pretty decent one to be fair, especially compared to thatmmonstrosity they have in walsall lol. Worst bus station in the world. Yea I cant see any reason why nx couldnt put up a timetable. Theres still a few bus stops dotted around Cannock with 'West Midlands' on them lol.
It is Arriva we are talking to about putting up the information so maybe they have the responsibility for doing this on them rather than on the actual owners of the bus station.
Thats a point, Bob.
Since the Network Wm Bus stops were put up, you dont see the stickers for the individual operators now.
Suppose Simon will have to order a few 'National Express West Midlands' stickers for the stops in Staffs?
I'm just curious the new 59 to Kingshurst is it actually working for you as a route in terms of performance as it always seems empty at the Kingshurst side?
Quote from: NX OD on August 11, 2013, 06:29:48 PM
Quote from: bususer12 on August 11, 2013, 06:14:31 PM
Just a quick one here on dead running on the 9. Would it be possible or early journeys (before 6am) and late journeys (after midnight), instead of running dead between the garage and Stourbridge to run as a 256E, as it would not add to mileage at all, but I believe there is something about PE drivers not being paid between end of route and depot, would this mean that this route would come at a cost??
Sorry, think this one was missed, just eager for a response
Hi,
It is possible and there are no pay agreements that would stop it but I am not sure what the point would be?
It would take longer for the buses to get from the depot to Stourbridge and this may make some duties not work out properly but most would. The timetable would be very odd and irregular as well.
Whilst on this theme, there are several 40/39/69 journeys that operate dead from the depot to Wolverhampton to start service and several Wolverhampton based 529's run dead to Walsall to start service from there.
I have always wondered why, if these buses can not operate their 'own' route in service, they don't operate the other depots route before starting their own? (E.g. instead of WN operating a bus Dead to Walsall, 529 ex Walsall & WA operating dead to Wolves, 40 ex Wolves, it could operate WA to WBS, 529 ex Walsall, 40 ex Wolves) I appreciate the Wolverhampton drivers would be unlikely to know the 40/39/69/89, but a lot of Walsall drivers will know the 529 already
It just seems like pointless dead mileage to be having Wolverhampton buses running dead to Walsall and Walsall buses running dead to Wolverhampton!
In a similar vein, plus may have been missed earlier!
Quote from: Westy on August 10, 2013, 11:54:53 PM
Is there many late night journeys that run dead to garage?
Perhaps, some of the journeys that finish in Walsall & Bloxwich could continue in service along the Bloxwich Road to the depot, or is there a H&S issue?
From memory, arent there buses on the Brum, West Brom & Dudley routes that arrive back in Walsall after midnight?
Quote from: NX OD on August 11, 2013, 10:50:31 AM
I will try and summarise the livery position as there have been a few comments about it.
We have, internally, debated the livery many times over the last couple of years. Some people like it and some do not and that is always the case with bus colours - some of the ones I have liked the most others have not.
The position we have agreed on is to get all the remaining non red and white buses in to that livery so we can have, for the first time in a long time, the whole fleet in one livery (granted there have been some variations of the red and white). We believe that having one simple identity is beneficial for passengers and will give us a strong, clear brand.
It also means that rather than starting a whole debate about the livery and then taking up the paint shop throughput putting on a new livery we can spend time on things that passengers value more and get more buses painted than would otherwise be the case.
I have strong views on bus livery, branding and other presentation issues (as do many of my colleagues, employees and enthusiasts) but the truth is that the vast majority of our passengers want the bus to be clean, well driven and on time rather than worrying if it has a blue skirt or a grey back (or whatever variation we might all come up with). It is on these things that we have been spending our time and energy rather than designing and implementing a new livery.
Don't disagree with much of what you say Simon but you would agree that first impressions are important and a first impression is often gained at the bus stop. Scruffy appearance suggests 'scruffy' service especially if it happens to be a few minutes late. Nothing will convince me that white is suitable for urban bus services, but thanks for responding.
Hi Simon, thanks for your previous response, and thanks for passing it on for consideration!
Something else which frequently crops up on my West Midlands Bus Users Facebook page, is the subject of route renumberings, especially after previous network reviews.
How much of this is actually down to NXWM, or is it more of a decision that Centro have made, based on passenger feedback, that NXWM have had to simply just comply with?
Personally, I agree with the route renumberings, and rather than confusing passengers (who soon get over the initial 'shock' and accept the changes), it mainly seems to bother the enthusiasts, when they don't know exactly which '5' service people are referring to! Is this also a problem for the Customer Service team when responding to customer feedback and complaints? (eg, "waited 20 minutes for a 5 which never turned up")
Quote from: NX OD on August 11, 2013, 06:29:48 PM
Quote from: bususer12 on August 11, 2013, 06:14:31 PM
Just a quick one here on dead running on the 9. Would it be possible or early journeys (before 6am) and late journeys (after midnight), instead of running dead between the garage and Stourbridge to run as a 256E, as it would not add to mileage at all, but I believe there is something about PE drivers not being paid between end of route and depot, would this mean that this route would come at a cost??
Sorry, think this one was missed, just eager for a response
Hi,
It is possible and there are no pay agreements that would stop it but I am not sure what the point would be?
It would take longer for the buses to get from the depot to Stourbridge and this may make some duties not work out properly but most would. The timetable would be very odd and irregular as well.
Thanks for your reply. I feel that whilst demand would be on the low side, it would be good to have a forward service from Stourbridge, and I'm usually not the only one walking towards Kingswinford after getting off the 9 at night. What's the extra cost if you pay the drivers to drive to the garage anyway?
If you look at the current 256 timetable, the morning journies are not in sync at all, and by the look of the timetable the 5.06, 5.36, 6.08 and 6.38 from Stourbridge run dead, a timetable of 10 minutes from Kingswinford to Stourbridge would add at most a couple of minutes.
In the evening, granted the timetable is set, but again the buses due in at 00.09, 00.39, 01.09 and 01.34 run dead to depot. Maybe just running one or two each way as an experiment would be good. You should see the loadings on the first 256 of the morning!
Hello, Simon
1645 need repaint and there are worn out! Some Mercs T & V need more repaint?
I suppose there are lots president being to repaint rather than Mercs Mark 2 that is not fair. T & V should be repaint and running in extra years. Merc T & V and President should not withdrawn as soon and stay in next three years!
Quote from: monkeyjoe on August 11, 2013, 08:21:30 PM
I'm just curious the new 59 to Kingshurst is it actually working for you as a route in terms of performance as it always seems empty at the Kingshurst side?
Hi Joe,
We are happy with the 59 at the moment.
Quote from: RW on August 12, 2013, 11:44:51 AM
Quote from: NX OD on August 11, 2013, 10:50:31 AM
I will try and summarise the livery position as there have been a few comments about it.
We have, internally, debated the livery many times over the last couple of years. Some people like it and some do not and that is always the case with bus colours - some of the ones I have liked the most others have not.
The position we have agreed on is to get all the remaining non red and white buses in to that livery so we can have, for the first time in a long time, the whole fleet in one livery (granted there have been some variations of the red and white). We believe that having one simple identity is beneficial for passengers and will give us a strong, clear brand.
It also means that rather than starting a whole debate about the livery and then taking up the paint shop throughput putting on a new livery we can spend time on things that passengers value more and get more buses painted than would otherwise be the case.
I have strong views on bus livery, branding and other presentation issues (as do many of my colleagues, employees and enthusiasts) but the truth is that the vast majority of our passengers want the bus to be clean, well driven and on time rather than worrying if it has a blue skirt or a grey back (or whatever variation we might all come up with). It is on these things that we have been spending our time and energy rather than designing and implementing a new livery.
Don't disagree with much of what you say Simon but you would agree that first impressions are important and a first impression is often gained at the bus stop. Scruffy appearance suggests 'scruffy' service especially if it happens to be a few minutes late. Nothing will convince me that white is suitable for urban bus services, but thanks for responding.
Totally agree that whatever the colour scheme the bus should be well presented and not scruffy.
Simon, quick one re Merc 1668 at WB - it has an old style upper destination blind which doesn't have Bartley Green on for the 48. This could get confusing for passengers at the QE not knowing which way it is going when it showing a blank upper.
Quote from: Stu on August 12, 2013, 07:15:01 PM
Hi Simon, thanks for your previous response, and thanks for passing it on for consideration!
Something else which frequently crops up on my West Midlands Bus Users Facebook page, is the subject of route renumberings, especially after previous network reviews.
How much of this is actually down to NXWM, or is it more of a decision that Centro have made, based on passenger feedback, that NXWM have had to simply just comply with?
Personally, I agree with the route renumberings, and rather than confusing passengers (who soon get over the initial 'shock' and accept the changes), it mainly seems to bother the enthusiasts, when they don't know exactly which '5' service people are referring to! Is this also a problem for the Customer Service team when responding to customer feedback and complaints? (eg, "waited 20 minutes for a 5 which never turned up")
Hi,
The route renumbering probably has more to do with NXWM than Centro but they are willing particpants to the principle.
Many of the routes that have been renumbered have seen passenger growth higher than those that have not been renumbered so it seems to work.
I am a big believer in buses being a local product relevant to local people and so Wolverhampton should have its own local numbers as should Coventry or other places.
Quote from: 6013 on August 14, 2013, 08:12:36 AM
Hello, Simon
1645 need repaint and there are worn out! Some Mercs T & V need more repaint?
I suppose there are lots president being to repaint rather than Mercs Mark 2 that is not fair. T & V should be repaint and running in extra years. Merc T & V and President should not withdrawn as soon and stay in next three years!
Hi 6013,
We are prioritising buses that will be in the fleet for longer than others to be repainted. We are trying to work through the Merc's as we can if it makes sense.
Changing Dead Running Journeys
There have been a few comments about turning dead running journeys in to live ones on routes that go to the garage.
I appreciate the point but it can often add extra time for the driver and this affects duty lengths and the cost. I also don't see that there would be much demand for odd short journeys to the garage such as extra 301E's.
I will ask Network Planning to look at the first 256 loadings.
A couple of questions:
1) what was the point in the re-numbering of wolverhampton routes?
2) is there any plans on any changes again this year? If so when
3) Why is the 81 becoming less and less reliable like the previous 283 and 583?
4) Will WN garage ever have any enviros as i think they would work brilliantly on the 126?
Thanks
Quote from: domino.99 on August 14, 2013, 09:26:19 PM
A couple of questions:
1) what was the point in the re-numbering of wolverhampton routes?
2) is there any plans on any changes again this year? If so when
3) Why is the 81 becoming less and less reliable like the previous 283 and 583?
4) Will WN garage ever have any enviros as i think they would work brilliantly on the 126?
Thanks
Hi Domino,
1) The point was, as outlined in a post above, to give Wolverhampton its own locally identified bus routes that could be used as a spring board to patronage growth. We find that renumbered routes attract more passengers than those we don't renumber but also that lower numbers are easier for people to relate to.
2) There are some timetable changes from 1st September. There are then some plans being developed for the end of October that may or may not come to fruition. Very few of these are in Wolverhampton.
3) The Engineers are working hard on making sure the buses used on the 81 are more reliable than they have been recently.
4) There are the Enviro 400H Hybrids on the 1 in Wolverhampton. At the moment there are no plans for other new double deckers in Wolverhampton but we have not decided on 2014 orders as yet.
Quote from: NX OD on August 14, 2013, 09:30:35 PM
Quote from: domino.99 on August 14, 2013, 09:26:19 PM
A couple of questions:
1) what was the point in the re-numbering of wolverhampton routes?
2) is there any plans on any changes again this year? If so when
3) Why is the 81 becoming less and less reliable like the previous 283 and 583?
4) Will WN garage ever have any enviros as i think they would work brilliantly on the 126?
Thanks
Hi Domino,
1) The point was, as outlined in a post above, to give Wolverhampton its own locally identified bus routes that could be used as a spring board to patronage growth. We find that renumbered routes attract more passengers than those we don't renumber but also that lower numbers are easier for people to relate to.
2) There are some timetable changes from 1st September. There are then some plans being developed for the end of October that may or may not come to fruition. Very few of these are in Wolverhampton.
3) The Engineers are working hard on making sure the buses used on the 81 are more reliable than they have been recently.
4) There are the Enviro 400H Hybrids on the 1 in Wolverhampton. At the moment there are no plans for other new double deckers in Wolverhampton but we have not decided on 2014 orders as yet.
I wouldn't say they enviro 400H Hybrids are on the 1 alone are they but also on the rebranding on TWM -> NXWM. In 3 years NXWM havn't changed all of there buses from twm -> nxwm livery and then in the space of 3 months Midland have changed all of there buses from midland -> arriva how?
Quote from: domino.99 on August 14, 2013, 09:42:57 PM
Quote from: NX OD on August 14, 2013, 09:30:35 PM
Quote from: domino.99 on August 14, 2013, 09:26:19 PM
A couple of questions:
1) what was the point in the re-numbering of wolverhampton routes?
2) is there any plans on any changes again this year? If so when
3) Why is the 81 becoming less and less reliable like the previous 283 and 583?
4) Will WN garage ever have any enviros as i think they would work brilliantly on the 126?
Thanks
Hi Domino,
1) The point was, as outlined in a post above, to give Wolverhampton its own locally identified bus routes that could be used as a spring board to patronage growth. We find that renumbered routes attract more passengers than those we don't renumber but also that lower numbers are easier for people to relate to.
2) There are some timetable changes from 1st September. There are then some plans being developed for the end of October that may or may not come to fruition. Very few of these are in Wolverhampton.
3) The Engineers are working hard on making sure the buses used on the 81 are more reliable than they have been recently.
4) There are the Enviro 400H Hybrids on the 1 in Wolverhampton. At the moment there are no plans for other new double deckers in Wolverhampton but we have not decided on 2014 orders as yet.
I wouldn't say they enviro 400H Hybrids are on the 1 alone are they but also on the rebranding on TWM -> NXWM. In 3 years NXWM havn't changed all of there buses from twm -> nxwm livery and then in the space of 3 months Midland have changed all of there buses from midland -> arriva how?
They have less buses than us to paint or replace.
To paint all our buses in to the same livery will take on average 5 years assuming no delays in the paint shop (which happen often because some buses need more preparation than others).
Quote from: NX OD on August 14, 2013, 09:46:12 PM
Quote from: domino.99 on August 14, 2013, 09:42:57 PM
Quote from: NX OD on August 14, 2013, 09:30:35 PM
Quote from: domino.99 on August 14, 2013, 09:26:19 PM
A couple of questions:
1) what was the point in the re-numbering of wolverhampton routes?
2) is there any plans on any changes again this year? If so when
3) Why is the 81 becoming less and less reliable like the previous 283 and 583?
4) Will WN garage ever have any enviros as i think they would work brilliantly on the 126?
Thanks
Hi Domino,
1) The point was, as outlined in a post above, to give Wolverhampton its own locally identified bus routes that could be used as a spring board to patronage growth. We find that renumbered routes attract more passengers than those we don't renumber but also that lower numbers are easier for people to relate to.
2) There are some timetable changes from 1st September. There are then some plans being developed for the end of October that may or may not come to fruition. Very few of these are in Wolverhampton.
3) The Engineers are working hard on making sure the buses used on the 81 are more reliable than they have been recently.
4) There are the Enviro 400H Hybrids on the 1 in Wolverhampton. At the moment there are no plans for other new double deckers in Wolverhampton but we have not decided on 2014 orders as yet.
I wouldn't say they enviro 400H Hybrids are on the 1 alone are they but also on the rebranding on TWM -> NXWM. In 3 years NXWM havn't changed all of there buses from twm -> nxwm livery and then in the space of 3 months Midland have changed all of there buses from midland -> arriva how?
They have less buses than us to paint or replace.
To paint all our buses in to the same livery will take on average 5 years assuming no delays in the paint shop (which happen often because some buses need more preparation than others).
Arriva/Midland haven't painted all their fleet, there are still several red ones. Also they have done it by replacing old buses with similarly aged old buses already in livery from elsewhere.
Have a look at how many Arriva Midland buses are in the old Arriva Livery, including a few at Wednesfield, and how many in the current livery and you will see NX are well ahead of Arriva in getting all their fleet in one livery, same with First Group
Dom, Arriva Wednesfield still have some vehicles in Midland Livery and very few are repainted ex Midland Buses. Most were already arriva buses transfered from London and other garages across England.
It would be nice to have new vehicles at WN but we already have had 49 B7RLE's and 21 hybrids.
I say just give the 126 some brand new branding.
One question NXOD, You probably may not know but do you have a clue if the Spectras will be withdrawn soon?
Just curious seems to be a lot of compliants about the 66 in the evening mail recently and what i've read on here, i.e loss of passengers because of frequency reductions and reliability issues.
Seems you must be losing a lot of passengers over recent years on this route. Got any plans to revive the fortunes of this route?
Quote from: NX OD on August 14, 2013, 09:17:48 PM
Quote from: Stu on August 12, 2013, 07:15:01 PM
Hi Simon, thanks for your previous response, and thanks for passing it on for consideration!
Something else which frequently crops up on my West Midlands Bus Users Facebook page, is the subject of route renumberings, especially after previous network reviews.
How much of this is actually down to NXWM, or is it more of a decision that Centro have made, based on passenger feedback, that NXWM have had to simply just comply with?
Personally, I agree with the route renumberings, and rather than confusing passengers (who soon get over the initial 'shock' and accept the changes), it mainly seems to bother the enthusiasts, when they don't know exactly which '5' service people are referring to! Is this also a problem for the Customer Service team when responding to customer feedback and complaints? (eg, "waited 20 minutes for a 5 which never turned up")
Hi,
The route renumbering probably has more to do with NXWM than Centro but they are willing particpants to the principle.
Many of the routes that have been renumbered have seen passenger growth higher than those that have not been renumbered so it seems to work.
I am a big believer in buses being a local product relevant to local people and so Wolverhampton should have its own local numbers as should Coventry or other places.
Simon, I appreciate you know more than the rest of us, but surely the fact that several 'renumbered' services will also have seen route changes will have more of a bearing on passenger growth or the fact other service changes during the review will have forced people on to that route?
For instance, whilst the WA6 may show higher passenger numbers than prior to the review, would this not be more likely due to the fact the timetables were co-ordinated with the 7 between Walsall & Aldridge (a bigger gap potentially between the service in front) and the reduction in journeys from Walsall to Sutton (from 7 to 4) to what was offered pre-review?
Or perhaps the WA41, might have passenger growth, but this would most likely be as a result of all passengers along Lucknow Road etc. no longer having the quicker 340 available to them?
Both routes operate virtually identical timetables pre & post review and have been in operation for several years, so surely the other factors would have a bigger impact on growth rather than the fact the route number has lost a digit or two?
Why didnt the 301 & 302 get renumbered?
Was it because Arriva already had 1 & 2, & you didnt want 3 & 4?
(5 was the old Midland route to & from Turnberry Estate!)
Quote from: Westy on August 14, 2013, 10:53:20 PM
Why didnt the 301 & 302 get renumbered?
Was it because Arriva already had 1 & 2, & you didnt want 3 & 4?
(5 was the old Midland route to & from Turnberry Estate!)
They weren't renumbered as Arriva already had the 1 and 2 so they couldn't have been renumbered
Quote from: NX OD on August 14, 2013, 09:17:48 PM
Quote from: Stu on August 12, 2013, 07:15:01 PM
Hi Simon, thanks for your previous response, and thanks for passing it on for consideration!
Something else which frequently crops up on my West Midlands Bus Users Facebook page, is the subject of route renumberings, especially after previous network reviews.
How much of this is actually down to NXWM, or is it more of a decision that Centro have made, based on passenger feedback, that NXWM have had to simply just comply with?
Personally, I agree with the route renumberings, and rather than confusing passengers (who soon get over the initial 'shock' and accept the changes), it mainly seems to bother the enthusiasts, when they don't know exactly which '5' service people are referring to! Is this also a problem for the Customer Service team when responding to customer feedback and complaints? (eg, "waited 20 minutes for a 5 which never turned up")
Hi,
The route renumbering probably has more to do with NXWM than Centro but they are willing particpants to the principle.
Many of the routes that have been renumbered have seen passenger growth higher than those that have not been renumbered so it seems to work.
I am a big believer in buses being a local product relevant to local people and so Wolverhampton should have its own local numbers as should Coventry or other places.
Simon,
are there any plans to renumber services in Dudley/Stourbridge
Stuart
Quote from: Tony on August 14, 2013, 09:51:15 PM
Quote from: NX OD on August 14, 2013, 09:46:12 PM
They have less buses than us to paint or replace.
To paint all our buses in to the same livery will take on average 5 years assuming no delays in the paint shop (which happen often because some buses need more preparation than others).
Arriva/Midland haven't painted all their fleet, there are still several red ones. Also they have done it by replacing old buses with similarly aged old buses already in livery from elsewhere.
Have a look at how many Arriva Midland buses are in the old Arriva Livery, including a few at Wednesfield, and how many in the current livery and you will see NX are well ahead of Arriva in getting all their fleet in one livery, same with First Group
But the same argument applies in relation to the size of NX's UK bus fleet; it is approx a quarter of the size of both Arriva's & First Groups total UK fleet strength.......
NX's repaint programme has already been on-going for some six years and there are approx 280 buses (Pete can confirm exact numbers) still in TWM low floor / toothpaste livery, additionally the majority of these buses will be remaining in the fleet even after the 300 new buses have all been delivered, as the bulk of them are B7TL & Trident / ALX400's. Other than some TC / TWM liveried Mercs, the majority of all withdrawals between now & June 2015 will more than likely be in NX livery.
Another issue is that the early NX repaints & 57 reg buses (particularly the E400's) delivered new in NX livery are also now look scruffier than some of the TWM liveried buses still awaiting their turn in the paintshop
Was going to ask about two bus routes in particular.
Firstly, to echo comments above about the 66, no word of a lie it has been ruined travelling through nechells and star city, and I know of a number of people who have given up on it completely and now use the 65/67 to work in nechells and walk from the Lichfield Road.
Secondly the 28. I've always wondered why the evening and sundays service (and indeed half the daytime services) don't go all the way to Scott Arms? It's a very useful link for a lot of people and at the moment it either requires a walk from Perry Beeches to Dyas Road or going most of the way into the city centre to come back out again.
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 14, 2013, 10:55:05 PM
Quote from: Westy on August 14, 2013, 10:53:20 PM
Why didnt the 301 & 302 get renumbered?
Was it because Arriva already had 1 & 2, & you didnt want 3 & 4?
(5 was the old Midland route to & from Turnberry Estate!)
They weren't renumbered as Arriva already had the 1 and 2 so they couldn't have been renumbered
Yes, but why didnt they renumber them 3 & 4?
(& I know 4 cant be used now!)
The numbering system is all over the place now.
Quote from: Westy on August 15, 2013, 07:33:20 AM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 14, 2013, 10:55:05 PM
Quote from: Westy on August 14, 2013, 10:53:20 PM
Why didnt the 301 & 302 get renumbered?
Was it because Arriva already had 1 & 2, & you didnt want 3 & 4?
(5 was the old Midland route to & from Turnberry Estate!)
They weren't renumbered as Arriva already had the 1 and 2 so they couldn't have been renumbered
Yes, but why didnt they renumber them 3 & 4?
(& I know 4 cant be used now!)
The numbering system is all over the place now.
A number of WA services were left out of the re-numbering scheme i.e. 301, 302, 311, 313, 335, 336 etc
The 529 has been left out of the WN re-numbering scheme
Ultimately each area had it's own local numbering series.....
Quote from: Winston on August 15, 2013, 09:18:38 AM
Quote from: Westy on August 15, 2013, 07:33:20 AM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 14, 2013, 10:55:05 PM
Quote from: Westy on August 14, 2013, 10:53:20 PM
Why didnt the 301 & 302 get renumbered?
Was it because Arriva already had 1 & 2, & you didnt want 3 & 4?
(5 was the old Midland route to & from Turnberry Estate!)
They weren't renumbered as Arriva already had the 1 and 2 so they couldn't have been renumbered
Yes, but why didnt they renumber them 3 & 4?
(& I know 4 cant be used now!)
The numbering system is all over the place now.
A number of WA services were left out of the re-numbering scheme i.e. 301, 302, 311, 313, 335, 336 etc
The 529 has been left out of the WN re-numbering scheme
Ultimately each area had it's own local numbering series.....
Thankfully it hasn't really happened to the Pensnett services (yet!)
Winston, 529 couldn't have been renumbered to 29 because of WA's 29 is already there but there was plans to renumber it the 52 but they just kept it the same
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 15, 2013, 10:47:15 AM
Winston, 529 couldn't have been renumbered to 29 because of WA's 29 is already there but there was plans to renumber it the 52 but they just kept it the same
I didn't necessarily have to be re-numbered as the 29; there are/were plenty of other options, re-numbering it as the 52 which doesn't clash with either the WN or WA route numbers would have been equally acceptable. Some of WB's routes have been re-numbered by dropping a digit but not necessarily the 4-- (WB) series
In my opinion, if they route numbers were all going to be altered, it need to be all or nothing, rather than than having remnants of the old numbering systems still in place in both WA & WN and Dudley still has its tradional 2-- series numbers
The 126,255/6 were also left out of the the new renumbering system aswell. The 255/6 could've become the 55/6 :)
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 15, 2013, 11:22:16 AM
The 126,255/6 were also left out of the the new renumbering system aswell. The 255/6 could've become the 55/6 :)
Yes, forgot about those. But the you'd have had the 55, 56 & 257 (which falls under Dudley) but is operated by WN garage and interworked
Maybe a simpler solution would have been to have the core routes at WA in the 30 series, WB 40 series (of which many are) & WN 50-60 series, Dudley 20 series if ever re-numbered. These would then tied in with the former area numbering series
Quote from: Winston on August 15, 2013, 11:32:14 AM
Maybe a simpler solution would have been to have the core routes at WA in the 30 series, WB 40 series (of which many are) & WN 50-60 series, Dudley 20 series if ever re-numbered. These would then tied in with the former area numbering series
Thats a good idea Winston. But you would only be able to have 10 Dudley routes renumbered, 10 Walsall routes renumbered etc...
Quote from: John on August 15, 2013, 12:07:15 PM
Quote from: Winston on August 15, 2013, 11:32:14 AM
Maybe a simpler solution would have been to have the core routes at WA in the 30 series, WB 40 series (of which many are) & WN 50-60 series, Dudley 20 series if ever re-numbered. These would then tied in with the former area numbering series
Thats a good idea Winston. But you would only be able to have 10 Dudley routes renumbered, 10 Walsall routes renumbered etc...
Granted, but you could always have had as follows:
20 series PE core routes / secondary routes 120 series
30 series WA core routes / secondary routes 130 series
40 series WB core routes / secondary routes 140 series
50-69 WN core routes / secondary routes 150-169 series
Obviously something would then need to be done with the numbering of the 120, 126, 140, 141 etc which fall within the secondary route numbering proposals. The 126, 140 & 141 could be renumbered to 9W, 9D & 9M respectively by using a similar variants as per the 4, 4H & 4M scheme / to highlight awareness that they are fitted for Hagley Road combined frequencies. Or re-number them ending with a nine?
What ever happens with route re-numberings, it needs to be all or nothing, otherwise you end up with some in the new scheme/some in the old etc
Tbh i think the numbering system does work as it is now but could do wth some minor adjustments
Renumbering the 529 to 52 does kind of make sense, as you then from Walsall have the 51 to Birmingham, and the 52 to Wolverhampton. ;)
Anyway, lets not clog up this thread any more...
Back to topic...
Simon, one of your staff has claimed on my Facebook page that the 94 service is 'meant to be relocated from Perry Barr' to ease overcrowding there. It is my understanding that most NX garages are pretty much near capacity now, so I was wondering if you had any insight to possible route/vehicle transfers that could alleviate Perry Barr being 'over-stuffed'?
The only possible garage that could take over the 94 service realistically is BC, but I don't know whether BC have enough capacity to do so. If AG have any spare capacity, could a BC route be transferred there to free up some space? One that springs to mind is the 58 service; if AG took this over, drivers could changeover either at Swan Island, or Solihull station.
Of course, there is also the slim possibility that this guy doesn't even work for NXWM, so I'm also inclined to take whatever he posts on my page with a pinch of salt! ;D
Long-term though, if all current garages are at or near full capacity, it seems it will be difficult for NXWM to expand further without opening a new garage somewhere.
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 14, 2013, 09:53:15 PM
Dom, Arriva Wednesfield still have some vehicles in Midland Livery and very few are repainted ex Midland Buses. Most were already arriva buses transfered from London and other garages across England.
It would be nice to have new vehicles at WN but we already have had 49 B7RLE's and 21 hybrids.
I say just give the 126 some brand new branding.
One question NXOD, You probably may not know but do you have a clue if the Spectras will be withdrawn soon?
The Spectras will depend on next years delivery and the cascade plan resulting from that.
Quote from: monkeyjoe on August 14, 2013, 10:15:05 PM
Just curious seems to be a lot of compliants about the 66 in the evening mail recently and what i've read on here, i.e loss of passengers because of frequency reductions and reliability issues.
Seems you must be losing a lot of passengers over recent years on this route. Got any plans to revive the fortunes of this route?
The recent change to the 66 is working well with the change to a Kingstanding terminus so we now need to build on that rather than change it again.
Quote from: notepanel on August 14, 2013, 10:16:14 PM
Quote from: NX OD on August 14, 2013, 09:17:48 PM
Quote from: Stu on August 12, 2013, 07:15:01 PM
Hi Simon, thanks for your previous response, and thanks for passing it on for consideration!
Something else which frequently crops up on my West Midlands Bus Users Facebook page, is the subject of route renumberings, especially after previous network reviews.
How much of this is actually down to NXWM, or is it more of a decision that Centro have made, based on passenger feedback, that NXWM have had to simply just comply with?
Personally, I agree with the route renumberings, and rather than confusing passengers (who soon get over the initial 'shock' and accept the changes), it mainly seems to bother the enthusiasts, when they don't know exactly which '5' service people are referring to! Is this also a problem for the Customer Service team when responding to customer feedback and complaints? (eg, "waited 20 minutes for a 5 which never turned up")
Hi,
The route renumbering probably has more to do with NXWM than Centro but they are willing particpants to the principle.
Many of the routes that have been renumbered have seen passenger growth higher than those that have not been renumbered so it seems to work.
I am a big believer in buses being a local product relevant to local people and so Wolverhampton should have its own local numbers as should Coventry or other places.
Simon, I appreciate you know more than the rest of us, but surely the fact that several 'renumbered' services will also have seen route changes will have more of a bearing on passenger growth or the fact other service changes during the review will have forced people on to that route?
For instance, whilst the WA6 may show higher passenger numbers than prior to the review, would this not be more likely due to the fact the timetables were co-ordinated with the 7 between Walsall & Aldridge (a bigger gap potentially between the service in front) and the reduction in journeys from Walsall to Sutton (from 7 to 4) to what was offered pre-review?
Or perhaps the WA41, might have passenger growth, but this would most likely be as a result of all passengers along Lucknow Road etc. no longer having the quicker 340 available to them?
Both routes operate virtually identical timetables pre & post review and have been in operation for several years, so surely the other factors would have a bigger impact on growth rather than the fact the route number has lost a digit or two?
Yes there will be some elements of other factors having an impact for sure but like lots of things, it is the whole package that matters.
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on August 14, 2013, 11:17:13 PM
Quote from: NX OD on August 14, 2013, 09:17:48 PM
Quote from: Stu on August 12, 2013, 07:15:01 PM
Hi Simon, thanks for your previous response, and thanks for passing it on for consideration!
Something else which frequently crops up on my West Midlands Bus Users Facebook page, is the subject of route renumberings, especially after previous network reviews.
How much of this is actually down to NXWM, or is it more of a decision that Centro have made, based on passenger feedback, that NXWM have had to simply just comply with?
Personally, I agree with the route renumberings, and rather than confusing passengers (who soon get over the initial 'shock' and accept the changes), it mainly seems to bother the enthusiasts, when they don't know exactly which '5' service people are referring to! Is this also a problem for the Customer Service team when responding to customer feedback and complaints? (eg, "waited 20 minutes for a 5 which never turned up")
Hi,
The route renumbering probably has more to do with NXWM than Centro but they are willing particpants to the principle.
Many of the routes that have been renumbered have seen passenger growth higher than those that have not been renumbered so it seems to work.
I am a big believer in buses being a local product relevant to local people and so Wolverhampton should have its own local numbers as should Coventry or other places.
Simon,
are there any plans to renumber services in Dudley/Stourbridge
Stuart
No, not at the moment.
Quote from: Winston on August 15, 2013, 12:08:09 AM
Quote from: Tony on August 14, 2013, 09:51:15 PM
Quote from: NX OD on August 14, 2013, 09:46:12 PM
They have less buses than us to paint or replace.
To paint all our buses in to the same livery will take on average 5 years assuming no delays in the paint shop (which happen often because some buses need more preparation than others).
Arriva/Midland haven't painted all their fleet, there are still several red ones. Also they have done it by replacing old buses with similarly aged old buses already in livery from elsewhere.
Have a look at how many Arriva Midland buses are in the old Arriva Livery, including a few at Wednesfield, and how many in the current livery and you will see NX are well ahead of Arriva in getting all their fleet in one livery, same with First Group
But the same argument applies in relation to the size of NX's UK bus fleet; it is approx a quarter of the size of both Arriva's & First Groups total UK fleet strength.......
NX's repaint programme has already been on-going for some six years and there are approx 280 buses (Pete can confirm exact numbers) still in TWM low floor / toothpaste livery, additionally the majority of these buses will be remaining in the fleet even after the 300 new buses have all been delivered, as the bulk of them are B7TL & Trident / ALX400's. Other than some TC / TWM liveried Mercs, the majority of all withdrawals between now & June 2015 will more than likely be in NX livery.
Another issue is that the early NX repaints & 57 reg buses (particularly the E400's) delivered new in NX livery are also now look scruffier than some of the TWM liveried buses still awaiting their turn in the paintshop
I don't quite understand the point about Arriva and First? Neither of those groups have ever got all their buses in a standard livery and First have started on a new one already.
When I said 5 years I meant that if all was well then this is how long it would take but in reality some of the buses take longer to prep than others, sometimes garages can't release buses to the paintshop on time and other factors can influence the throughput such as preparing buses for the Olympics. We are also unlikely (these days) to paint buses that have a short life span in the company. So it has been taking longer and we still have some way to go - but we are getting there.
Quote from: Kevin on August 15, 2013, 07:08:24 AM
Was going to ask about two bus routes in particular.
Firstly, to echo comments above about the 66, no word of a lie it has been ruined travelling through nechells and star city, and I know of a number of people who have given up on it completely and now use the 65/67 to work in nechells and walk from the Lichfield Road.
Secondly the 28. I've always wondered why the evening and sundays service (and indeed half the daytime services) don't go all the way to Scott Arms? It's a very useful link for a lot of people and at the moment it either requires a walk from Perry Beeches to Dyas Road or going most of the way into the city centre to come back out again.
Hi Kevin,
I think the 66 is much improved since the recent change so let's hope people come back to it.
The resource needed for the 28 to extend it evenings, Sundays and for the other half in the days to Scott Arms would not be matched by the demand. I am not sure there is that much demand from Dyas Road to Scott Arms.
Quote from: Stu on August 15, 2013, 07:23:48 PM
Renumbering the 529 to 52 does kind of make sense, as you then from Walsall have the 51 to Birmingham, and the 52 to Wolverhampton. ;)
Anyway, lets not clog up this thread any more...
Back to topic...
Simon, one of your staff has claimed on my Facebook page that the 94 service is 'meant to be relocated from Perry Barr' to ease overcrowding there. It is my understanding that most NX garages are pretty much near capacity now, so I was wondering if you had any insight to possible route/vehicle transfers that could alleviate Perry Barr being 'over-stuffed'?
The only possible garage that could take over the 94 service realistically is BC, but I don't know whether BC have enough capacity to do so. If AG have any spare capacity, could a BC route be transferred there to free up some space? One that springs to mind is the 58 service; if AG took this over, drivers could changeover either at Swan Island, or Solihull station.
Of course, there is also the slim possibility that this guy doesn't even work for NXWM, so I'm also inclined to take whatever he posts on my page with a pinch of salt! ;D
Long-term though, if all current garages are at or near full capacity, it seems it will be difficult for NXWM to expand further without opening a new garage somewhere.
Since Lea Hall closed I have not sat in any meeting where we have discussed moving the 94 out of PB. Not sure where that report has come from.
NX OD, Don't know if i have asked already but are WN going to change the TWM logos on the tridents as there doesn't seem to be any progress being made. But saying the WN tridents are being repainted at a rapid rate
Quote from: NX OD on August 15, 2013, 08:43:00 PM
Quote from: Winston on August 15, 2013, 12:08:09 AM
Quote from: Tony on August 14, 2013, 09:51:15 PM
Quote from: NX OD on August 14, 2013, 09:46:12 PM
They have less buses than us to paint or replace.
To paint all our buses in to the same livery will take on average 5 years assuming no delays in the paint shop (which happen often because some buses need more preparation than others).
Arriva/Midland haven't painted all their fleet, there are still several red ones. Also they have done it by replacing old buses with similarly aged old buses already in livery from elsewhere.
Have a look at how many Arriva Midland buses are in the old Arriva Livery, including a few at Wednesfield, and how many in the current livery and you will see NX are well ahead of Arriva in getting all their fleet in one livery, same with First Group
But the same argument applies in relation to the size of NX's UK bus fleet; it is approx a quarter of the size of both Arriva's & First Groups total UK fleet strength.......
NX's repaint programme has already been on-going for some six years and there are approx 280 buses (Pete can confirm exact numbers) still in TWM low floor / toothpaste livery, additionally the majority of these buses will be remaining in the fleet even after the 300 new buses have all been delivered, as the bulk of them are B7TL & Trident / ALX400's. Other than some TC / TWM liveried Mercs, the majority of all withdrawals between now & June 2015 will more than likely be in NX livery.
Another issue is that the early NX repaints & 57 reg buses (particularly the E400's) delivered new in NX livery are also now look scruffier than some of the TWM liveried buses still awaiting their turn in the paintshop
I don't quite understand the point about Arriva and First? Neither of those groups have ever got all their buses in a standard livery and First have started on a new one already.
When I said 5 years I meant that if all was well then this is how long it would take but in reality some of the buses take longer to prep than others, sometimes garages can't release buses to the paintshop on time and other factors can influence the throughput such as preparing buses for the Olympics. We are also unlikely (these days) to paint buses that have a short life span in the company. So it has been taking longer and we still have some way to go - but we are getting there.
Simon,
The Arriva / First Group comment was more directed at Tony with his response re: Arriva Wednesfield repaints i.e. 'They have less buses than us to paint or replace' i.e. against the Arriva & First Group repaint comments NX also have fewer buses to repaint / replace compared with those much bigger UK groups
Have NXWM considered using outsider refurbishers / painting contractors to help clear the backlog of repaints to get closer to the 5 year repaint cycle?
Do they already use outside contractors for refurbishment. Theres a place in Willenhall (Walsall) on the 40 bus route on an industrial estate that usually has NX buses parked up outside. Can't remember the name of the place
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 15, 2013, 09:14:47 PM
Do they already use outside contractors for refurbishment. Theres a place in Willenhall (Walsall) on the 40 bus route on an industrial estate that usually has NX buses parked up outside. Can't remember the name of the place
Yes they use Trailways for refurbishing, but I don't believe they do painting? Tony can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they only deal with one bus at a time, as they are only a small outfit,
WJF were used in the past for painting the Bendi's
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 15, 2013, 09:14:47 PM
Do they already use outside contractors for refurbishment. Theres a place in Willenhall (Walsall) on the 40 bus route on an industrial estate that usually has NX buses parked up outside. Can't remember the name of the place
I think that is ZF Powertrain, that has been mentioned before. I guess they do work on engines by the name
Hi Simon,
Any plans for routes (WB)46 & 53?
Quote from: John on August 15, 2013, 10:16:03 PM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 15, 2013, 09:14:47 PM
Do they already use outside contractors for refurbishment. Theres a place in Willenhall (Walsall) on the 40 bus route on an industrial estate that usually has NX buses parked up outside. Can't remember the name of the place
I think that is ZF Powertrain, that has been mentioned before. I guess they do work on engines by the name
Probably EMR Darlaston where all the B6's are going :o ::) ::)
Quote from: John on August 15, 2013, 10:16:03 PM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 15, 2013, 09:14:47 PM
Do they already use outside contractors for refurbishment. Theres a place in Willenhall (Walsall) on the 40 bus route on an industrial estate that usually has NX buses parked up outside. Can't remember the name of the place
I think that is ZF Powertrain, that has been mentioned before. I guess they do work on engines by the name
Last time i went past a few months back A WN spectra was parked up. Seen a 414* trident and a Gemini Also parked up before along with a Green Bus Trident
Relating to previous posts on dead running , this morning the first 246 of the morning failed to show at the stop on collis st by laser quest, next bus is a 256 in 25 minutes,had to walk to Stourbridge in the end otherwise would have been really late but 4 buses went past dead, 2 of those i think were for the 9, as they were e400s. Can you imagine how annoying that can be? Is it that the cascaded buses are unreliable,after all theyre only in some cases 2 years newer than the buses they replaced.
Quote from: NX OD on August 15, 2013, 08:44:40 PM
Quote from: Kevin on August 15, 2013, 07:08:24 AM
Was going to ask about two bus routes in particular.
Firstly, to echo comments above about the 66, no word of a lie it has been ruined travelling through nechells and star city, and I know of a number of people who have given up on it completely and now use the 65/67 to work in nechells and walk from the Lichfield Road.
Secondly the 28. I've always wondered why the evening and sundays service (and indeed half the daytime services) don't go all the way to Scott Arms? It's a very useful link for a lot of people and at the moment it either requires a walk from Perry Beeches to Dyas Road or going most of the way into the city centre to come back out again.
Hi Kevin,
I think the 66 is much improved since the recent change so let's hope people come back to it.
The resource needed for the 28 to extend it evenings, Sundays and for the other half in the days to Scott Arms would not be matched by the demand. I am not sure there is that much demand from Dyas Road to Scott Arms.
For the most part, I would agree the 66 has much improved... But for the section through Nechells, especially for people who work there and have to travel from the city in the morning and to the city in the evening when the service is suddenly only every half hour, usually full to the brim. Thinking about it now, previously it was reliably late (sounds a bit weird but true) so you could bank on still catching it if you were 5 minutes late leaving work, but nowits either bang on time (so you miss it because its 5 to the hour) or so late you don't know if its the next one.
Every time I catch a 28 of an evening that terminates at Dyas Rd to walk the last bit, there's always at least one person asking the driver if that's the end of the route, and every time I'm waiting for a full 28 and let a 28E go past there are a number of other people waiting with me. The link from Scott Arms and that part of the Walsall Rd to Old Oscott, Kingstanding and Erdington saves so much time. In the evenings and Sundays it would only require one extra bus, or even none if you got rid of the random extension to Small Heath that, from seeing it myself, is generally empty.
Quote from: Kevin on August 16, 2013, 06:47:27 AM
Quote from: NX OD on August 15, 2013, 08:44:40 PM
Quote from: Kevin on August 15, 2013, 07:08:24 AM
Was going to ask about two bus routes in particular.
Firstly, to echo comments above about the 66, no word of a lie it has been ruined travelling through nechells and star city, and I know of a number of people who have given up on it completely and now use the 65/67 to work in nechells and walk from the Lichfield Road.
Secondly the 28. I've always wondered why the evening and sundays service (and indeed half the daytime services) don't go all the way to Scott Arms? It's a very useful link for a lot of people and at the moment it either requires a walk from Perry Beeches to Dyas Road or going most of the way into the city centre to come back out again.
Hi Kevin,
I think the 66 is much improved since the recent change so let's hope people come back to it.
The resource needed for the 28 to extend it evenings, Sundays and for the other half in the days to Scott Arms would not be matched by the demand. I am not sure there is that much demand from Dyas Road to Scott Arms.
For the most part, I would agree the 66 has much improved... But for the section through Nechells, especially for people who work there and have to travel from the city in the morning and to the city in the evening when the service is suddenly only every half hour, usually full to the brim. Thinking about it now, previously it was reliably late (sounds a bit weird but true) so you could bank on still catching it if you were 5 minutes late leaving work, but nowits either bang on time (so you miss it because its 5 to the hour) or so late you don't know if its the next one.
Every time I catch a 28 of an evening that terminates at Dyas Rd to walk the last bit, there's always at least one person asking the driver if that's the end of the route, and every time I'm waiting for a full 28 and let a 28E go past there are a number of other people waiting with me. The link from Scott Arms and that part of the Walsall Rd to Old Oscott, Kingstanding and Erdington saves so much time. In the evenings and Sundays it would only require one extra bus, or even none if you got rid of the random extension to Small Heath that, from seeing it myself, is generally empty.
28 comments
At least "one" extra person asking for the extension, i guess that proves Simons point.
Also getting rid of "random" extension to Small Heath this is subsidised by centro i thought.
Kevin is right on both counts, firstly the amount of times I've been on the 28 at night and on Sundays when passengers ask if they go to the Scott Arms or will it be extended in the future is very often, secondly the 66 does struggle in peaks when I used it when I worked in a school in Nechells for a few weeks in June and July, I gave up 4 times and walked to Lichfield Road, and whilst we're on the subject of the 66, the 66A should be renumbered as it bears no relation to the 66 route apart from the NWM contract at night and Sundays
Quote from: monkeyjoe on August 16, 2013, 08:16:37 AM
28 comments
At least "one" extra person asking for the extension, i guess that proves Simons point.Also getting rid of "random" extension to Small Heath this is subsidised by centro i thought.
At least one extra person compared to the usually zero people I see on the 28 in small heath if im ever out that way
Hi Simon,
I'm no longer in the industry, but congratulate you on finally extending the 97 through to BHX - something we almost acheived a while back.
However, timekeeping (& possibly route compliance as well, see below) is something that needs attention, please note my comments below. Do you have staff monitoring AVL of an evening, as compliance is somewhat lacking on the journeys that I have attempted to use. Below is an extract of a post I made on a different thread:
"Certainly 2128 was out tonight, assumedly on the 21:20 ex BHX - arrived Birmingham International around 21:36 displaying NEC/BHX etc, then returned to Brum O.O.S. WITHOUT EVER SERVING BHX. Don't know if the 21:50 ran as i'd given up (again) & got the local to Marston Green.
Don't know if there's any AVL staff monitoring the route out of office hours, but experiences tells me there NEEDS to be as timekeeping / route adherence is a joke"
Looking at the timetable, I can't see any obvious reason for delays. Are there any temporary issues earlier on in the route?
Quote from: uniquicity on August 14, 2013, 09:14:52 PM
Simon, quick one re Merc 1668 at WB - it has an old style upper destination blind which doesn't have Bartley Green on for the 48. This could get confusing for passengers at the QE not knowing which way it is going when it showing a blank upper.
Just upping this in case it got missed.
(1592 still has the transitional logos BTW)...
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 15, 2013, 08:55:39 PM
NX OD, Don't know if i have asked already but are WN going to change the TWM logos on the tridents as there doesn't seem to be any progress being made. But saying the WN tridents are being repainted at a rapid rate
Yes, all garages should be working through applying NX fleet names.
Quote from: Sh4166 on August 15, 2013, 10:17:57 PM
Hi Simon,
Any plans for routes (WB)46 & 53?
Hi,
None that I am aware of.
Quote from: dave47549 (no longer NEL111P) on August 17, 2013, 11:35:46 PM
Hi Simon,
I'm no longer in the industry, but congratulate you on finally extending the 97 through to BHX - something we almost acheived a while back.
However, timekeeping (& possibly route compliance as well, see below) is something that needs attention, please note my comments below. Do you have staff monitoring AVL of an evening, as compliance is somewhat lacking on the journeys that I have attempted to use. Below is an extract of a post I made on a different thread:
"Certainly 2128 was out tonight, assumedly on the 21:20 ex BHX - arrived Birmingham International around 21:36 displaying NEC/BHX etc, then returned to Brum O.O.S. WITHOUT EVER SERVING BHX. Don't know if the 21:50 ran as i'd given up (again) & got the local to Marston Green.
Don't know if there's any AVL staff monitoring the route out of office hours, but experiences tells me there NEEDS to be as timekeeping / route adherence is a joke"
Looking at the timetable, I can't see any obvious reason for delays. Are there any temporary issues earlier on in the route?
Hi,
I am not aware of anything and am sorry if you were not able to catch the bus you wanted.
AVL is manned until 22.00 Monday to Saturday but with reduced levels of staff. I will ask them and the late night Inspectors to look at the 97.
Quote from: uniquicity on August 19, 2013, 04:32:18 PM
Quote from: uniquicity on August 14, 2013, 09:14:52 PM
Simon, quick one re Merc 1668 at WB - it has an old style upper destination blind which doesn't have Bartley Green on for the 48. This could get confusing for passengers at the QE not knowing which way it is going when it showing a blank upper.
Just upping this in case it got missed.
(1592 still has the transitional logos BTW)...
Hi,
I will try and sort this out. Apologies for missing the post.
Quote from: NX OD on August 19, 2013, 04:50:43 PM
I am not aware of anything and am sorry if you were not able to catch the bus you wanted.
AVL is manned until 22.00 Monday to Saturday but with reduced levels of staff. I will ask them and the late night Inspectors to look at the 97.
Fair enough. Cheers for that & i'll try my luck again later in the week.
Hi again!
Do you know of any plans to look at the 3, 31 and 31A services in Acocks Green and Shirley again?
I know that some residents of Yardley Wood felt a bit put out when the 3 was revised to serve Acocks Green (replacing the 3A variant) which meant that they lost a direct link to Solihull (not counting the 76, as that serves different parts of Yardley Wood).
There were also many complaints at the time about the use of single deck vehicles on the route, as it would get very busy between the city centre and Yardley Wood (the part of the route shared with the 2) and overcrowded, due to the overall frequency reduction on the combined services. However as a result, we now have half-empty double-deck buses running between Acocks Green and Shirley, and this is from someone who posted on the Acocks Green Village Facebook page:
QuoteHi can anyone help with my concern? I live on pool farm rd! We have a double decker bus going back and forward from 6am -7pm Monday -Saturday the most iv ever seen is about 10 people if that!! Our road runs a long side a park that children play in also we right next to dolphin lane? So why the bus needs to come down pool farm? Iv had my car hit by this bus when parked outside. I live with two young children one disable & the bus stops right outside my house so we find it difficult to park my car safe!.. How can I get the bus moved to next road ( dolphin lane? ) which is much wider and not next to park?
I appreciate that the 3A (now 3) service was introduced to replace part of the old 32 service, which served Pool Farm Road and Gospel Oak, but do the passenger loadings on this part of the route justify the level of service being provided currently?
Could the current 31 service be revised to operate this part of the route daytimes only, or is there any feasibility to reintroduce at least most of the old daytime 32 service (between the new development at Swan Island and Shirley Station), thus allowing the 3 to continue to Solihull via Robin Hood Island instead of Acocks Green?
Quote from: NX OD on August 19, 2013, 04:45:20 PM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 15, 2013, 08:55:39 PM
NX OD, Don't know if i have asked already but are WN going to change the TWM logos on the tridents as there doesn't seem to be any progress being made. But saying the WN tridents are being repainted at a rapid rate
Yes, all garages should be working through applying NX fleet names.
But WN garage don't even seem to be making a start on applying new fleetnamed. Probably by the time they start all of them will be repained! (Is this why they WN aren't applying NX fleetnames because they are repainting them at a quick rate)
Hi Simon,
I just wondered if there was some kind of priority system in place with which buses get refurbished next, as it still seems odd to me that relatively brand new E400s and Omnilinks are being prioritised for refurbishment when buses like many Tridents which are over 10 years old and the ALX400s have gone their entire lives without a single refurb. I rode 4300 today on the 94 and I have to say, it was in a disgraceful state, but the worst part is I've seen WB ALX400's in far worse condition. Is the amount of time it's taken to get only a fraction of the fleet in full NXWM livery justified?
How come no mention of the Bloxwich Road diversion on your website?
Its on NWM's site though.
By the way, the diversion is advertised as going via Leamore Lane & Green Lane, unless theres traffic issues, then it gets diverted via Harden Road & Coalpool(your old 319 route, now Arrivas 19!)
Why cant you divert all the time of the diversion via Harden anyway, as you miss out less stops, especially as Arriva 19 can operate as normal anyway, as the diversion stops at Forest Lane anyway?
Quote from: Westy on August 19, 2013, 10:15:50 PM
How come no mention of the Bloxwich Road diversion on your website?
Its on NWM's site though.
By the way, the diversion is advertised as going via Leamore Lane & Green Lane, unless theres traffic issues, then it gets diverted via Harden Road & Coalpool(your old 319 route, now Arrivas 19!)
Why cant you divert all the time of the diversion via Harden anyway, as you miss out less stops, especially as Arriva 19 can operate as normal anyway, as the diversion stops at Forest Lane anyway?
Forest Lane is closed so no, Arriva's 19 is not operating normal route! Have NWM or Arriva not mentioned that?
Nothing on Arriva.
NWM suggests 19 is normal.
Can you take a look at NWM website & see what you think?
Hi Simon.
Do you know if there is any possibility of an extension of the 34 from it's current Stowlawn terminus to Wolverhampton?
I'm asking because, since the Wolverhampton bus review, the curtailment of the 526 (now 26) at Bilston means that Stowlawn no longer has a bus to Wolverhampton.
Granted, the 34 covers the section between the estate and Bilston, however it means having to catch two buses to get to Wolverhampton.
I'm guessing the main reason why the 526 was curtailed at Bilston was due to the low passenger usage of Stowlawn residents to get to and from Wolverhampton.
However, that was probably due to the route being unreliable and going round the wrekin to get to and from Wolverhampton.
In my opinion the 34 could possibly be extended to Wolverhampton from it's current terminus via the rest of Green Lanes (there are still old bus stops along there) to Wellington Road and then follow the 39/79 route (i.e. like the 334 before it's curtailment at Bilston).
This would also help deal with the full buses on the 39/79 that can occur at peak times, due to the Wolverhampton college students.
Quote from: Stu on August 19, 2013, 07:52:15 PM
Hi again!
Do you know of any plans to look at the 3, 31 and 31A services in Acocks Green and Shirley again?
I know that some residents of Yardley Wood felt a bit put out when the 3 was revised to serve Acocks Green (replacing the 3A variant) which meant that they lost a direct link to Solihull (not counting the 76, as that serves different parts of Yardley Wood).
There were also many complaints at the time about the use of single deck vehicles on the route, as it would get very busy between the city centre and Yardley Wood (the part of the route shared with the 2) and overcrowded, due to the overall frequency reduction on the combined services. However as a result, we now have half-empty double-deck buses running between Acocks Green and Shirley, and this is from someone who posted on the Acocks Green Village Facebook page:
QuoteHi can anyone help with my concern? I live on pool farm rd! We have a double decker bus going back and forward from 6am -7pm Monday -Saturday the most iv ever seen is about 10 people if that!! Our road runs a long side a park that children play in also we right next to dolphin lane? So why the bus needs to come down pool farm? Iv had my car hit by this bus when parked outside. I live with two young children one disable & the bus stops right outside my house so we find it difficult to park my car safe!.. How can I get the bus moved to next road ( dolphin lane? ) which is much wider and not next to park?
I appreciate that the 3A (now 3) service was introduced to replace part of the old 32 service, which served Pool Farm Road and Gospel Oak, but do the passenger loadings on this part of the route justify the level of service being provided currently?
Could the current 31 service be revised to operate this part of the route daytimes only, or is there any feasibility to reintroduce at least most of the old daytime 32 service (between the new development at Swan Island and Shirley Station), thus allowing the 3 to continue to Solihull via Robin Hood Island instead of Acocks Green?
Hi,
We are looking at the 3 and 31 again yes but with no firm plans as yet. I will pass your comments on to Network Planning as I am sure they will help. Thanks very much.
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 19, 2013, 07:52:58 PM
Quote from: NX OD on August 19, 2013, 04:45:20 PM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 15, 2013, 08:55:39 PM
NX OD, Don't know if i have asked already but are WN going to change the TWM logos on the tridents as there doesn't seem to be any progress being made. But saying the WN tridents are being repainted at a rapid rate
Yes, all garages should be working through applying NX fleet names.
But WN garage don't even seem to be making a start on applying new fleetnamed. Probably by the time they start all of them will be repained! (Is this why they WN aren't applying NX fleetnames because they are repainting them at a quick rate)
I will talk to the Engineering Manager and see what his plans are.
Quote from: JB93 on August 19, 2013, 08:53:23 PM
Hi Simon,
I just wondered if there was some kind of priority system in place with which buses get refurbished next, as it still seems odd to me that relatively brand new E400s and Omnilinks are being prioritised for refurbishment when buses like many Tridents which are over 10 years old and the ALX400s have gone their entire lives without a single refurb. I rode 4300 today on the 94 and I have to say, it was in a disgraceful state, but the worst part is I've seen WB ALX400's in far worse condition. Is the amount of time it's taken to get only a fraction of the fleet in full NXWM livery justified?
Hi,
There are lots of reasons why some buses get prioritised above others and sometimes it just comes down to the garage being able to release them. Often there are campaigns that need doing such as repainting the Coventry singles that went to PB or to get buses ready for branding (like the 529).
Quote from: Westy on August 19, 2013, 10:15:50 PM
How come no mention of the Bloxwich Road diversion on your website?
Its on NWM's site though.
By the way, the diversion is advertised as going via Leamore Lane & Green Lane, unless theres traffic issues, then it gets diverted via Harden Road & Coalpool(your old 319 route, now Arrivas 19!)
Why cant you divert all the time of the diversion via Harden anyway, as you miss out less stops, especially as Arriva 19 can operate as normal anyway, as the diversion stops at Forest Lane anyway?
Hi,
Just a cock up why it is not on our website. I have asked for it to be put on and believe it now is.
Quote from: SMK on August 20, 2013, 07:00:34 PM
Hi Simon.
Do you know if there is any possibility of an extension of the 34 from it's current Stowlawn terminus to Wolverhampton?
I'm asking because, since the Wolverhampton bus review, the curtailment of the 526 (now 26) at Bilston means that Stowlawn no longer has a bus to Wolverhampton.
Granted, the 34 covers the section between the estate and Bilston, however it means having to catch two buses to get to Wolverhampton.
I'm guessing the main reason why the 526 was curtailed at Bilston was due to the low passenger usage of Stowlawn residents to get to and from Wolverhampton.
However, that was probably due to the route being unreliable and going round the wrekin to get to and from Wolverhampton.
In my opinion the 34 could possibly be extended to Wolverhampton from it's current terminus via the rest of Green Lanes (there are still old bus stops along there) to Wellington Road and then follow the 39/79 route (i.e. like the 334 before it's curtailment at Bilston).
This would also help deal with the full buses on the 39/79 that can occur at peak times, due to the Wolverhampton college students.
Hi,
Nothing that I am aware of or have heard talked about but I can pass it on. Thanks for the suggestions.
Hi Simon
Was wondering if there are any plans for the X96.
Heard a couple of drivers talking a couple of weeks ago, they were saying that the Mercs were really struggling on it, especially in the hot weather and that some buses were being turned at Merry Hill so the Mercs could cool down some what before there next journey.
Have noticed lately that the time keeping is quite poor again.
Thanks
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on August 20, 2013, 08:28:41 PM
Hi Simon
Was wondering if there are any plans for the X96.
Heard a couple of drivers talking a couple of weeks ago, they were saying that the Mercs were really struggling on it, especially in the hot weather and that some buses were being turned at Merry Hill so the Mercs could cool down some what before there next journey.
Have noticed lately that the time keeping is quite poor again.
Thanks
Hi,
Again, nothing I am aware of but I will ask someone to have a look.
It looked about normal last week on the weekly punctuality stats I get.
Hi Simon
Are the any extra buses planned for the pop thing in Cofton Park this weekend? I haven't seen any details at Miller Street, but I would imagine the last Pershore Road & Bristol Road services could be a bit busy.
Quote from: Tony on August 20, 2013, 08:37:03 PM
Hi Simon
Are the any extra buses planned for the pop thing in Cofton Park this weekend? I haven't seen any details at Miller Street, but I would imagine the last Pershore Road & Bristol Road services could be a bit busy.
Hi Tony,
Garvey was on the case but was off yesterday and today so I will check with him tomorrow. Certainly he had some plans.
Hi,
I have asked about the fleet names progress and 1592. Here is the info:
The same team of people are applying the NXWM fleetname vinyls to TWM liveried buses at all the depots, which is why only one depot is being dealt with at a time. BC is almost complete, and the YW fleet is well on its way. All the other garages will follow shortly, and it is planned to deal with the intermediate logos on 1592 when WB is visited
Quote from: NX OD on August 20, 2013, 09:28:27 PM
Hi,
I have asked about the fleet names progress and 1592. Here is the info:
The same team of people are applying the NXWM fleetname vinyls to TWM liveried buses at all the depots, which is why only one depot is being dealt with at a time. BC is almost complete, and the YW fleet is well on its way. All the other garages will follow shortly, and it is planned to deal with the intermediate logos on 1592 when WB is visited
So They will start on WN's tridents soon? Thanks for the reply by the way :)
Simon, can you mention to the team about replacing fleetnames on already repainted buses which have had accident damage?
Off the top of my head at WB (may be more)
1582, 1607, 1653 - missing front fleetnames
4047 - missing nearside fleetname
Quote from: uniquicity on August 20, 2013, 11:18:39 PM
Simon, can you mention to the team about replacing fleetnames on already repainted buses which have had accident damage?
Off the top of my head at WB (may be more)
1582, 1607, 1653 - missing front fleetnames
4047 - missing nearside fleetname
One WA E400 has one of the logos from the side missing.
4875 is the E400 at WA with the logo missing offside. 4827 and 4828 at PE also have the fleetname missing on the offside :)
and 825's front panel needs either the logo or branding reapplied
Quote from: bususer12 on August 21, 2013, 08:49:38 PM
and 825's front panel needs either the logo or branding reapplied
Yes noticed that after it came back. Also WN tridents 4564,4571,4580 and 4580 have all had the front panel below the windscreen replaced without logos being reapplied.
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 21, 2013, 08:52:42 PM
Quote from: bususer12 on August 21, 2013, 08:49:38 PM
and 825's front panel needs either the logo or branding reapplied
Yes noticed that after it came back. Also WN tridents 4564,4571,4580 and 4580 have all had the front panel below the windscreen replaced without logos being reapplied.
A few of the 46xx Tridents at BC had a blank front panel for a while I know 4623, 4626, 4627 & 4629 had theirs replaced but now they've had the NXWM Logo's applied to them apart from 4623 which has been repainted
Hi Simon, Are there any future branding or transfer plans for any YW tridents, particularly 4370-4380? I only ask because the most recent repaint pattern for YW buses seems to have shifted from 4333-4341+ to 4370-4380, but the rest of the 43**s in general don't seem to be having much done to them. (Also I'm secretly hoping to see the BV52s branded for the 35 :P) Could just be random buses being coincidentally chosen but thought I'd ask anyway, especially with the presidents slowly leaving!
Cheers in advance!
Another surviving interim fleetname is on WA 1783
http://wmbusphotos.com/NXWM/1750-1953/1783.html
At some point last year it acquired the front panel off 1750. Still as per photo today
Quote from: Tony on August 21, 2013, 09:29:36 PM
Another surviving interim fleetname is on WA 1783
http://wmbusphotos.com/NXWM/1750-1953/1783.html
At some point last year it acquired the front panel off 1750. Still as per photo today
Yes noticed it today when it went past on the 89 today in Wednesfield :)
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 21, 2013, 08:38:57 PM
4875 is the E400 at WA with the logo missing offside. 4827 and 4828 at PE also have the fleetname missing on the offside :)
4875 has been like that for a while now. 4828 is also missing the connection bars. I think it is 4827 is also missing an offside logo
Quote from: John on August 22, 2013, 05:04:08 AM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 21, 2013, 08:38:57 PM
4875 is the E400 at WA with the logo missing offside. 4827 and 4828 at PE also have the fleetname missing on the offside :)
4875 has been like that for a while now. 4828 is also missing the connection bars. I think it is 4827 is also missing an offside logo
[/quote
Already mentioned that 4827 has a missing offside logo
Any more (sensible) questions then people?
Can't think of any myself :)
Thanks for Answering our comments Simon :) By the way one thing Simon, have you made progress in possibly starting WN 59 earlier on a sunday as the journey i was on on sunday was very busy and i do think as alo of people use it to go to work on a sunday and they usually have to rely on more expensive taxi's because the 59 starts too late. It starts around 5am Mon-Sat but around 9am on a sunday so starting it around 7 am or 8am would help?
Why has the Fox & Goose been taken off as a timing point on the new 11C timetables on your website or is that an error?
Quote from: trident4370 on August 21, 2013, 08:59:19 PM
Hi Simon, Are there any future branding or transfer plans for any YW tridents, particularly 4370-4380? I only ask because the most recent repaint pattern for YW buses seems to have shifted from 4333-4341+ to 4370-4380, but the rest of the 43**s in general don't seem to be having much done to them. (Also I'm secretly hoping to see the BV52s branded for the 35 :P) Could just be random buses being coincidentally chosen but thought I'd ask anyway, especially with the presidents slowly leaving!
Cheers in advance!
There are no current plans to brand the 35. Repaints at YW are currently being targeted at the various "wrapped" buses, but more pressing issues occasionally arise with specific other buses in the garage which require them to jump the queue.
Quote from: monkeyjoe on August 22, 2013, 01:02:26 PM
Why has the Fox & Goose been taken off as a timing point on the new 11C timetables on your website or is that an error?
It is deliberate.
We have had a long look at the timings on the Outer Circle and the timing points. We were finding that some timing points were just before places that buses were getting stuck so we have moved them. We have done something similar on the Bristol Road and it has worked well.
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 22, 2013, 11:07:11 AM
Thanks for Answering our comments Simon :) By the way one thing Simon, have you made progress in possibly starting WN 59 earlier on a sunday as the journey i was on on sunday was very busy and i do think as alo of people use it to go to work on a sunday and they usually have to rely on more expensive taxi's because the 59 starts too late. It starts around 5am Mon-Sat but around 9am on a sunday so starting it around 7 am or 8am would help?
We have looked at it and think it is probably worth doing. Given the registration process and the need to change on key dates we will try and get this done for 27th October.
Quote from: NX OD on August 22, 2013, 04:41:29 PM
Quote from: trident4370 on August 21, 2013, 08:59:19 PM
Hi Simon, Are there any future branding or transfer plans for any YW tridents, particularly 4370-4380? I only ask because the most recent repaint pattern for YW buses seems to have shifted from 4333-4341+ to 4370-4380, but the rest of the 43**s in general don't seem to be having much done to them. (Also I'm secretly hoping to see the BV52s branded for the 35 :P) Could just be random buses being coincidentally chosen but thought I'd ask anyway, especially with the presidents slowly leaving!
Cheers in advance!
There are no current plans to brand the 35. Repaints at YW are currently being targeted at the various "wrapped" buses, but more pressing issues occasionally arise with specific other buses in the garage which require them to jump the queue.
haha I knew the first wouldn't happen anyway, its too unlikely! I agree the wrapped buses need doing quite urgently, some look rather disgusting now. 4351 looked a right state on the 49 today especially at the back where its all peeling off. Thanks for the reply anyway!
Quote from: NX OD on August 22, 2013, 04:44:47 PM
Quote from: monkeyjoe on August 22, 2013, 01:02:26 PM
Why has the Fox & Goose been taken off as a timing point on the new 11C timetables on your website or is that an error?
It is deliberate.
We have had a long look at the timings on the Outer Circle and the timing points. We were finding that some timing points were just before places that buses were getting stuck so we have moved them. We have done something similar on the Bristol Road and it has worked well.
Thanks for the feedback. So peeps will no longer benefit from the short journeys that used to start from the fox & Goose in the early mornings for example they will start from the Manor house at a time when there is no traffic? Is that correct or will they still start from the Fox & Goose.
Quote from: NX OD on August 22, 2013, 04:45:57 PM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 22, 2013, 11:07:11 AM
Thanks for Answering our comments Simon :) By the way one thing Simon, have you made progress in possibly starting WN 59 earlier on a sunday as the journey i was on on sunday was very busy and i do think as alo of people use it to go to work on a sunday and they usually have to rely on more expensive taxi's because the 59 starts too late. It starts around 5am Mon-Sat but around 9am on a sunday so starting it around 7 am or 8am would help?
We have looked at it and think it is probably worth doing. Given the registration process and the need to change on key dates we will try and get this done for 27th October.
Thank you so much Simon :) Any idea what time you are planning to retime it to? By the way the 9 minute Sunday frequency of the 59 needs to be untouched as its needed.
Thanks so much :) One question was reading a notice on the bus today with changes from September 1st saying you are introducing extra sunday morning journies on the 529. Does this mean earlier journies or extra journeys added in between the current departures :)
Finay the last point on my original question all i am asking is exact same timings just an hour or so earlier
Hello Simon,
A few questions relating to vehicle usage
1) Have you/NX considered using a range of different aged vehicles of appropriate size on individual routes (whether branded or not) so that passengers (and drivers) have the advantage of the newest vehicles in service the largest amount of time.
2) Could you see the benefit of allocating new vehicles pro rata in relation to garage size so that all customers benefit from ongoing investment to support question one.
3) Has NX ever considered buying good quality second hand vehicles refurbished to rapidly meet the need for more vehicles in smarter condition.
and finally
4) Do you ever travel on competitors services (e.g. Claribels, Arriva, Diamond) to gain an understanding of what their passengers experience compared with your own services.
So I notice they've maintained the 5minutes from Cofton Hackett to Turves Green, Moorpark Road on timetables from 1/9/13. You do understand there is a 20mph limit between The Jolly Fitter and Moorpark Road? I hope your drivers obide by this law as I think the local constabulary would benefit from doing random speed checks along that road.
No way, with the increasing passenger numbers, can that be maintained.
Can you tell me how the services are timed? I do know myself but I want to hear it from you.
Heh, am I glad to be retired. ;D (but not for much longer with the way the missus is going on....)
Quote from: Liverpool Street on August 22, 2013, 11:11:19 PM
So I notice they've maintained the 5minutes from Cofton Hackett to Turves Green, Moorpark Road on timetables from 1/9/13. You do understand there is a 20mph limit between The Jolly Fitter and Moorpark Road? I hope your drivers obide by this law as I think the local constabulary would benefit from doing random speed checks along that road.
No way, with the increasing passenger numbers, can that be maintained.
Can you tell me how the services are timed? I do know myself but I want to hear it from you.
Heh, am I glad to be retired. ;D (but not for much longer with the way the missus is going on....)
Tell me how you think they are timed then?
I have another question, have any project ever taken place looking at using the Heartlands Parkway to provide faster links to areas in East Brum like Castle Vale, Bromford, Hodge Hill & Castle Bromwich etc. Or is it the case the traffic that builds up at peaks times would not serve the intended purposes etc.
The could be a way of attracting commuters back onto these various corridors as I image numbers have gone down considerably over the years.
Quote from: NX OD on August 23, 2013, 08:16:38 AM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on August 22, 2013, 11:11:19 PM
So I notice they've maintained the 5minutes from Cofton Hackett to Turves Green, Moorpark Road on timetables from 1/9/13. You do understand there is a 20mph limit between The Jolly Fitter and Moorpark Road? I hope your drivers obide by this law as I think the local constabulary would benefit from doing random speed checks along that road.
No way, with the increasing passenger numbers, can that be maintained.
Can you tell me how the services are timed? I do know myself but I want to hear it from you.
Heh, am I glad to be retired. ;D (but not for much longer with the way the missus is going on....)
Tell me how you think they are timed then?
I thought this was a forum to ask you questions, Simon?
When I worked for a small independent over Shropshire way in the early 90's, we calculated the length of the route, actually drove it to our standards in a van, stopping various places to allow for stops etc , then issue the timetables/running boards to the drivers and see what the timings are like in the real world. If anything needed changing - when the drivers braught it to our attention - we'd try and change it ASAP. And they were glad for a decent drop back in the peak if services weren't running correctly.
And for the record, I don't think NXWM timetables have taken into consideration speed limits. I think you've done the following: Length of route / Average speed (either 18mph or 12mph I can't remember which) = timetable.
But if you can clarify, please do.
Best Regards,
Oop, another question.
When, in your opinion, will the Dennis Tridents start to be withdrawn?
I only ask as with the rate of new buses, it could be sooner then I think.
Quote from: monkeyjoe on August 22, 2013, 05:18:29 PM
Quote from: NX OD on August 22, 2013, 04:44:47 PM
Quote from: monkeyjoe on August 22, 2013, 01:02:26 PM
Why has the Fox & Goose been taken off as a timing point on the new 11C timetables on your website or is that an error?
It is deliberate.
We have had a long look at the timings on the Outer Circle and the timing points. We were finding that some timing points were just before places that buses were getting stuck so we have moved them. We have done something similar on the Bristol Road and it has worked well.
Thanks for the feedback. So peeps will no longer benefit from the short journeys that used to start from the fox & Goose in the early mornings for example they will start from the Manor house at a time when there is no traffic? Is that correct or will they still start from the Fox & Goose.
I have asked the schedulers to clarify this. Good point.
Quote from: JoNi on August 22, 2013, 09:05:21 PM
Hello Simon,
A few questions relating to vehicle usage
1) Have you/NX considered using a range of different aged vehicles of appropriate size on individual routes (whether branded or not) so that passengers (and drivers) have the advantage of the newest vehicles in service the largest amount of time.
2) Could you see the benefit of allocating new vehicles pro rata in relation to garage size so that all customers benefit from ongoing investment to support question one.
3) Has NX ever considered buying good quality second hand vehicles refurbished to rapidly meet the need for more vehicles in smarter condition.
and finally
4) Do you ever travel on competitors services (e.g. Claribels, Arriva, Diamond) to gain an understanding of what their passengers experience compared with your own services.
1. Experience shows that consistant delivery of a good quality product across the day is what is required, whether it relates to reliability, punctuality, vehicle quality, cleanliness etc. Mixing vehicle types throughout the day does not achieve this - and even the newest vehicles do of course need be off the road at regular intervals for maintenance / safety inspections etc. We have however been looking at the greater use of the newer vehicles on Sundays on a route by route basis.
2. Any new vehicles need to be paid for somehow - and hence we do need to allocate them (and the consequent vehicle cascades) to the services and areas which we think will bring the greatest patronage, revenue and other potential benefits to the business. This is in turn likely to maximise customer benefits as well.
3. Yes - but unlike most smaller operators we require large batches of vehicles, and need them to be of a standard specification. Decent second hand stock in sizeable batches to the same specification is rarely available and tends to be fully priced when it is. We'd prefer to buy new, specify what we want in terms of engine/gearbox combinations, seat design / trim, equipment positioning etc; get the appropriate warranties from the manufacturer and maintain the vehicle from new, but we'd never say never..........
4. Our managers are encouraged to use public transport whenever possible. All experiences can be useful whether they are on our own services, or on other operators services or different modes. An experience whilst on holiday or day trip elsewhere in the UK can be just valuable as one in the West Midlands
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 22, 2013, 06:53:15 PM
Quote from: NX OD on August 22, 2013, 04:45:57 PM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 22, 2013, 11:07:11 AM
Thanks for Answering our comments Simon :) By the way one thing Simon, have you made progress in possibly starting WN 59 earlier on a sunday as the journey i was on on sunday was very busy and i do think as alo of people use it to go to work on a sunday and they usually have to rely on more expensive taxi's because the 59 starts too late. It starts around 5am Mon-Sat but around 9am on a sunday so starting it around 7 am or 8am would help?
We have looked at it and think it is probably worth doing. Given the registration process and the need to change on key dates we will try and get this done for 27th October.
Thank you so much Simon :) Any idea what time you are planning to retime it to? By the way the 9 minute Sunday frequency of the 59 needs to be untouched as its needed.
Thanks so much :) One question was reading a notice on the bus today with changes from September 1st saying you are introducing extra sunday morning journies on the 529. Does this mean earlier journies or extra journeys added in between the current departures :)
Finay the last point on my original question all i am asking is exact same timings just an hour or so earlier
There will now be a 529 from Wolverhampton at 08.25. The current first bus from Wolves is 08.55.
The 59 will be similar.
Quote from: monkeyjoe on August 23, 2013, 09:54:23 AM
I have another question, have any project ever taken place looking at using the Heartlands Parkway to provide faster links to areas in East Brum like Castle Vale, Bromford, Hodge Hill & Castle Bromwich etc. Or is it the case the traffic that builds up at peaks times would not serve the intended purposes etc.
The could be a way of attracting commuters back onto these various corridors as I image numbers have gone down considerably over the years.
Hi,
Yes it has been looked at many times and did used to exist as a 994 (I think) but the issue is around missing out key stops and the traffic around Bromford Gyratory and along the Spine Road.
Quote from: Liverpool Street on August 23, 2013, 10:14:59 AM
Quote from: NX OD on August 23, 2013, 08:16:38 AM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on August 22, 2013, 11:11:19 PM
So I notice they've maintained the 5minutes from Cofton Hackett to Turves Green, Moorpark Road on timetables from 1/9/13. You do understand there is a 20mph limit between The Jolly Fitter and Moorpark Road? I hope your drivers obide by this law as I think the local constabulary would benefit from doing random speed checks along that road.
No way, with the increasing passenger numbers, can that be maintained.
Can you tell me how the services are timed? I do know myself but I want to hear it from you.
Heh, am I glad to be retired. ;D (but not for much longer with the way the missus is going on....)
Tell me how you think they are timed then?
I thought this was a forum to ask you questions, Simon?
When I worked for a small independent over Shropshire way in the early 90's, we calculated the length of the route, actually drove it to our standards in a van, stopping various places to allow for stops etc , then issue the timetables/running boards to the drivers and see what the timings are like in the real world. If anything needed changing - when the drivers braught it to our attention - we'd try and change it ASAP. And they were glad for a decent drop back in the peak if services weren't running correctly.
And for the record, I don't think NXWM timetables have taken into consideration speed limits. I think you've done the following: Length of route / Average speed (either 18mph or 12mph I can't remember which) = timetable.
But if you can clarify, please do.
Best Regards,
Hi,
No driver should ever break the speed limit. It is not what I expect of professional drivers.
Running times are largely based on the information we get from the AVL data these days using the average time taken to get from stop to stop or from timing point to timing point. As a result we are able to do things like have Fridays only timetables on routes like the 17.
We also use driver, garage and on the road feedback as well.
We certainly do not use average speed and distance anymore.
Quote from: Liverpool Street on August 23, 2013, 10:17:35 AM
When, in your opinion, will the Dennis Tridents start to be withdrawn?
I only ask as with the rate of new buses, it could be sooner then I think.
LS,
There are the following buses to be replaced before any Tridents would potentially be withdrawn, and before those you'd expect inroads to be made on the President fleet first:
Optare Solos - 5 x NXWM, 7 x Dundee
B6LE - 34 NXWM
B10L - 31 NXWM, 9 x Dundee
B10BLE - 24 x Dundee
Mercedes 0405N - 126 x NXWM
Dart SLF/ALX200's - 8 x NXWM
Optare Spectra - 21 x NXWM
Total:- 265 busesThe above quantities include all buses built during 1999 (included are the ALX200's due to being non-standard), there is an excess of 35 buses against new deliveries to June 2015, but that could be swallowed up by any potential new routes/pvr increases through increased frequencies etc
I'd guess that the some Presidents or early Tridents wouldn't start to be withdrawn until mid 2016,
Quote from: Liverpool Street on August 23, 2013, 10:17:35 AM
Oop, another question.
When, in your opinion, will the Dennis Tridents start to be withdrawn?
I only ask as with the rate of new buses, it could be sooner then I think.
I honestly am not sure. I would be surprised if it was much before 2016 at the earliest.
Hi Simon,
was out & about today and noticed a poster on a bus talking about timetable alterations for the 1st September 2013.
This poster seemed to be generic for the whole of the Birmingham & Black Country. My question is , with duplicated route numbers through out the West Midlands now, if the poster says a timetable change for the 27 for example, which 27 does it mean, Dudley to Wolverhampton or Hawksley to The Maypole?
I know that it means Hawksley to The Maypole, but am sure it will confuse some people.
Stuart
Hi Simon
Can you answer me a question about the new 222 timetable. Since it became a 15 minute frequency service in June, it departs from both Dudley and Merry Hill at 00 15 30 and 45 minutes past each hour. This means that between Commonside (Pensnett) and Merry Hill it runs at exactly the same time as the 255. Thus people in Pensnett get a 15 minute wait before two buses turn up together. The 255 timetable would be difficult to change at it interlinks with the 256 and 257 services. Therefore, would it be possible to change the 222 timetable so that it runs 8 minutes later and thus provides a 7/8 minute frequency between Pensnett and Merry Hill. You could even operate the two services from the same stand at Merry Hill making life easier for passengers along that corridor, as the departure times would not clash.
Thanks
Hi boss can we have some more cascaded deckers down pensnett either enviro 400 or more tridents? And a question we get asked a lot down merry hill bus station is what bus can I catch to Kidderminster as you know we haven't got anything that goes down there
Quote from: karl724223 on August 23, 2013, 05:18:36 PM
Hi boss can we have some more cascaded deckers down pensnett either enviro 400 or more tridents? And a question we get asked a lot down merry hill bus station is what bus can I catch to Kidderminster as you know we haven't got anything that goes down there
There is no bus from any operator to Kidderminster from Merry Hill, you need to get a bus to Halesowen then the 192 to Kiddy. A single NXWM service between Merry Hill and Kidderminster (via Hagley perhaps) could be very popular
Or get the 125 from Stourbridge to Bridgnorth via Kiddy. That service is actually fairly healthy and Whittles have even introduced a summer Sunday service as a trial. Saying that the lack of real bus service between Merry Hill and Kidderminster is probably down to the good rail connections with only a short bus hop from Cradley Heath or Lye.
Quote from: s94 on August 23, 2013, 07:24:30 PM
Or get the 125 from Stourbridge to Bridgnorth via Kiddy. That service is actually fairly healthy and Whittles have even introduced a summer Sunday service as a trial. Saying that the lack of real bus service between Merry Hill and Kidderminster is probably down to the good rail connections with only a short bus hop from Cradley Heath or Lye.
A single bus service from Merry Hill to Kiddy would be a lot cheaper though, a single £2 fare rather than a £2 to Cradley/Lye PLUS whatever the rail fare is - I don't know much about rail fare structures but since it crosses over the border into Worcestershire I'd say that would bump up the rail fare a bit
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 23, 2013, 07:32:33 PM
Quote from: s94 on August 23, 2013, 07:24:30 PM
Or get the 125 from Stourbridge to Bridgnorth via Kiddy. That service is actually fairly healthy and Whittles have even introduced a summer Sunday service as a trial. Saying that the lack of real bus service between Merry Hill and Kidderminster is probably down to the good rail connections with only a short bus hop from Cradley Heath or Lye.
A single bus service from Merry Hill to Kiddy would be a lot cheaper though, a single £2 fare rather than a £2 to Cradley/Lye PLUS whatever the rail fare is - I don't know much about rail fare structures but since it crosses over the border into Worcestershire I'd say that would bump up the rail fare a bit
Kidderminster is outside the West Midlands / Centro area, so the bus fare would be more than £2 anyway.
Quote from: Stu on August 23, 2013, 07:34:57 PM
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 23, 2013, 07:32:33 PM
Quote from: s94 on August 23, 2013, 07:24:30 PM
Or get the 125 from Stourbridge to Bridgnorth via Kiddy. That service is actually fairly healthy and Whittles have even introduced a summer Sunday service as a trial. Saying that the lack of real bus service between Merry Hill and Kidderminster is probably down to the good rail connections with only a short bus hop from Cradley Heath or Lye.
A single bus service from Merry Hill to Kiddy would be a lot cheaper though, a single £2 fare rather than a £2 to Cradley/Lye PLUS whatever the rail fare is - I don't know much about rail fare structures but since it crosses over the border into Worcestershire I'd say that would bump up the rail fare a bit
Kidderminster is outside the West Midlands / Centro area, so the bus fare would be more than £2 anyway.
I gather areas outside the Midlands but served by NXWM services (like Swindon & Wombourne on the 255/256 routes) are inside the Centro area then?
Quote from: Stu on August 23, 2013, 07:34:57 PM
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 23, 2013, 07:32:33 PM
Quote from: s94 on August 23, 2013, 07:24:30 PM
Or get the 125 from Stourbridge to Bridgnorth via Kiddy. That service is actually fairly healthy and Whittles have even introduced a summer Sunday service as a trial. Saying that the lack of real bus service between Merry Hill and Kidderminster is probably down to the good rail connections with only a short bus hop from Cradley Heath or Lye.
A single bus service from Merry Hill to Kiddy would be a lot cheaper though, a single £2 fare rather than a £2 to Cradley/Lye PLUS whatever the rail fare is - I don't know much about rail fare structures but since it crosses over the border into Worcestershire I'd say that would bump up the rail fare a bit
Kidderminster is outside the West Midlands / Centro area, so the bus fare would be more than £2 anyway.
A Kidderminster - Merry Hill service may be an option / more viable for Diamond ?
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 23, 2013, 07:32:33 PM
Quote from: s94 on August 23, 2013, 07:24:30 PM
Or get the 125 from Stourbridge to Bridgnorth via Kiddy. That service is actually fairly healthy and Whittles have even introduced a summer Sunday service as a trial. Saying that the lack of real bus service between Merry Hill and Kidderminster is probably down to the good rail connections with only a short bus hop from Cradley Heath or Lye.
A single bus service from Merry Hill to Kiddy would be a lot cheaper though, a single £2 fare rather than a £2 to Cradley/Lye PLUS whatever the rail fare is - I don't know much about rail fare structures but since it crosses over the border into Worcestershire I'd say that would bump up the rail fare a bit
An off-peak Kidderminster to Merry Hill return using the train is £6.20 (£3.20 return on the train+£3 plusbus). I very much doubt you could do that cheaper by bus in any combination (Peak is only £6.80)
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 23, 2013, 07:38:21 PM
Quote from: Stu on August 23, 2013, 07:34:57 PM
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 23, 2013, 07:32:33 PM
Quote from: s94 on August 23, 2013, 07:24:30 PM
Or get the 125 from Stourbridge to Bridgnorth via Kiddy. That service is actually fairly healthy and Whittles have even introduced a summer Sunday service as a trial. Saying that the lack of real bus service between Merry Hill and Kidderminster is probably down to the good rail connections with only a short bus hop from Cradley Heath or Lye.
A single bus service from Merry Hill to Kiddy would be a lot cheaper though, a single £2 fare rather than a £2 to Cradley/Lye PLUS whatever the rail fare is - I don't know much about rail fare structures but since it crosses over the border into Worcestershire I'd say that would bump up the rail fare a bit
Kidderminster is outside the West Midlands / Centro area, so the bus fare would be more than £2 anyway.
I gather areas outside the Midlands but served by NXWM services (like Swindon & Wombourne on the 255/256 routes) are inside the Centro area then?
It is now, but didn't used to be the case.
Years ago, if you caught a bus like the 256, you weren't allowed to board or alight the bus outside the West Mids County, eg:Wombourne, and special fares would be charged to destinations outside the West Mids County
Quote from: Winston on August 23, 2013, 07:40:39 PM
Quote from: Stu on August 23, 2013, 07:34:57 PM
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 23, 2013, 07:32:33 PM
Quote from: s94 on August 23, 2013, 07:24:30 PM
Or get the 125 from Stourbridge to Bridgnorth via Kiddy. That service is actually fairly healthy and Whittles have even introduced a summer Sunday service as a trial. Saying that the lack of real bus service between Merry Hill and Kidderminster is probably down to the good rail connections with only a short bus hop from Cradley Heath or Lye.
A single bus service from Merry Hill to Kiddy would be a lot cheaper though, a single £2 fare rather than a £2 to Cradley/Lye PLUS whatever the rail fare is - I don't know much about rail fare structures but since it crosses over the border into Worcestershire I'd say that would bump up the rail fare a bit
Kidderminster is outside the West Midlands / Centro area, so the bus fare would be more than £2 anyway.
A Kidderminster - Merry Hill service may be option / more viable for Diamond
It would be a good route make it every couple of hours or so though I would first like to see a 007 which is redditch-bromsgrove-halesowen-merry hill from diamond. And cant see that the train could be much more than whittles expensive fares
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 23, 2013, 07:38:21 PM
Quote from: Stu on August 23, 2013, 07:34:57 PM
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 23, 2013, 07:32:33 PM
Quote from: s94 on August 23, 2013, 07:24:30 PM
Or get the 125 from Stourbridge to Bridgnorth via Kiddy. That service is actually fairly healthy and Whittles have even introduced a summer Sunday service as a trial. Saying that the lack of real bus service between Merry Hill and Kidderminster is probably down to the good rail connections with only a short bus hop from Cradley Heath or Lye.
A single bus service from Merry Hill to Kiddy would be a lot cheaper though, a single £2 fare rather than a £2 to Cradley/Lye PLUS whatever the rail fare is - I don't know much about rail fare structures but since it crosses over the border into Worcestershire I'd say that would bump up the rail fare a bit
Kidderminster is outside the West Midlands / Centro area, so the bus fare would be more than £2 anyway.
I gather areas outside the Midlands but served by NXWM services (like Swindon & Wombourne on the 255/256 routes) are inside the Centro area then?
No doubt Simon himself can confirm this, but with the 255/256 beginning and ending in the West Midlands area, those areas 'outside' become an exception to the rule, probably same for the 90 service through Coleshill. Kidderminster is a bit further out though.
Quote from: Stu on August 23, 2013, 07:45:19 PM
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 23, 2013, 07:38:21 PM
Quote from: Stu on August 23, 2013, 07:34:57 PM
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 23, 2013, 07:32:33 PM
Quote from: s94 on August 23, 2013, 07:24:30 PM
Or get the 125 from Stourbridge to Bridgnorth via Kiddy. That service is actually fairly healthy and Whittles have even introduced a summer Sunday service as a trial. Saying that the lack of real bus service between Merry Hill and Kidderminster is probably down to the good rail connections with only a short bus hop from Cradley Heath or Lye.
A single bus service from Merry Hill to Kiddy would be a lot cheaper though, a single £2 fare rather than a £2 to Cradley/Lye PLUS whatever the rail fare is - I don't know much about rail fare structures but since it crosses over the border into Worcestershire I'd say that would bump up the rail fare a bit
Kidderminster is outside the West Midlands / Centro area, so the bus fare would be more than £2 anyway.
I gather areas outside the Midlands but served by NXWM services (like Swindon & Wombourne on the 255/256 routes) are inside the Centro area then?
No doubt Simon himself can confirm this, but with the 255/256 beginning and ending in the West Midlands area, those areas 'outside' become an exception to the rule, probably same for the 90 service through Coleshill. Kidderminster is a bit further out though.
These areas are still 'officially' outside the Centro area and up until recently nNetwork tickets were valid in most of the close ones, but nBus tickets were not. On a route which passes out, and then back in both tickets have always been valid as long as the journey starts and finishes within the West Midlands.
Centro have now made the nBus ticket have the same validity as nNetwork. Centro are allowed to subsidise public transport for a certain distance outside their official area.
Quote from: DiamondDart on August 23, 2013, 07:44:48 PM
Quote from: Winston on August 23, 2013, 07:40:39 PM
Quote from: Stu on August 23, 2013, 07:34:57 PM
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 23, 2013, 07:32:33 PM
Quote from: s94 on August 23, 2013, 07:24:30 PM
Or get the 125 from Stourbridge to Bridgnorth via Kiddy. That service is actually fairly healthy and Whittles have even introduced a summer Sunday service as a trial. Saying that the lack of real bus service between Merry Hill and Kidderminster is probably down to the good rail connections with only a short bus hop from Cradley Heath or Lye.
A single bus service from Merry Hill to Kiddy would be a lot cheaper though, a single £2 fare rather than a £2 to Cradley/Lye PLUS whatever the rail fare is - I don't know much about rail fare structures but since it crosses over the border into Worcestershire I'd say that would bump up the rail fare a bit
Kidderminster is outside the West Midlands / Centro area, so the bus fare would be more than £2 anyway.
A Kidderminster - Merry Hill service may be option / more viable for Diamond
It would be a good route make it every couple of hours or so though I would first like to see a 007 which is redditch-bromsgrove-halesowen-merry hill from diamond. And cant see that the train could be much more than whittles expensive fares
As much as Id like to see the 007 return Bromsgrove- MH, I doubt it ever will though. Hansons did used to run the 252 between Merry Hill and Kidderminster on Weekends but that got withdrawn so sounds like it wasnt that popular. However I dont think it ever got much publicity?
Quote from: s94 on August 23, 2013, 09:16:09 PM
Quote from: DiamondDart on August 23, 2013, 07:44:48 PM
Quote from: Winston on August 23, 2013, 07:40:39 PM
Quote from: Stu on August 23, 2013, 07:34:57 PM
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 23, 2013, 07:32:33 PM
Quote from: s94 on August 23, 2013, 07:24:30 PM
Or get the 125 from Stourbridge to Bridgnorth via Kiddy. That service is actually fairly healthy and Whittles have even introduced a summer Sunday service as a trial. Saying that the lack of real bus service between Merry Hill and Kidderminster is probably down to the good rail connections with only a short bus hop from Cradley Heath or Lye.
A single bus service from Merry Hill to Kiddy would be a lot cheaper though, a single £2 fare rather than a £2 to Cradley/Lye PLUS whatever the rail fare is - I don't know much about rail fare structures but since it crosses over the border into Worcestershire I'd say that would bump up the rail fare a bit
Kidderminster is outside the West Midlands / Centro area, so the bus fare would be more than £2 anyway.
A Kidderminster - Merry Hill service may be option / more viable for Diamond
It would be a good route make it every couple of hours or so though I would first like to see a 007 which is redditch-bromsgrove-halesowen-merry hill from diamond. And cant see that the train could be much more than whittles expensive fares
As much as Id like to see the 007 return Bromsgrove- MH, I doubt it ever will though. Hansons did used to run the 252 between Merry Hill and Kidderminster on Weekends but that got withdrawn so sounds like it wasnt that popular. However I dont think it ever got much publicity?
Every time to saw the 252, it was very full, but a lot of the passengers were oaps, so doubt it was very profitable.
Something like that would do well on a Weekend, especially using the way that the 252 went, helping the x96 on Sundays. I think that a £5 return would be appealing if Diamond or Hansons fancied another shot at it just weekends to begin with.
Another route would be to go the 002 route to Halesowen and then to Kidderminster, at least giving a bit of an 002 Sunday service.
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on August 23, 2013, 09:26:07 PM
Quote from: s94 on August 23, 2013, 09:16:09 PM
Quote from: DiamondDart on August 23, 2013, 07:44:48 PM
Quote from: Winston on August 23, 2013, 07:40:39 PM
Quote from: Stu on August 23, 2013, 07:34:57 PM
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 23, 2013, 07:32:33 PM
Quote from: s94 on August 23, 2013, 07:24:30 PM
Or get the 125 from Stourbridge to Bridgnorth via Kiddy. That service is actually fairly healthy and Whittles have even introduced a summer Sunday service as a trial. Saying that the lack of real bus service between Merry Hill and Kidderminster is probably down to the good rail connections with only a short bus hop from Cradley Heath or Lye.
A single bus service from Merry Hill to Kiddy would be a lot cheaper though, a single £2 fare rather than a £2 to Cradley/Lye PLUS whatever the rail fare is - I don't know much about rail fare structures but since it crosses over the border into Worcestershire I'd say that would bump up the rail fare a bit
Kidderminster is outside the West Midlands / Centro area, so the bus fare would be more than £2 anyway.
A Kidderminster - Merry Hill service may be option / more viable for Diamond
It would be a good route make it every couple of hours or so though I would first like to see a 007 which is redditch-bromsgrove-halesowen-merry hill from diamond. And cant see that the train could be much more than whittles expensive fares
As much as Id like to see the 007 return Bromsgrove- MH, I doubt it ever will though. Hansons did used to run the 252 between Merry Hill and Kidderminster on Weekends but that got withdrawn so sounds like it wasnt that popular. However I dont think it ever got much publicity?
Every time to saw the 252, it was very full, but a lot of the passengers were oaps, so doubt it was very profitable.
Ahh fair enough. Yeah, just OAP's isnt going to be much good. But more publicity and it could work well. I think many would appreciate more cross boundary routes even if it is a bit more expensive. I do hate the way everything seems like it has to stop at the county borders and mustn't dare cross it! Lol. But Yes id like to see a 252 style route back from Merry Hill, via Quarry Bank/Amblecote Road, Stourbridge Town Centre, Wollaston/Norton, Stourbridge Road, Kidderminster train station (for connections to the Severn Valley Railway primarily) and perhaps even on to Bewdley or Stourport would be a bonus.
I also think that a Kidderminster to Merry Hill bus route would be a viable option, although I am aware it has been tried in several forms before.
Does anyone remember First Midland Reds attempt, the 285 running Kidderminster - Blakedown - Hagley - Pedmore - Stourbridge - Amblecote - Merry Hill - Dudley from the late 90's.
I think the only way the link will be restored though unfortunately is if Hanson's took over the 125, and combined it with there Stourbridge - Merry Hill route, similar to what Whittles did to restore the Halesowen - Stourport connected by amalgamating the 11 & 192 routes.
There was another Kiddy-MH route that lasted until 2002ish...the MRW 234!
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on August 23, 2013, 03:21:07 PM
Hi Simon,
was out & about today and noticed a poster on a bus talking about timetable alterations for the 1st September 2013.
This poster seemed to be generic for the whole of the Birmingham & Black Country. My question is , with duplicated route numbers through out the West Midlands now, if the poster says a timetable change for the 27 for example, which 27 does it mean, Dudley to Wolverhampton or Hawksley to The Maypole?
I know that it means Hawksley to The Maypole, but am sure it will confuse some people.
Stuart
Did the poster have route numbers on it then?
Quote from: karl724223 on August 23, 2013, 05:18:36 PM
Hi boss can we have some more cascaded deckers down pensnett either enviro 400 or more tridents? And a question we get asked a lot down merry hill bus station is what bus can I catch to Kidderminster as you know we haven't got anything that goes down there
Hi,
There are no more planned at the moment.
Not sure on Kidderminster buses but I think others have answered on this.
Quote from: Roy on August 23, 2013, 04:19:46 PM
Hi Simon
Can you answer me a question about the new 222 timetable. Since it became a 15 minute frequency service in June, it departs from both Dudley and Merry Hill at 00 15 30 and 45 minutes past each hour. This means that between Commonside (Pensnett) and Merry Hill it runs at exactly the same time as the 255. Thus people in Pensnett get a 15 minute wait before two buses turn up together. The 255 timetable would be difficult to change at it interlinks with the 256 and 257 services. Therefore, would it be possible to change the 222 timetable so that it runs 8 minutes later and thus provides a 7/8 minute frequency between Pensnett and Merry Hill. You could even operate the two services from the same stand at Merry Hill making life easier for passengers along that corridor, as the departure times would not clash.
Thanks
Hi Roy,
A good point and the Black Country schedulers are going to have a look at the options for this.
NX OD, It says in the new changes that the sunday 255 is being decreased to hourly, Now does this just mean that the 255E fill in journeys to Wall Heath be withdrawn making the whole route hourly?
I'm in the process of acquiring an R-reg (future) classic car for personal use and was wondering how I could approach NXWM (rather than EMR or PVS) to see about transferring an R-reg plate from a withdrawn for scrap O405N, like R160 XOB for example.
I know there's an admin fee involved but if it weren't too arduous I'd be very keen to do it.
Quote from: The Real 4778 on August 27, 2013, 09:46:10 AM
I'm in the process of acquiring an R-reg (future) classic car for personal use and was wondering how I could approach NXWM (rather than EMR or PVS) to see about transferring an R-reg plate from a withdrawn for scrap O405N, like R160 XOB for example.
I know there's an admin fee involved but if it weren't too arduous I'd be very keen to do it.
I would have thought that would have involved the DVLA rather than the previous owners
And out of interest what car are you buying?
Quote from: wilmotm (Matt Wilmot) on August 27, 2013, 10:06:28 AM
Quote from: The Real 4778 on August 27, 2013, 09:46:10 AM
I'm in the process of acquiring an R-reg (future) classic car for personal use and was wondering how I could approach NXWM (rather than EMR or PVS) to see about transferring an R-reg plate from a withdrawn for scrap O405N, like R160 XOB for example.
I know there's an admin fee involved but if it weren't too arduous I'd be very keen to do it.
I would have thought that would have involved the DVLA rather than the previous owners
And out of interest what car are you buying?
LOL - madness I know, but a couple (all being well) of high-spec Rover 800s. One to be garaged for summer only use, the other as a light-user second car.
Regarding the DVLA angle, I was under the impression you could effect the transfer at the point where the donor vehicle is confirmed scrapped, albeit you pay the DVLA an admin fee. Otherwise I think the registration mark dies with the vehicle. More homework methinks....
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 27, 2013, 09:30:11 AM
NX OD, It says in the new changes that the sunday 255 is being decreased to hourly, Now does this just mean that the 255E fill in journeys to Wall Heath be withdrawn making the whole route hourly?
Hi,
The pdf of the new timetable is on our website and the 255 will run hourly for the full lenght. No short journeys apart from at the start and end of the day.
Quote from: The Real 4778 on August 27, 2013, 10:15:25 AM
LOL - madness I know, but a couple (all being well) of high-spec Rover 800s. One to be garaged for summer only use, the other as a light-user second car.
Regarding the DVLA angle, I was under the impression you could effect the transfer at the point where the donor vehicle is confirmed scrapped, albeit you pay the DVLA an admin fee. Otherwise I think the registration mark dies with the vehicle. More homework methinks....
You apparently have to transfer it at the point the donor loses its MoT status. Incidentally, as of an hour ago, I am in the market for two numbers. Wouldn't it be great to have R160XOB and R610XOB running round a while longer... ::)
Since the introduction of the link Bromford - Chelmsley Wood by service 72, is this working well, to expectations (or even past expectations) and if so are their any plans to further develop and enhance this corridor and the 71/72 routes in general?
Quote from: The Real 4778 on August 27, 2013, 01:21:00 PM
Quote from: The Real 4778 on August 27, 2013, 10:15:25 AM
LOL - madness I know, but a couple (all being well) of high-spec Rover 800s. One to be garaged for summer only use, the other as a light-user second car.
Regarding the DVLA angle, I was under the impression you could effect the transfer at the point where the donor vehicle is confirmed scrapped, albeit you pay the DVLA an admin fee. Otherwise I think the registration mark dies with the vehicle. More homework methinks....
You apparently have to transfer it at the point the donor loses its MoT status. Incidentally, as of an hour ago, I am in the market for two numbers. Wouldn't it be great to have R160XOB and R610XOB running round a while longer... ::)
Doesn't have to be done as the MoT expires, it can be done easily at any time as long as the donor vehicle has an MoT. All it needs is the owner of the donor vehicle's consent and an 80 pound transfer fee paying to the DVLA.
Quote from: Tony on August 27, 2013, 02:23:09 PM
Doesn't have to be done as the MoT expires, it can be done easily at any time as long as the donor vehicle has an MoT. All it needs is the owner of the donor vehicle's consent and an 80 pound transfer fee paying to the DVLA.
Well I can manage the brown envelope with 160 notes in; I guess it comes down to NXWM's consent and some canny timing, as buses are withdrawn with an MoT certificate, but the unexpired portion will be quite short in many cases, I expect.
Quote from: NX OD on August 27, 2013, 08:06:55 AM
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on August 23, 2013, 03:21:07 PM
Hi Simon,
was out & about today and noticed a poster on a bus talking about timetable alterations for the 1st September 2013.
This poster seemed to be generic for the whole of the Birmingham & Black Country. My question is , with duplicated route numbers through out the West Midlands now, if the poster says a timetable change for the 27 for example, which 27 does it mean, Dudley to Wolverhampton or Hawksley to The Maypole?
I know that it means Hawksley to The Maypole, but am sure it will confuse some people.
Stuart
Did the poster have route numbers on it then?
Yes Simon, just a list of route numbers which change timetable on 01/09/13, plus the number 1 changing terminus in Birmingham.
Hi Simon,
Would it be possible for the running boards of various routes to be published to us? As it would really help (and interest) me to know which running boards on each route do which departures, which stay on to the evening buses, etc.
For example, the 140/241 gets confusing at peak-time as some running boards don't interwork at Dudley.
Hi Simon.
Can I ask where the 61/63 timetable is on the NXWM website? It was advertised on the 1st Sept. changes but now there's no sign of the timetable or the BR changes.
And also what's all this hullabaloo with the 29/A?
And that's for Simon so please don't reply if you're not the OD.
Regards
LS
Hello again Simon thanks for your reply to my previous questions.
Here a few on day to day experiences when using your buses
1) When waiting to catch a NXWM bus I reasonably expect the driver to stop where the bus stop flag is when the road is clear.
Curiously in Birmingham this is often at the trailing end of bus shelters making it harder for the passengers to be seen by the driver of the approaching bus and also posing a safety hazard when passengers run between the shelter and the bus as it moves off with the driver looking in their wing mirror.
The flags are sometimes at the opposite end from the "hole" in the shelter and also in certain cases there are railings under the flag making it physically impossible to board the bus from the shelter.
What is the logic of the layout of the flag being at the trailing end and do you appreciate the inherent safety and visibility issues mentioned above. Are your staff trained to deal with these anomalies.
2) Boarding a NXWM bus has the same allure of many Liverpool off licences as the member of staff is behind a solid screen and in NXWMs case advised you will be prosecuted if you assault the driver. Is this "hard" notice really effective and what is the logic of solid assault screens almost unique to NXWM which makes communication much harder.
3) Have you contemplated introducing cross city services through Central Birmingham giving passengers direct access to and from a wider range of locations. High frequency cross city services work perfectly well in busy places such as Edinburgh.
and finally
4) What benefits do you think could be had by Managers who drive to work undertaking the final part of their journey on NXWM services.
E.G. A manager working at Bordesley could park their car in Nechells, catch the Inner Circle to work and return at night to retrieve it.
JoNi
Quote from: JoNi on August 27, 2013, 10:37:14 PM
Hello again Simon thanks for your reply to my previous questions.
Here a few on day to day experiences when using your buses
1) When waiting to catch a NXWM bus I reasonably expect the driver to stop where the bus stop flag is when the road is clear.
Curiously in Birmingham this is often at the trailing end of bus shelters making it harder for the passengers to be seen by the driver of the approaching bus and also posing a safety hazard when passengers run between the shelter and the bus as it moves off with the driver looking in their wing mirror.
The flags are sometimes at the opposite end from the "hole" in the shelter and also in certain cases there are railings under the flag making it physically impossible to board the bus from the shelter.
What is the logic of the layout of the flag being at the trailing end and do you appreciate the inherent safety and visibility issues mentioned above. Are your staff trained to deal with these anomalies.
2) Boarding a NXWM bus has the same allure of many Liverpool off licences as the member of staff is behind a solid screen and in NXWMs case advised you will be prosecuted if you assault the driver. Is this "hard" notice really effective and what is the logic of solid assault screens almost unique to NXWM which makes communication much harder.
3) Have you contemplated introducing cross city services through Central Birmingham giving passengers direct access to and from a wider range of locations. High frequency cross city services work perfectly well in busy places such as Edinburgh.
and finally
4) What benefits do you think could be had by Managers who drive to work undertaking the final part of their journey on NXWM services.
E.G. A manager working at Bordesley could park their car in Nechells, catch the Inner Circle to work and return at night to retrieve it.
JoNi
I think I could answer a few of these using common sense! Assault screens are needed-fact of life-drivers need to be protected in birmingham FACT and many would otherwise feel threatened. Nice idea in theory but in reality removing them is a non starter
Cross city routes are a stupid idea eg 46 due to timekeeping issues in bham city centre but seem to work in wolverhampton. Thinking about it from a money perspective, best to have shorter routes, make people change then pay again. And lol parking a car in Nechells u would probably be catching another bus home as well then lol
Hey again Simon, one more question from me, seeing as Christmas is only 4 months away now, will there be any extra buses this Boxing Day or even a full sunday service(maybe finishing at 8pm or something), or is it still in the planning? I think it is under estimated how many people like to "hit the sales" on boxing day and last year all I saw in town were standing loads across the routes, the 29 in particular seemed quite bad as people were being turned away.
Quote from: monkeyjoe on August 27, 2013, 01:44:13 PM
Since the introduction of the link Bromford - Chelmsley Wood by service 72, is this working well, to expectations (or even past expectations) and if so are their any plans to further develop and enhance this corridor and the 71/72 routes in general?
Hi,
We are very happy with it. We have some plans for 71/72 but I am not able to say what these are at present.
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on August 27, 2013, 06:30:00 PM
Quote from: NX OD on August 27, 2013, 08:06:55 AM
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on August 23, 2013, 03:21:07 PM
Hi Simon,
was out & about today and noticed a poster on a bus talking about timetable alterations for the 1st September 2013.
This poster seemed to be generic for the whole of the Birmingham & Black Country. My question is , with duplicated route numbers through out the West Midlands now, if the poster says a timetable change for the 27 for example, which 27 does it mean, Dudley to Wolverhampton or Hawksley to The Maypole?
I know that it means Hawksley to The Maypole, but am sure it will confuse some people.
Stuart
Did the poster have route numbers on it then?
Yes Simon, just a list of route numbers which change timetable on 01/09/13, plus the number 1 changing terminus in Birmingham.
OK thanks. I have seen it now as well.
I will talk to the people who produce it about duplicated route numbers.
Quote from: nitromatt1 on August 27, 2013, 06:37:10 PM
Hi Simon,
Would it be possible for the running boards of various routes to be published to us? As it would really help (and interest) me to know which running boards on each route do which departures, which stay on to the evening buses, etc.
For example, the 140/241 gets confusing at peak-time as some running boards don't interwork at Dudley.
Hi,
I will give this some consideration.
Quote from: Liverpool Street on August 27, 2013, 09:39:49 PM
Hi Simon.
Can I ask where the 61/63 timetable is on the NXWM website? It was advertised on the 1st Sept. changes but now there's no sign of the timetable or the BR changes.
And also what's all this hullabaloo with the 29/A?
And that's for Simon so please don't reply if you're not the OD.
Regards
LS
Hi,
I'm not sure where that has gone! I have asked Marketing to put it on the website. Thanks for spotting that.
I am not sure what you are referring to about the 29/A?
Quote from: JoNi on August 27, 2013, 10:37:14 PM
Hello again Simon thanks for your reply to my previous questions.
Here a few on day to day experiences when using your buses
1) When waiting to catch a NXWM bus I reasonably expect the driver to stop where the bus stop flag is when the road is clear.
Curiously in Birmingham this is often at the trailing end of bus shelters making it harder for the passengers to be seen by the driver of the approaching bus and also posing a safety hazard when passengers run between the shelter and the bus as it moves off with the driver looking in their wing mirror.
The flags are sometimes at the opposite end from the "hole" in the shelter and also in certain cases there are railings under the flag making it physically impossible to board the bus from the shelter.
What is the logic of the layout of the flag being at the trailing end and do you appreciate the inherent safety and visibility issues mentioned above. Are your staff trained to deal with these anomalies.
2) Boarding a NXWM bus has the same allure of many Liverpool off licences as the member of staff is behind a solid screen and in NXWMs case advised you will be prosecuted if you assault the driver. Is this "hard" notice really effective and what is the logic of solid assault screens almost unique to NXWM which makes communication much harder.
3) Have you contemplated introducing cross city services through Central Birmingham giving passengers direct access to and from a wider range of locations. High frequency cross city services work perfectly well in busy places such as Edinburgh.
and finally
4) What benefits do you think could be had by Managers who drive to work undertaking the final part of their journey on NXWM services.
E.G. A manager working at Bordesley could park their car in Nechells, catch the Inner Circle to work and return at night to retrieve it.
JoNi
Hi,
Thanks for the questions.
1. The bus stop flags, shelters and other street furniture are all designed, supplied and fitted by Centro. We have some input if we feel that something is in the wrong place or badly designed but not much. Drivers are trained to stop at the safest place for passengers whether this be at the 'hole' or at the far end of the shelter. It does not necessarily matter where the flag is.
A good place to report stops you think have problems with the layout is: http://www.networkwestmidlands.com/comments/fixit.aspx
2. I woudn't say that assault screens are unique to us as I can think of many other places where they are in place such as London, Reading and Nottingham. The assault screen is a vital piece of driver protection and is there to stop a driver being hurt. Unfortunately society has a very small number of people who want to cause damage and harm people and that includes bus drivers. As an employer we have a duty of care to our employees and we are clear in our desire to see this duty through.
3. We haven't really considered this although the city centre loops are in some ways a bit like this.
4. There would be some benefits to this and some managers do this. I will be doing this a bit tomorrow when I am moving between a few sites through the day.
Quote from: trident4370 on August 27, 2013, 11:02:22 PM
Hey again Simon, one more question from me, seeing as Christmas is only 4 months away now, will there be any extra buses this Boxing Day or even a full sunday service(maybe finishing at 8pm or something), or is it still in the planning? I think it is under estimated how many people like to "hit the sales" on boxing day and last year all I saw in town were standing loads across the routes, the 29 in particular seemed quite bad as people were being turned away.
Hi,
The analysis of Boxing Day is still going on and our plans still being worked on. Thanks for the feedback though as it is always useful to have.
Hi
Any plans in the pipeline for an upgrade to the 966? Maybe some newer buses to replace the ageing presidents!
Quote from: NX OD on August 28, 2013, 08:04:55 AM
Quote from: trident4370 on August 27, 2013, 11:02:22 PM
Hey again Simon, one more question from me, seeing as Christmas is only 4 months away now, will there be any extra buses this Boxing Day or even a full sunday service(maybe finishing at 8pm or something), or is it still in the planning? I think it is under estimated how many people like to "hit the sales" on boxing day and last year all I saw in town were standing loads across the routes, the 29 in particular seemed quite bad as people were being turned away.
Hi,
The analysis of Boxing Day is still going on and our plans still being worked on. Thanks for the feedback though as it is always useful to have.
You're welcome, It is nice to know that peoples input on here is actually doing some good! Thanks for the reply!
Simon,
Would there ever be any plans to drastically increase levels of service on Sundays to match the demand? I imagine there would be problems getting drivers to work on Sunday but from a passenger perspective it's frustrating
Quote from: Kevin on August 28, 2013, 11:15:56 AM
Simon,
Would there ever be any plans to drastically increase levels of service on Sundays to match the demand? I imagine there would be problems getting drivers to work on Sunday but from a passenger perspective it's frustrating
And I can say from a drivers viewpoint its a pain in the arse as you get reduced running time, so with more passengers you're nearly guaranteed to lose your drop back. Even though you'd expect reduced traffic, this isn't always the case.
It almost feels like nobody works anymore. Its busy all the time. :( Never used to be like this.
Quote from: 966 on August 28, 2013, 08:17:11 AM
Hi
Any plans in the pipeline for an upgrade to the 966? Maybe some newer buses to replace the ageing presidents!
Hi,
Nothing planned.
Quote from: Kevin on August 28, 2013, 11:15:56 AM
Simon,
Would there ever be any plans to drastically increase levels of service on Sundays to match the demand? I imagine there would be problems getting drivers to work on Sunday but from a passenger perspective it's frustrating
Hi,
We are always looking at where our service levels are compared to demand. Most drivers work a 5 from 7 contract and would work to a roster so no problems there.
Hi Simon,
Any idea what these Gold Corridors are - what's the difference - Is it just A routes and B routes, as according to AVL working?
Always wondered that
LS
Quote from: Liverpool Street on August 28, 2013, 09:34:06 PM
Hi Simon,
Any idea what these Gold Corridors are - what's the difference - Is it just A routes and B routes, as according to AVL working?
Always wondered that
LS
The plans are still being developed now that we have signed the new partnership with Centro. It will not be related to the AVL codes.
Quote from: NX OD on August 28, 2013, 09:39:34 PM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on August 28, 2013, 09:34:06 PM
Hi Simon,
Any idea what these Gold Corridors are - what's the difference - Is it just A routes and B routes, as according to AVL working?
Always wondered that
LS
The plans are still being developed now that we have signed the new partnership with Centro. It will not be related to the AVL codes.
No problem. Thank you.
And from a bus nuts view;
Will a Birmingham bus ever get a certain heritage colouring?
And looking back at Tony's photos, have our open top tours stopped for good?
Quote from: Liverpool Street on August 28, 2013, 09:44:17 PM
Quote from: NX OD on August 28, 2013, 09:39:34 PM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on August 28, 2013, 09:34:06 PM
Hi Simon,
Any idea what these Gold Corridors are - what's the difference - Is it just A routes and B routes, as according to AVL working?
Always wondered that
LS
The plans are still being developed now that we have signed the new partnership with Centro. It will not be related to the AVL codes.
No problem. Thank you.
And from a bus nuts view;
Will a Birmingham bus ever get a certain heritage colouring?
And looking back at Tony's photos, have our open top tours stopped for good?
Hi,
There are no plans for a heritage livery at the moment but there may be in the future.
I can't see us ever getting involved in open top tours again.
Any idea what happened to the second X51 from Cannock this morning?
Sister went out for it well before its arrival time south of Bloxwich at 659am.
No bus turned up until 727am, but whether this was the second or third bus from Cannock is not known!
Quote from: NX OD on August 28, 2013, 09:39:34 PM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on August 28, 2013, 09:34:06 PM
Hi Simon,
Any idea what these Gold Corridors are - what's the difference - Is it just A routes and B routes, as according to AVL working?
Always wondered that
LS
The plans are still being developed now that we have signed the new partnership with Centro. It will not be related to the AVL codes.
Is Nx the only company involved in the gold corridors
Has the Perry Barr Park ride performed at all or is too early say. Also would you consider opening other schemes or extending this one?
Quote from: dgss1 on August 29, 2013, 12:21:12 PM
Quote from: NX OD on August 28, 2013, 09:39:34 PM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on August 28, 2013, 09:34:06 PM
Hi Simon,
Any idea what these Gold Corridors are - what's the difference - Is it just A routes and B routes, as according to AVL working?
Always wondered that
LS
The plans are still being developed now that we have signed the new partnership with Centro. It will not be related to the AVL codes.
Is Nx the only company involved in the gold corridors
I understand Stagecoach have them, think of an example Cheltemham to Gloucester route 94 i think.
Arriva also have what you could consider gold corridors in the shape of Sapphire
No, I mean't in this quality partnership with centro
Quote from: Westy on August 29, 2013, 08:00:19 AM
Any idea what happened to the second X51 from Cannock this morning?
Sister went out for it well before its arrival time south of Bloxwich at 659am.
No bus turned up until 727am, but whether this was the second or third bus from Cannock is not known!
I can answer that one for you, bus developed a coolant problem while running dead to Cannock and had to return to Walsall garage
Are there any plans to run the 9 through the night making it a 24 hour service
Hello Simon,
Thanks for your feedback, apologies but my comments on assault screens related to not having a moveable pane. As a result of the current arrangement I've witnessed drivers leaving their cabs to give directions and also to speak to customers who failed to show their ticket while rushing past.
Some questions on communication
1) As a law abiding passenger I resent the culture of wasting my time sending texts if I see something. If I texted everytime I saw something or heard someone swear i could make it a full time vocation. How do think NXWM can effectively get the minority to take responsibilities for their actions.
2) There seems to be an increasing reliance on Twitter and Facebook to communicate but what percentage of your ridership uses these mediums and could you see the effects on those who have a none existent social media footprint e.g. the elderly.
3) I find branding on upstairs front windows obstructs the view and genuinely annoying. Are you willing to put the headway on the panel below the windscreen as in Nottingham after all the route number is on the destination display?
4) What initiatives are NXWM undertaking to harness the power of the local media to positively encourage citizens to use buses?
JoNi
4)
Quote from: pensnettdriver on August 29, 2013, 01:01:44 PM
Are there any plans to run the 9 through the night making it a 24 hour service
Always wondered if they would do that. There is only a couple of hours between the first and last journeys and as the last 9 returns to the garage the first one of the next day is ready to leave not long after
Hi Simon,
New 900, 957 branding is fantastic, would it be possible to retrospectively apply the colour stripe to the other routes that have been recently branded, 51 and 934/5/6 combination, or at least repeat for the next branding.... 9 or 126 please?
Quote from: wilmotm (Matt Wilmot) on August 29, 2013, 08:52:48 PM
Hi Simon,
New 900, 957 branding is fantastic, would it be possible to retrospectively apply the colour stripe to the other routes that have been recently branded, 51 and 934/5/6 combination, or at least repeat for the next branding.... 9 or 126 please?
Wouldn't really work on a trident but would love to see new 9 branding.
Quote from: Trident 4609 on August 29, 2013, 08:55:08 PM
Quote from: wilmotm (Matt Wilmot) on August 29, 2013, 08:52:48 PM
Hi Simon,
New 900, 957 branding is fantastic, would it be possible to retrospectively apply the colour stripe to the other routes that have been recently branded, 51 and 934/5/6 combination, or at least repeat for the next branding.... 9 or 126 please?
Wouldn't really work on a trident but would love to see new 9 branding.
I do believe that Simon did say that 9 branding is imminent, looking forward to it, wonder if a Trident will get the branding (not 4135).
Hi Simon,
I was wondering if you knew when PB Enviros, 4718-4732, are going to be repainted into NXWM colours? It would be interesting to see the BU07 Enviros in NXWM livery
Quote from: Sh4166 on August 29, 2013, 10:44:34 PM
Hi Simon,
I was wondering if you knew when PB Enviros, 4718-4732, are going to be repainted into NXWM colours? It would be interesting to see the BU07 Enviros in NXWM livery
4730 is in the paint shop according to this report:
Quote from: Tony on August 21, 2013, 09:10:14 PM
I had to visit Walsall again today, around the paint shop were
1817; 1827; 4110; 4221; 4361; 4364; 4368; 4730; 4733 + about another 4 inside
Quote from: dgss1 on August 29, 2013, 12:21:12 PM
Quote from: NX OD on August 28, 2013, 09:39:34 PM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on August 28, 2013, 09:34:06 PM
Hi Simon,
Any idea what these Gold Corridors are - what's the difference - Is it just A routes and B routes, as according to AVL working?
Always wondered that
LS
The plans are still being developed now that we have signed the new partnership with Centro. It will not be related to the AVL codes.
Is Nx the only company involved in the gold corridors
Hi,
I don't know and, given the competition legislation, wouldn't know.
Quote from: monkeyjoe on August 29, 2013, 12:26:15 PM
Has the Perry Barr Park ride performed at all or is too early say. Also would you consider opening other schemes or extending this one?
Hi,
Usage has been very low but the traffic for the tunnels closure has not been as bad as it might have been. There are no other schemes we are considering.
Quote from: pensnettdriver on August 29, 2013, 01:01:44 PM
Are there any plans to run the 9 through the night making it a 24 hour service
Hi,
I have been asked this twice today ;)
We are evaluating the 97 and will see what that means for other services.
Quote from: wilmotm (Matt Wilmot) on August 29, 2013, 08:52:48 PM
Hi Simon,
New 900, 957 branding is fantastic, would it be possible to retrospectively apply the colour stripe to the other routes that have been recently branded, 51 and 934/5/6 combination, or at least repeat for the next branding.... 9 or 126 please?
Hi,
Glad you like it.
I am not sure about other routes. I will talk to Marketing and see what they say.
Quote from: JoNi on August 29, 2013, 03:38:38 PM
Hello Simon,
Thanks for your feedback, apologies but my comments on assault screens related to not having a moveable pane. As a result of the current arrangement I've witnessed drivers leaving their cabs to give directions and also to speak to customers who failed to show their ticket while rushing past.
Some questions on communication
1) As a law abiding passenger I resent the culture of wasting my time sending texts if I see something. If I texted everytime I saw something or heard someone swear i could make it a full time vocation. How do think NXWM can effectively get the minority to take responsibilities for their actions.
2) There seems to be an increasing reliance on Twitter and Facebook to communicate but what percentage of your ridership uses these mediums and could you see the effects on those who have a none existent social media footprint e.g. the elderly.
3) I find branding on upstairs front windows obstructs the view and genuinely annoying. Are you willing to put the headway on the panel below the windscreen as in Nottingham after all the route number is on the destination display?
4) What initiatives are NXWM undertaking to harness the power of the local media to positively encourage citizens to use buses?
JoNi
4)
Hi,
Thanks for the interesting questions.
1) I think we wrestle with this conundrum every day and if we had a good answer to this we would be doing it. The texting does work and we like it as a system, as do Safer Travel. I guess in some ways it is up to all of us to report it when we see it rather than doing nothing. There is a famous quote about this sort of thing but I can't remember it.
2) More and more people are talking to us on Social Media. I don't know the % and maybe we never could. There is nothing important about changes, diversions (unless short notice) or other vital information that we don't also post on the web and display on PINs. Social Media is more about interaction than giving information that others might miss.
3) Not really up to me but whatever the Marketing department think will work they will do.
4) We have a PR and Communications department who are constantly in touch with the local media about all kind of things.
Quote from: Westy on August 29, 2013, 08:00:19 AM
Any idea what happened to the second X51 from Cannock this morning?
Sister went out for it well before its arrival time south of Bloxwich at 659am.
No bus turned up until 727am, but whether this was the second or third bus from Cannock is not known!
Tony's reply is correct. Sorry about the problems.
Quote from: NX OD on August 30, 2013, 03:59:05 PM
Quote from: Westy on August 29, 2013, 08:00:19 AM
Any idea what happened to the second X51 from Cannock this morning?
Sister went out for it well before its arrival time south of Bloxwich at 659am.
No bus turned up until 727am, but whether this was the second or third bus from Cannock is not known!
Tony's reply is correct. Sorry about the problems.
Cheers for the reply, but she's also sent an email via the website too, so someone your end will have to take a look there too as she's complained about the x51 single deckers.
Any snippets of information I've got from here I've passed onto her but she wants a general moan anyway!
Quote from: Westy on August 30, 2013, 07:00:37 PM
Quote from: NX OD on August 30, 2013, 03:59:05 PM
Quote from: Westy on August 29, 2013, 08:00:19 AM
Any idea what happened to the second X51 from Cannock this morning?
Sister went out for it well before its arrival time south of Bloxwich at 659am.
No bus turned up until 727am, but whether this was the second or third bus from Cannock is not known!
Tony's reply is correct. Sorry about the problems.
Cheers for the reply, but she's also sent an email via the website too, so someone your end will have to take a look there too as she's complained about the x51 single deckers.
Any snippets of information I've got from here I've passed onto her but she wants a general moan anyway!
The single deckers are because of a road closure in Cheslyn Hay meaning the bus has to go under a low bridge. This only affects the evening return service as the morning route is open
Hi Simon,
Maybe you could pass on to the Marketing Department that windows are for looking out of and are not a blank canvas for their vinyl.
As a passenger, I find this one of the most annoying parts of modern bus operations. Not just NX are to blame for this, as most operators are using this awful practice.
Passengers who are unfamiliar with routes have a difficult time, and quite frankly it makes the exterior look tacky. Especially on the budget branded routes such as the 37 and 55 etc.
Gareth
Simon. Is there any way nx can improve the quality of print on tickets. If the digits were bolder and the ink wasnt so faint it might make it easier for staff and passengers (except those that recycle them fraudulantly). The metro tickets are much better. Also the scratchcard daysavers are leaving it wide open for an unscrupulous few. Couldnt nx replace them with maybe a voucher for which people put in the cash chute in exchange for a bus ticket. Just a thought?
they need new buses on 74and 75 :) :)
Quote from: mranon on September 01, 2013, 06:44:32 AM
Simon. Is there any way nx can improve the quality of print on tickets. If the digits were bolder and the ink wasnt so faint it might make it easier for staff and passengers (except those that recycle them fraudulantly). The metro tickets are much better. Also the scratchcard daysavers are leaving it wide open for an unscrupulous few. Couldnt nx replace them with maybe a voucher for which people put in the cash chute in exchange for a bus ticket. Just a thought?
Dundee scanias issue the standard ticket which nearly everyone uses (like the Metro and Diamond Bus) and are much easier to tell whether if it is out of date for example
Quote from: Gareth on August 31, 2013, 04:28:34 PM
Hi Simon,
Maybe you could pass on to the Marketing Department that windows are for looking out of and are not a blank canvas for their vinyl.
As a passenger, I find this one of the most annoying parts of modern bus operations. Not just NX are to blame for this, as most operators are using this awful practice.
Passengers who are unfamiliar with routes have a difficult time, and quite frankly it makes the exterior look tacky. Especially on the budget branded routes such as the 37 and 55 etc.
Gareth
Agree totally with Gareth on this, it shows a total lack of respect for passengers, who surely deserve to be able to see where they are going!
Quote from: D10 on September 01, 2013, 10:58:16 AM
Quote from: Gareth on August 31, 2013, 04:28:34 PM
Hi Simon,
Maybe you could pass on to the Marketing Department that windows are for looking out of and are not a blank canvas for their vinyl.
As a passenger, I find this one of the most annoying parts of modern bus operations. Not just NX are to blame for this, as most operators are using this awful practice.
Passengers who are unfamiliar with routes have a difficult time, and quite frankly it makes the exterior look tacky. Especially on the budget branded routes such as the 37 and 55 etc.
Gareth
Agree totally with Gareth on this, it shows a total lack of respect for passengers, who surely deserve to be able to see where they are going!
I think you're overreacting mate. Its just a window sticker not a punch in the face as you board. Albeit, some do deserve it.
Simon,
Still no sign of the Bristol Road timetable.
Regards
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 01, 2013, 12:44:42 PM
Quote from: D10 on September 01, 2013, 10:58:16 AM
Quote from: Gareth on August 31, 2013, 04:28:34 PM
Hi Simon,
Maybe you could pass on to the Marketing Department that windows are for looking out of and are not a blank canvas for their vinyl.
As a passenger, I find this one of the most annoying parts of modern bus operations. Not just NX are to blame for this, as most operators are using this awful practice.
Passengers who are unfamiliar with routes have a difficult time, and quite frankly it makes the exterior look tacky. Especially on the budget branded routes such as the 37 and 55 etc.
Gareth
Agree totally with Gareth on this, it shows a total lack of respect for passengers, who surely deserve to be able to see where they are going!
I think you're overreacting mate. Its just a window sticker not a punch in the face as you board. Albeit, some do deserve it.
Simon,
Still no sign of the Bristol Road timetable.
Regards
Agree Gareth, especially the rear windows totally covered. Total lack of visibility from the rear windows and creates a darker area. It is a lack of regard for pasengers and the 37 and 55 over the side windows is usually right in the eye line of the seated passenger which is infuriating.
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 01, 2013, 12:44:42 PM
Quote from: D10 on September 01, 2013, 10:58:16 AM
Quote from: Gareth on August 31, 2013, 04:28:34 PM
Hi Simon,
Maybe you could pass on to the Marketing Department that windows are for looking out of and are not a blank canvas for their vinyl.
As a passenger, I find this one of the most annoying parts of modern bus operations. Not just NX are to blame for this, as most operators are using this awful practice.
Passengers who are unfamiliar with routes have a difficult time, and quite frankly it makes the exterior look tacky. Especially on the budget branded routes such as the 37 and 55 etc.
Gareth
Agree totally with Gareth on this, it shows a total lack of respect for passengers, who surely deserve to be able to see where they are going!
I think you're overreacting mate. Its just a window sticker not a punch in the face as you board. Albeit, some do deserve it.
Simon,
Still no sign of the Bristol Road timetable.
Regards
LS you do make me laugh!
Quote from: Gareth on August 31, 2013, 04:28:34 PM
Hi Simon,
Maybe you could pass on to the Marketing Department that windows are for looking out of and are not a blank canvas for their vinyl.
As a passenger, I find this one of the most annoying parts of modern bus operations. Not just NX are to blame for this, as most operators are using this awful practice.
Passengers who are unfamiliar with routes have a difficult time, and quite frankly it makes the exterior look tacky. Especially on the budget branded routes such as the 37 and 55 etc.
Gareth
Hi,
Yes I will pass it on but as can be seen from others here it can sometimes be a matter of personal preference.
Quote from: mranon on September 01, 2013, 06:44:32 AM
Simon. Is there any way nx can improve the quality of print on tickets. If the digits were bolder and the ink wasnt so faint it might make it easier for staff and passengers (except those that recycle them fraudulantly). The metro tickets are much better. Also the scratchcard daysavers are leaving it wide open for an unscrupulous few. Couldnt nx replace them with maybe a voucher for which people put in the cash chute in exchange for a bus ticket. Just a thought?
Hi,
The only way to improve the quality of the print is to replace the ink cartridge. Other than that the technology is very basic and there is not much else can be done. New printers are the answer and this is on our radar.
The scratchcards are the subject of some debate but at the moment we consider them to be one of the better ways to do this kind of ticket.
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 01, 2013, 12:44:42 PM
Quote from: D10 on September 01, 2013, 10:58:16 AM
Quote from: Gareth on August 31, 2013, 04:28:34 PM
Hi Simon,
Maybe you could pass on to the Marketing Department that windows are for looking out of and are not a blank canvas for their vinyl.
As a passenger, I find this one of the most annoying parts of modern bus operations. Not just NX are to blame for this, as most operators are using this awful practice.
Passengers who are unfamiliar with routes have a difficult time, and quite frankly it makes the exterior look tacky. Especially on the budget branded routes such as the 37 and 55 etc.
Gareth
Agree totally with Gareth on this, it shows a total lack of respect for passengers, who surely deserve to be able to see where they are going!
I think you're overreacting mate. Its just a window sticker not a punch in the face as you board. Albeit, some do deserve it.
Simon,
Still no sign of the Bristol Road timetable.
Regards
Hi,
I will chase it up. I know that I asked for it to be done and the timetable pdf was sent to the Marketing team for putting on the web but nothing more seems to have happened. I will get on to it tomorrow.
Hello Simon thanks for continuing to answer questions on a range of subjects.
Here's the penultimate set for now on feedback often interpreted as spying.
1) AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) provides a wealth of service performance information, have you ever considered publishing results by route on your website detailing cancellations and reliability in a similar nature to railway operators.
2) As a customer when a bus pulls up at the stop that is setting down only to catch up time I consider that it is cancelled, do your performance figures reflect this situation in a similar light.
3) Reference is made by Buses UK that mystery passenger audits are undertaken. Do you feel this sort of activity actually creates benefits for passengers or does it just lead to mistrust amongst staff. After all positives should be publicised for all to see and negatives dealt with by the manager responsible.
4) Instances occur elsewhere in the country where notices are posted in buses asking passengers for feedback on changes to their specific route giving them a range of potential options to select from in a set timescale. Do you feel this is a more constructive form of dialogue than "later in the year there's going to be a network review in South Birmingham your feedback is warmly welcomed".....
5) Many items of feedback can relate to more than one organisation e.g. bus operator, Centro, local council. In your opinion would a multi party system have the potential to break down the current silo based mentality that exists and actually identify those responsible so that improvements can be made in a far more positive atmosphere?
JoNi
Hi Simon,
I'm with LS on the times for Sunday services, I think it's about time they are looked at. The 126 on Sunday got caught and ended up 20 minutes late, and then got asked to get on the one behind on the Hagley Road. Other passengers were saying its not the first time its happened. Also with the 255, can you really see a bus doing a Sunday afternoon journey at Christmas from Merry Hill to Wolverhampton in 1 hour and 2 minutes, when on a Saturday morning it takes 1 hour end to end?
It struggled last year with the help of the 255E (Now withdrawn on Sundays) and X1. I think it may need looking at, because by the look of the timetable the route will interwork, meaning two routes could suffer. I would monitor the next few weeks, and bear in mind how Merry Hill snowballs at Xmas.
Hi Simon,
Can I ask why the decision was made to withdraw the 255E on Sundays? I've been single deckers full to the brim coming in and out of Merry Hill on the 255 on Sundays
Quote from: JoNi on September 03, 2013, 04:51:25 PM
Hello Simon thanks for continuing to answer questions on a range of subjects.
Here's the penultimate set for now on feedback often interpreted as spying.
1) AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) provides a wealth of service performance information, have you ever considered publishing results by route on your website detailing cancellations and reliability in a similar nature to railway operators.
2) As a customer when a bus pulls up at the stop that is setting down only to catch up time I consider that it is cancelled, do your performance figures reflect this situation in a similar light.
3) Reference is made by Buses UK that mystery passenger audits are undertaken. Do you feel this sort of activity actually creates benefits for passengers or does it just lead to mistrust amongst staff. After all positives should be publicised for all to see and negatives dealt with by the manager responsible.
4) Instances occur elsewhere in the country where notices are posted in buses asking passengers for feedback on changes to their specific route giving them a range of potential options to select from in a set timescale. Do you feel this is a more constructive form of dialogue than "later in the year there's going to be a network review in South Birmingham your feedback is warmly welcomed".....
5) Many items of feedback can relate to more than one organisation e.g. bus operator, Centro, local council. In your opinion would a multi party system have the potential to break down the current silo based mentality that exists and actually identify those responsible so that improvements can be made in a far more positive atmosphere?
JoNi
Hi,
1) Yes we have talked about this but the information we get is not quite as straight forward as the railways (or they do a lot of work to it to make it straightforward) so we are working through this to see what might be possible to be publicised.
2) In this situation we would record this as lost mileage but the AVL system would think the bus was in service. Drop off only is only allowed on the 11A/C.
3) The Bus Users UK reports that they do for us are more of a general look at a service in terms of punctuality, reliability, stops and route rather than a specific scoring of a particular driver or journey. Very occasionally there are specific issues that are taken up by the relevant manager.
4) There is a difficult balance to be struck here. I remember an early Network Review in either south or west Birmingham where we did produce options for routes but were heavily criticised for having done a 'fait accompli' and not allowed people a chance to give their views before coming up with plans. Centro and ourselves now prefer to leave the consultation fairly open.
5) I don't believe we do work in a silo based mentality. Our partnership with Centro has never been more positive and we have ever improving relations with all the local authorities.
Quote from: Sh4166 on September 03, 2013, 11:19:14 PM
Hi Simon,
Can I ask why the decision was made to withdraw the 255E on Sundays? I've been single deckers full to the brim coming in and out of Merry Hill on the 255 on Sundays
Hi,
The 255 decision was made on a purely financial basis as the demand did not match the resource we were putting out. It is being monitored and double deckers will be allocated when the Christmas traffic picks up.
Hi, and thanks again for all the replies and information so far.
In response to what I've read in the last few weeks, I'd like to make some comments as follows:
Re: 71/71A/72/638.
I'm aware that a politician saying "we have no plans to... " means "we are going to... , but it's not yet in writing", so take it that change could well be afoot. I know it may go against the company grain a little, but I hope you'll be able to let us know what is to happen in advance, and ensure plenty of information is put out there. And isn't the week that the schools go back an odd time to change the 71A back to single-deckers?
Re Livery:
Most of the comments I've read on here are objective ones, along the lines of the things quoted as being important to passengers. The work of making a bus presentable must be much harder than it needs to be when the vehicle is painted in a red which fades and looks washed-out, and a white which highlights any dirt. Nothing is going to suit everybody, but the main criticism of the current scheme is surely that isn't, and was never going to be, practical? As regards things that matter to the travelling public, I don't recall seeing heating on the list. It's obviously the wrong day to mention such a thing, but modern buses come with excellent interior heating systems which offer a very welcome environment on a cold day. But only when they are working, which in this area seems to be all too rarely, and so the experience remains a cold bus with misted windows, drips and runs of condensation. It's as if the last 40 years or so of vehicle development never happened; are these things just too difficult to maintain?
Re: National Express West Midlands branding.
This should have been completed five and a half years ago. If that was too difficult, or too expensive, it shouldn't have been started.
Quote from: mistertee on September 04, 2013, 08:00:35 PM
Hi, and thanks again for all the replies and information so far.
In response to what I've read in the last few weeks, I'd like to make some comments as follows:
Re: 71/71A/72/638.
I'm aware that a politician saying "we have no plans to... " means "we are going to... , but it's not yet in writing", so take it that change could well be afoot. I know it may go against the company grain a little, but I hope you'll be able to let us know what is to happen in advance, and ensure plenty of information is put out there. And isn't the week that the schools go back an odd time to change the 71A back to single-deckers?
Re Livery:
Most of the comments I've read on here are objective ones, along the lines of the things quoted as being important to passengers. The work of making a bus presentable must be much harder than it needs to be when the vehicle is painted in a red which fades and looks washed-out, and a white which highlights any dirt. Nothing is going to suit everybody, but the main criticism of the current scheme is surely that isn't, and was never going to be, practical? As regards things that matter to the travelling public, I don't recall seeing heating on the list. It's obviously the wrong day to mention such a thing, but modern buses come with excellent interior heating systems which offer a very welcome environment on a cold day. But only when they are working, which in this area seems to be all too rarely, and so the experience remains a cold bus with misted windows, drips and runs of condensation. It's as if the last 40 years or so of vehicle development never happened; are these things just too difficult to maintain?
Re: National Express West Midlands branding.
This should have been completed five and a half years ago. If that was too difficult, or too expensive, it shouldn't have been started.
Agree mistertee and welcome to a new member :)
The alx400s are the worst for heating-freezing in the winter and hot in the summer with very few opening windows. The scanias though and the presidents-well they go from 0-60 degrees way way faster than 0-60mph
Agree about the livery and hear a lot of people say that they miss blue on the buses. I think thats what you get when liveries are designed by committes-a missed marketing opportunity in my view. Get people on board literally and metaphorically by having some sort of livery competition so passengers can choose-something that presents an upmarket livery that can be well maintained
Simon,
Thanks for answering all our questions.
Mine is more of a problem and a possible solution.
With the schools now operating again, and in particular the Earls High & Windsor High School in Halesowen, this will once again start to cause overcrowding issues between Halesowen & Stourbridge in the afternoon. During the last school year i had the unfortunate " honour " of having to travel on a 9 around 1530 from Halesowen and it was truly awful, on one occasion it was overcrowded by the time it left the stop nearest Earls High and because someone wanted to get off at the stop nearest Windsor High, another pile of children tried to crush on so that the bus was dangerously overcrowded.
In Situations like this i do feel for the driver, he had no chance of trying to stop the children getting on the bus, and as i was sat close to the driver on one occasion, i saw that the children were sneaking on without paying and i am sure that others weren`t putting the correct amount in the box.
Perhaps an idea to solve the problem, if there is a peak hour 9 board that starts from Stourbridge at around 16:00, could it not run a 9E from Halesowen at 15:25 or 15:30?
Quote from: mistertee on September 04, 2013, 08:00:35 PM
Hi, and thanks again for all the replies and information so far.
In response to what I've read in the last few weeks, I'd like to make some comments as follows:
Re: 71/71A/72/638.
I'm aware that a politician saying "we have no plans to... " means "we are going to... , but it's not yet in writing", so take it that change could well be afoot. I know it may go against the company grain a little, but I hope you'll be able to let us know what is to happen in advance, and ensure plenty of information is put out there. And isn't the week that the schools go back an odd time to change the 71A back to single-deckers?
Re Livery:
Most of the comments I've read on here are objective ones, along the lines of the things quoted as being important to passengers. The work of making a bus presentable must be much harder than it needs to be when the vehicle is painted in a red which fades and looks washed-out, and a white which highlights any dirt. Nothing is going to suit everybody, but the main criticism of the current scheme is surely that isn't, and was never going to be, practical? As regards things that matter to the travelling public, I don't recall seeing heating on the list. It's obviously the wrong day to mention such a thing, but modern buses come with excellent interior heating systems which offer a very welcome environment on a cold day. But only when they are working, which in this area seems to be all too rarely, and so the experience remains a cold bus with misted windows, drips and runs of condensation. It's as if the last 40 years or so of vehicle development never happened; are these things just too difficult to maintain?
Re: National Express West Midlands branding.
This should have been completed five and a half years ago. If that was too difficult, or too expensive, it shouldn't have been started.
Hi,
A couple of points in reply:
71/72/638:
To be accurate I have said on this forum that we do have plans for these services in the Autumn but could not say what they were at that point. The questions where I have replied that we have 'no plans' are where we have no plans. I will post the details of the changes to these services in the next day or so.
Livery/Branding:
I was not on the Board when this was all decided and can only comment on our decisions in the last year or so. We have decided to get all the fleet in to the red and white and to put National Express fleetnames on all our buses. Work to progress this is ongoing and I think we are making some real progress with it. It would be very easy to design a new livery and start all over again but nobody on the Board thought that this was a good idea.
Heating:
Bus heating is very poor to be honest and it is difficult to maintain. There have been a few years in the past when we have not been very good at this at all or have not been willing to spend the enormous amount of money to put it all right. Things have moved on and we now have a contract with a firm called Claytons who are going around sorting out cooling and heating systems. You may see buses with a Claytons sticker on the back neat the offside. I think the only answer to the condensation problem is double glazing and this brings with it weight problems.
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on September 04, 2013, 08:56:16 PM
Simon,
Thanks for answering all our questions.
Mine is more of a problem and a possible solution.
With the schools now operating again, and in particular the Earls High & Windsor High School in Halesowen, this will once again start to cause overcrowding issues between Halesowen & Stourbridge in the afternoon. During the last school year i had the unfortunate " honour " of having to travel on a 9 around 1530 from Halesowen and it was truly awful, on one occasion it was overcrowded by the time it left the stop nearest Earls High and because someone wanted to get off at the stop nearest Windsor High, another pile of children tried to crush on so that the bus was dangerously overcrowded.
In Situations like this i do feel for the driver, he had no chance of trying to stop the children getting on the bus, and as i was sat close to the driver on one occasion, i saw that the children were sneaking on without paying and i am sure that others weren`t putting the correct amount in the box.
Perhaps an idea to solve the problem, if there is a peak hour 9 board that starts from Stourbridge at around 16:00, could it not run a 9E from Halesowen at 15:25 or 15:30?
Hi,
Thanks for this.
I will ask the garage and the Black Country schedulers to have a look at it and see what can be done.
How about this for a livery suggestion with a difference.
Towards the end of the repainting programme, why not paint a few buses, maybe one from each garage, into the livery of the principal/ traditional bus operator of towns from around the world that are twinned with our local towns and cities. This could be done in conjunction with the local councils as a means of promoting the local area, and as a source of discussion, education and so on.
Birmingham - Chicago, Frankfurt, Lyon
Coventry - Dresden, Stalingrad (Volgograd)
Walsall - Mulhouse
etc...
Quote from: bususer12 on September 03, 2013, 07:24:22 PM
Hi Simon,
I'm with LS on the times for Sunday services, I think it's about time they are looked at. The 126 on Sunday got caught and ended up 20 minutes late, and then got asked to get on the one behind on the Hagley Road. Other passengers were saying its not the first time its happened. Also with the 255, can you really see a bus doing a Sunday afternoon journey at Christmas from Merry Hill to Wolverhampton in 1 hour and 2 minutes, when on a Saturday morning it takes 1 hour end to end?
It struggled last year with the help of the 255E (Now withdrawn on Sundays) and X1. I think it may need looking at, because by the look of the timetable the route will interwork, meaning two routes could suffer. I would monitor the next few weeks, and bear in mind how Merry Hill snowballs at Xmas.
Sorry think this one was missed, fair enough about loadings, but if an hourly service may be unreliable, there might be low loadings on the hourly service. Will be on the 4pm from Merry Hill Sunday, i'll let you know how long it takes!, and what time it arrives
NXOD, Do BC operate a running board or certain journeys on YW50 now because both Birmingham Central based 4906 and 4326 have apparantly been spotted on the 50 over the past few days
Quote from: Trident 4609 on September 05, 2013, 07:06:56 PM
NXOD, Do BC operate a running board or certain journeys on YW50 now because both Birmingham Central based 4906 and 4326 have apparantly been spotted on the 50 over the past few days
According to trident4370, 4326 was definitely on there yesterday, and 4906 was spotted by someone else today
Quote from: Trident 4609 on September 05, 2013, 07:06:56 PM
NXOD, Do BC operate a running board or certain journeys on YW50 now because both Birmingham Central based 4906 and 4326 have apparantly been spotted on the 50 over the past few days
I heard from a friend BC have gained 2 or 3 actual lines of rota from YW due to bus shortages at YW. I can believe it aswell.
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 05, 2013, 07:25:26 PM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on September 05, 2013, 07:06:56 PM
NXOD, Do BC operate a running board or certain journeys on YW50 now because both Birmingham Central based 4906 and 4326 have apparantly been spotted on the 50 over the past few days
I heard from a friend BC have gained 2 or 3 actual lines of rota from YW due to bus shortages at YW. I can believe it aswell.
There was a YW manager and a BC manager on the 50 and 61 today
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 05, 2013, 07:25:26 PM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on September 05, 2013, 07:06:56 PM
NXOD, Do BC operate a running board or certain journeys on YW50 now because both Birmingham Central based 4906 and 4326 have apparantly been spotted on the 50 over the past few days
I heard from a friend BC have gained 2 or 3 actual lines of rota from YW due to bus shortages at YW. I can believe it aswell.
Interesting how times change. YW gained 2 or 3 boards from BC some years back, then soon after they gained about half of the route, before finally taking it over completely.
Back in the early 80s the 50 was operated mainly by LS (BC) with a handful of YW buses on there too.
Good to hear BC are getting a share of it back.
Quote from: Mike K on September 05, 2013, 09:29:56 PM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 05, 2013, 07:25:26 PM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on September 05, 2013, 07:06:56 PM
NXOD, Do BC operate a running board or certain journeys on YW50 now because both Birmingham Central based 4906 and 4326 have apparantly been spotted on the 50 over the past few days
I heard from a friend BC have gained 2 or 3 actual lines of rota from YW due to bus shortages at YW. I can believe it aswell.
Interesting how times change. YW gained 2 or 3 boards from BC some years back, then soon after they gained about half of the route, before finally taking it over completely.
Back in the early 80s the 50 was operated mainly by LS (BC) with a handful of YW buses on there too.
Good to hear BC are getting a share of it back.
Indeed Mikey, the 50 seems like a typical BC route. Not a fluppy YW inbreed.
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 05, 2013, 09:36:26 PM
Quote from: Mike K on September 05, 2013, 09:29:56 PM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 05, 2013, 07:25:26 PM
Quote from: Trident 4609 on September 05, 2013, 07:06:56 PM
NXOD, Do BC operate a running board or certain journeys on YW50 now because both Birmingham Central based 4906 and 4326 have apparantly been spotted on the 50 over the past few days
I heard from a friend BC have gained 2 or 3 actual lines of rota from YW due to bus shortages at YW. I can believe it aswell.
Interesting how times change. YW gained 2 or 3 boards from BC some years back, then soon after they gained about half of the route, before finally taking it over completely.
Back in the early 80s the 50 was operated mainly by LS (BC) with a handful of YW buses on there too.
Good to hear BC are getting a share of it back.
Indeed Mikey, the 50 seems like a typical BC route. Not a fluppy YW inbreed.
I remember HY used to have some of the journeys on the 50 to, must have been early 90's i think.
Quote from: The Real 4778 on September 05, 2013, 10:37:40 AM
How about this for a livery suggestion with a difference.
Towards the end of the repainting programme, why not paint a few buses, maybe one from each garage, into the livery of the principal/ traditional bus operator of towns from around the world that are twinned with our local towns and cities. This could be done in conjunction with the local councils as a means of promoting the local area, and as a source of discussion, education and so on.
Birmingham - Chicago, Frankfurt, Lyon
Coventry - Dresden, Stalingrad (Volgograd)
Walsall - Mulhouse
etc...
Hi,
Very interesting but I think very unlikely to happen.
Quote from: bususer12 on September 05, 2013, 01:16:56 PM
Quote from: bususer12 on September 03, 2013, 07:24:22 PM
Hi Simon,
I'm with LS on the times for Sunday services, I think it's about time they are looked at. The 126 on Sunday got caught and ended up 20 minutes late, and then got asked to get on the one behind on the Hagley Road. Other passengers were saying its not the first time its happened. Also with the 255, can you really see a bus doing a Sunday afternoon journey at Christmas from Merry Hill to Wolverhampton in 1 hour and 2 minutes, when on a Saturday morning it takes 1 hour end to end?
It struggled last year with the help of the 255E (Now withdrawn on Sundays) and X1. I think it may need looking at, because by the look of the timetable the route will interwork, meaning two routes could suffer. I would monitor the next few weeks, and bear in mind how Merry Hill snowballs at Xmas.
Sorry think this one was missed, fair enough about loadings, but if an hourly service may be unreliable, there might be low loadings on the hourly service. Will be on the 4pm from Merry Hill Sunday, i'll let you know how long it takes!, and what time it arrives
Hi,
Sorry for missing this. Please let me know how you get on.
The loadings and timings have been looked at by the Network Planning team and they are confident that this is the correct thing to do. All feedback welcome on how it is running.
Quote from: Trident 4609 on September 05, 2013, 07:06:56 PM
NXOD, Do BC operate a running board or certain journeys on YW50 now because both Birmingham Central based 4906 and 4326 have apparantly been spotted on the 50 over the past few days
Hi,
Yes 1 running board on the 50 is now at BC. This is due to parking capacity at YW.
Changes to 71/71A/72/90/66/638/966
As promised here is the detail of the changes from 27th October.
- Service 90 renumbered service 70, and extended from Chelmsley Wood to Solihull. Frequency unchanged at every 30 minutes (with peak time extras).
- Service 71 increased in frequency from every 20 to every 15 minutes along the whole length of the route. The route is unchanged except in Castle Vale where it will serve Tangmere Drive instead of Farnborough Road (service 38 (old 638) will serve Farnborough Road instead).
- Service 71A withdrawn apart from a few school journeys to cope with passenger loadings at peak times. The route of the 71A is unchanged.
- Service 72 increased in frequency from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Heathland Avenue (Castle Bromwich), and reduced to every half an hour from every 20 minutes between Heathland Avenue and Solihull. The route is unchanged.
- Service 638 rerouted between Castle Vale and Erdington to serve the Fort Shopping Park instead of Chester Road, and it is also rerouted around Castle Vale estate to serve Farnborough Road. It will serve Castle Vale estate in both directions instead of via a one-way loop (as it does at present). It will continue to provide a link from Castle Vale to Erdington. The frequency is reduced to every 30 minutes and it will be renumbered the 38.
- Service 66 retimed to improve reliability on the new route that was introduced from the 9th June following the North Birmingham Network Review. There are no change to the Sunday timetable on the 66, and no changes to the 66A timetable on any day.
- The 966 timetable has been amended to include new tendered journeys in the evenings, and Sunday mornings.
The key benefits of these changes are:
- Increase in frequency between Tile Cross and Solihull with services 70, 71 and 72 providing a fitted 7/8 minute frequency (up from every 10).
- New links from Water Orton and Coleshill to Marston Green and Solihull on the 70.
- Services 70 and 72 provide a fitted 15 minute frequency between Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green, up from every 20.
- Increase in frequency to every 15 minutes from every 20 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Bromford on the 72.
- All timetables have been re-done to improve reliability.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 966.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 70, 71 and 72 to improve access to shift changes at industry at Jaguar Land Rover on Lode Lane and in Coleshill.
Hello again Simon.
A few from me again.
1) Bristol Road. Timetable? Sorry for pestering you but its going to make it difficult for my missus to go to work without that timetable mate.
2) Is the above all the October 27th changes? What about what I've heard reference the 29/A extension to Great Park, the 49 curtailing to Great Park and other various snippets of assorted goodness?
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 06, 2013, 08:37:13 AM
Hello again Simon.
A few from me again.
1) Bristol Road. Timetable? Sorry for pestering you but its going to make it difficult for my missus to go to work without that timetable mate.
2) Is the above all the October 27th changes? What about what I've heard reference the 29/A extension to Great Park, the 49 curtailing to Great Park and other various snippets of assorted goodness?
Hello,
1) I am on the case again with this now.
2) There are no changes to the 29 or 49 for October. The plan you are referring to is still being developed.
Hi Simon,
From various comments/rumours it's becoming apparent that there are increasing capacity issues particularly at the Brimingham based garages, is this largely as a result of health & safety requirements to have marked out bus parking lanes with clear walkways between each row of parked buses? Thus reducing the total usable space to park the allocation within the garage
Do you anticipate having to move things around/open a new garage or outstation anytime soon to cater for growth/potential new routes and free up space at the Birmingham garages?
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 07:48:22 AM
Changes to 71/71A/72/90/66/638/966
As promised here is the detail of the changes from 27th October.
- Service 90 renumbered service 70, and extended from Chelmsley Wood to Solihull. Frequency unchanged at every 30 minutes (with peak time extras).
- Service 71 increased in frequency from every 20 to every 15 minutes along the whole length of the route. The route is unchanged except in Castle Vale where it will serve Tangmere Drive instead of Farnborough Road (service 38 (old 638) will serve Farnborough Road instead).
- Service 71A withdrawn apart from a few school journeys to cope with passenger loadings at peak times. The route of the 71A is unchanged.
- Service 72 increased in frequency from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Heathland Avenue (Castle Bromwich), and reduced to every half an hour from every 20 minutes between Heathland Avenue and Solihull. The route is unchanged.
- Service 638 rerouted between Castle Vale and Erdington to serve the Fort Shopping Park instead of Chester Road, and it is also rerouted around Castle Vale estate to serve Farnborough Road. It will serve Castle Vale estate in both directions instead of via a one-way loop (as it does at present). It will continue to provide a link from Castle Vale to Erdington. The frequency is reduced to every 30 minutes and it will be renumbered the 38.
- Service 66 retimed to improve reliability on the new route that was introduced from the 9th June following the North Birmingham Network Review. There are no change to the Sunday timetable on the 66, and no changes to the 66A timetable on any day.
- The 966 timetable has been amended to include new tendered journeys in the evenings, and Sunday mornings.
The key benefits of these changes are:
- Increase in frequency between Tile Cross and Solihull with services 70, 71 and 72 providing a fitted 7/8 minute frequency (up from every 10).
- New links from Water Orton and Coleshill to Marston Green and Solihull on the 70.
- Services 70 and 72 provide a fitted 15 minute frequency between Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green, up from every 20.
- Increase in frequency to every 15 minutes from every 20 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Bromford on the 72.
- All timetables have been re-done to improve reliability.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 966.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 70, 71 and 72 to improve access to shift changes at industry at Jaguar Land Rover on Lode Lane and in Coleshill.
Thank you for posting. Interesting changes does this mean the 90/70 will move from BC to AG and change to single decks. (Will these be new buses on the Washwood heath line?) Also curious will the Sunday/ Eves service remain unchanged.
Quote from: Winston on September 06, 2013, 09:18:37 AM
Hi Simon,
From various comments/rumours it's becoming apparent that there are increasing capacity issues particularly at the Brimingham based garages, is this largely as a result of health & safety requirements to have marked out bus parking lanes with clear walkways between each row of parked buses? Thus reducing the total usable space to park the allocation within the garage
Do you anticipate having to move things around/open a new garage or outstation anytime soon to cater for growth/potential new routes and free up space at the Birmingham garages?
Hi,
The closure of LH put pressure on the capacity at each garage more than the current parking plans are doing.
There are no plans for depot moves, new depots or outstations at the moment.
Quote from: monkeyjoe on September 06, 2013, 09:53:04 AM
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 07:48:22 AM
Changes to 71/71A/72/90/66/638/966
As promised here is the detail of the changes from 27th October.
- Service 90 renumbered service 70, and extended from Chelmsley Wood to Solihull. Frequency unchanged at every 30 minutes (with peak time extras).
- Service 71 increased in frequency from every 20 to every 15 minutes along the whole length of the route. The route is unchanged except in Castle Vale where it will serve Tangmere Drive instead of Farnborough Road (service 38 (old 638) will serve Farnborough Road instead).
- Service 71A withdrawn apart from a few school journeys to cope with passenger loadings at peak times. The route of the 71A is unchanged.
- Service 72 increased in frequency from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Heathland Avenue (Castle Bromwich), and reduced to every half an hour from every 20 minutes between Heathland Avenue and Solihull. The route is unchanged.
- Service 638 rerouted between Castle Vale and Erdington to serve the Fort Shopping Park instead of Chester Road, and it is also rerouted around Castle Vale estate to serve Farnborough Road. It will serve Castle Vale estate in both directions instead of via a one-way loop (as it does at present). It will continue to provide a link from Castle Vale to Erdington. The frequency is reduced to every 30 minutes and it will be renumbered the 38.
- Service 66 retimed to improve reliability on the new route that was introduced from the 9th June following the North Birmingham Network Review. There are no change to the Sunday timetable on the 66, and no changes to the 66A timetable on any day.
- The 966 timetable has been amended to include new tendered journeys in the evenings, and Sunday mornings.
The key benefits of these changes are:
- Increase in frequency between Tile Cross and Solihull with services 70, 71 and 72 providing a fitted 7/8 minute frequency (up from every 10).
- New links from Water Orton and Coleshill to Marston Green and Solihull on the 70.
- Services 70 and 72 provide a fitted 15 minute frequency between Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green, up from every 20.
- Increase in frequency to every 15 minutes from every 20 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Bromford on the 72.
- All timetables have been re-done to improve reliability.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 966.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 70, 71 and 72 to improve access to shift changes at industry at Jaguar Land Rover on Lode Lane and in Coleshill.
Thank you for posting. Interesting changes does this mean the 90/70 will move from BC to AG and change to single decks. (Will these be new buses on the Washwood heath line?) Also curious will the Sunday/ Eves service remain unchanged.
The 70/90 will stay at BC. Sundays and evenings very similar to now.
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 11:50:21 AM
Quote from: Winston on September 06, 2013, 09:18:37 AM
Hi Simon,
From various comments/rumours it's becoming apparent that there are increasing capacity issues particularly at the Brimingham based garages, is this largely as a result of health & safety requirements to have marked out bus parking lanes with clear walkways between each row of parked buses? Thus reducing the total usable space to park the allocation within the garage
Do you anticipate having to move things around/open a new garage or outstation anytime soon to cater for growth/potential new routes and free up space at the Birmingham garages?
Hi,
The closure of LH put pressure on the capacity at each garage more than the current parking plans are doing.
There are no plans for depot moves, new depots or outstations at the moment.
Thanks Simon,
Are NXWM intending to grow turnover/profits through increasing passenger journeys on existing services, rather the growing the size of the fleet/introducing new routes on any scale? Obviously Dean Finch's has set the groups longer term objectives of 'driving organic growth' and achieving 'best-in-class margins' within NX group businesses...... High unemployment in the West Midlands will obviously have a bearing on what can be achieved
Are you seeing positive results in terms of increasing passenger numbers following the introduction of all the new buses since 2011 & branding routes?
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 07:48:22 AM
Changes to 71/71A/72/90/66/638/966
As promised here is the detail of the changes from 27th October.
- Service 90 renumbered service 70, and extended from Chelmsley Wood to Solihull. Frequency unchanged at every 30 minutes (with peak time extras).
- Service 71 increased in frequency from every 20 to every 15 minutes along the whole length of the route. The route is unchanged except in Castle Vale where it will serve Tangmere Drive instead of Farnborough Road (service 38 (old 638) will serve Farnborough Road instead).
- Service 71A withdrawn apart from a few school journeys to cope with passenger loadings at peak times. The route of the 71A is unchanged.
- Service 72 increased in frequency from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Heathland Avenue (Castle Bromwich), and reduced to every half an hour from every 20 minutes between Heathland Avenue and Solihull. The route is unchanged.
- Service 638 rerouted between Castle Vale and Erdington to serve the Fort Shopping Park instead of Chester Road, and it is also rerouted around Castle Vale estate to serve Farnborough Road. It will serve Castle Vale estate in both directions instead of via a one-way loop (as it does at present). It will continue to provide a link from Castle Vale to Erdington. The frequency is reduced to every 30 minutes and it will be renumbered the 38.
- Service 66 retimed to improve reliability on the new route that was introduced from the 9th June following the North Birmingham Network Review. There are no change to the Sunday timetable on the 66, and no changes to the 66A timetable on any day.
- The 966 timetable has been amended to include new tendered journeys in the evenings, and Sunday mornings.
The key benefits of these changes are:
- Increase in frequency between Tile Cross and Solihull with services 70, 71 and 72 providing a fitted 7/8 minute frequency (up from every 10).
- New links from Water Orton and Coleshill to Marston Green and Solihull on the 70.
- Services 70 and 72 provide a fitted 15 minute frequency between Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green, up from every 20.
- Increase in frequency to every 15 minutes from every 20 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Bromford on the 72.
- All timetables have been re-done to improve reliability.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 966.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 70, 71 and 72 to improve access to shift changes at industry at Jaguar Land Rover on Lode Lane and in Coleshill.
Are the above planned frequency increases on the 71 & 72 the reason why Omnilinks 7019 & 7020 have transferred fro PB to AG? Will any further moves be required?
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 07:48:22 AM
Changes to 71/71A/72/90/66/638/966
As promised here is the detail of the changes from 27th October.
- Service 90 renumbered service 70, and extended from Chelmsley Wood to Solihull. Frequency unchanged at every 30 minutes (with peak time extras).
- Service 71 increased in frequency from every 20 to every 15 minutes along the whole length of the route. The route is unchanged except in Castle Vale where it will serve Tangmere Drive instead of Farnborough Road (service 38 (old 638) will serve Farnborough Road instead).
- Service 71A withdrawn apart from a few school journeys to cope with passenger loadings at peak times. The route of the 71A is unchanged.
- Service 72 increased in frequency from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Heathland Avenue (Castle Bromwich), and reduced to every half an hour from every 20 minutes between Heathland Avenue and Solihull. The route is unchanged.
- Service 638 rerouted between Castle Vale and Erdington to serve the Fort Shopping Park instead of Chester Road, and it is also rerouted around Castle Vale estate to serve Farnborough Road. It will serve Castle Vale estate in both directions instead of via a one-way loop (as it does at present). It will continue to provide a link from Castle Vale to Erdington. The frequency is reduced to every 30 minutes and it will be renumbered the 38.
- Service 66 retimed to improve reliability on the new route that was introduced from the 9th June following the North Birmingham Network Review. There are no change to the Sunday timetable on the 66, and no changes to the 66A timetable on any day.
- The 966 timetable has been amended to include new tendered journeys in the evenings, and Sunday mornings.
The key benefits of these changes are:
- Increase in frequency between Tile Cross and Solihull with services 70, 71 and 72 providing a fitted 7/8 minute frequency (up from every 10).
- New links from Water Orton and Coleshill to Marston Green and Solihull on the 70.
- Services 70 and 72 provide a fitted 15 minute frequency between Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green, up from every 20.
- Increase in frequency to every 15 minutes from every 20 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Bromford on the 72.
- All timetables have been re-done to improve reliability.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 966.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 70, 71 and 72 to improve access to shift changes at industry at Jaguar Land Rover on Lode Lane and in Coleshill.
Some good changes there, but why renumber the 90 to 70? Is it simply to fit in numericaly with 71, 72 and 73?
It will surely lead to confusion with passengers in Water Orton and Coleshill who have seen their 90 change to 590, back to 90 and now 70.
There was a 70 in Coleshill between 1993-2006 now
Known as 757.
Linking Sutton Coldfield-Walmley-Minworth-Water orton-Coleshill
First operated by Frontline Buses then
Stevensons
Servererse Travel
Zak's
Renumbered 757 2006 taken over by Johnsons coaches
Under contract Warwickshire Council. Until 2011 when
Central Buses took over the service.
Hi the driver of the X51 I was on on Wednesday said that there were rumours/possible plans to extend the 302 service to cannock. Is that right? Id have said highly unlikely but you never know.
Quote from: bob on September 06, 2013, 02:48:12 PM
Hi the driver of the X51 I was on on Wednesday said that there were rumours/possible plans to extend the 302 service to cannock. Is that right? Id have said highly unlikely but you never know.
Thought that idea went out of the window when Arriva decided to register the 2's?
Quote from: YW4355 on September 06, 2013, 12:58:10 PM
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 07:48:22 AM
Changes to 71/71A/72/90/66/638/966
As promised here is the detail of the changes from 27th October.
- Service 90 renumbered service 70, and extended from Chelmsley Wood to Solihull. Frequency unchanged at every 30 minutes (with peak time extras).
- Service 71 increased in frequency from every 20 to every 15 minutes along the whole length of the route. The route is unchanged except in Castle Vale where it will serve Tangmere Drive instead of Farnborough Road (service 38 (old 638) will serve Farnborough Road instead).
- Service 71A withdrawn apart from a few school journeys to cope with passenger loadings at peak times. The route of the 71A is unchanged.
- Service 72 increased in frequency from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Heathland Avenue (Castle Bromwich), and reduced to every half an hour from every 20 minutes between Heathland Avenue and Solihull. The route is unchanged.
- Service 638 rerouted between Castle Vale and Erdington to serve the Fort Shopping Park instead of Chester Road, and it is also rerouted around Castle Vale estate to serve Farnborough Road. It will serve Castle Vale estate in both directions instead of via a one-way loop (as it does at present). It will continue to provide a link from Castle Vale to Erdington. The frequency is reduced to every 30 minutes and it will be renumbered the 38.
- Service 66 retimed to improve reliability on the new route that was introduced from the 9th June following the North Birmingham Network Review. There are no change to the Sunday timetable on the 66, and no changes to the 66A timetable on any day.
- The 966 timetable has been amended to include new tendered journeys in the evenings, and Sunday mornings.
The key benefits of these changes are:
- Increase in frequency between Tile Cross and Solihull with services 70, 71 and 72 providing a fitted 7/8 minute frequency (up from every 10).
- New links from Water Orton and Coleshill to Marston Green and Solihull on the 70.
- Services 70 and 72 provide a fitted 15 minute frequency between Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green, up from every 20.
- Increase in frequency to every 15 minutes from every 20 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Bromford on the 72.
- All timetables have been re-done to improve reliability.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 966.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 70, 71 and 72 to improve access to shift changes at industry at Jaguar Land Rover on Lode Lane and in Coleshill.
Some good changes there, but why renumber the 90 to 70? Is it simply to fit in numericaly with 71, 72 and 73?
It will surely lead to confusion with passengers in Water Orton and Coleshill who have seen their 90 change to 590, back to 90 and now 70.
The 90 was the 161/171 some time ago, they will just have to get used to it. Makes more sense to have it fit in with the 71's etc.
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 08:48:27 AM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 06, 2013, 08:37:13 AM
Hello again Simon.
A few from me again.
1) Bristol Road. Timetable? Sorry for pestering you but its going to make it difficult for my missus to go to work without that timetable mate.
2) Is the above all the October 27th changes? What about what I've heard reference the 29/A extension to Great Park, the 49 curtailing to Great Park and other various snippets of assorted goodness?
Hello,
1) I am on the case again with this now.
2) There are no changes to the 29 or 49 for October. The plan you are referring to is still being developed.
Thanks alot Simon, its on the website now.
Any idea if/when the 29 will change?
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 08:48:27 AM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 06, 2013, 08:37:13 AM
Hello again Simon.
A few from me again.
1) Bristol Road. Timetable? Sorry for pestering you but its going to make it difficult for my missus to go to work without that timetable mate.
2) Is the above all the October 27th changes? What about what I've heard reference the 29/A extension to Great Park, the 49 curtailing to Great Park and other various snippets of assorted goodness?
Hello,
1) I am on the case again with this now.
2) There are no changes to the 29 or 49 for October. The plan you are referring to is still being developed.
The 49 could do with some changes to improve reliability
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 07:48:22 AM
Changes to 71/71A/72/90/66/638/966
As promised here is the detail of the changes from 27th October.
- Service 90 renumbered service 70, and extended from Chelmsley Wood to Solihull. Frequency unchanged at every 30 minutes (with peak time extras).
- Service 71 increased in frequency from every 20 to every 15 minutes along the whole length of the route. The route is unchanged except in Castle Vale where it will serve Tangmere Drive instead of Farnborough Road (service 38 (old 638) will serve Farnborough Road instead).
- Service 71A withdrawn apart from a few school journeys to cope with passenger loadings at peak times. The route of the 71A is unchanged.
- Service 72 increased in frequency from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Heathland Avenue (Castle Bromwich), and reduced to every half an hour from every 20 minutes between Heathland Avenue and Solihull. The route is unchanged.
- Service 638 rerouted between Castle Vale and Erdington to serve the Fort Shopping Park instead of Chester Road, and it is also rerouted around Castle Vale estate to serve Farnborough Road. It will serve Castle Vale estate in both directions instead of via a one-way loop (as it does at present). It will continue to provide a link from Castle Vale to Erdington. The frequency is reduced to every 30 minutes and it will be renumbered the 38.
- Service 66 retimed to improve reliability on the new route that was introduced from the 9th June following the North Birmingham Network Review. There are no change to the Sunday timetable on the 66, and no changes to the 66A timetable on any day.
- The 966 timetable has been amended to include new tendered journeys in the evenings, and Sunday mornings.
The key benefits of these changes are:
- Increase in frequency between Tile Cross and Solihull with services 70, 71 and 72 providing a fitted 7/8 minute frequency (up from every 10).
- New links from Water Orton and Coleshill to Marston Green and Solihull on the 70.
- Services 70 and 72 provide a fitted 15 minute frequency between Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green, up from every 20.
- Increase in frequency to every 15 minutes from every 20 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Bromford on the 72.
- All timetables have been re-done to improve reliability.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 966.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 70, 71 and 72 to improve access to shift changes at industry at Jaguar Land Rover on Lode Lane and in Coleshill.
I can see passengers in Water Orton/Coleshill largely benefitting from the changes, as they now have a direct service to Solihull. The frequency increase on the 71 should definitely help overcrowding, as well as the improved 7/8 minute frequency between Solihull & Tile Cross
Quote from: YW4355 on September 06, 2013, 12:58:10 PM
Some good changes there, but why renumber the 90 to 70? Is it simply to fit in numericaly with 71, 72 and 73?
That's what I would think, yes
Quote from: bob on September 06, 2013, 02:48:12 PM
Hi the driver of the X51 I was on on Wednesday said that there were rumours/possible plans to extend the 302 service to cannock. Is that right? Id have said highly unlikely but you never know.
The driver said it would be a daytime service
Back in Lea Hall days the 71 only operated 30 mins
With 72 running every 30 mins giving a bus every 15 mins
Solihull-Chelmlsy Wood
With additional peak time journeys giving a bus every 10 mins
Solihull-Chelmlsy Wood
It wasn't until September 1999 when the 71 was increased to every 20 mins
And service 72 every 20 mins
A bus Solihull-Chelmlsly Wood every 10 mins
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 07:48:22 AM
Changes to 71/71A/72/90/66/638/966
As promised here is the detail of the changes from 27th October.
- Service 90 renumbered service 70, and extended from Chelmsley Wood to Solihull. Frequency unchanged at every 30 minutes (with peak time extras).
- Service 71 increased in frequency from every 20 to every 15 minutes along the whole length of the route. The route is unchanged except in Castle Vale where it will serve Tangmere Drive instead of Farnborough Road (service 38 (old 638) will serve Farnborough Road instead).
- Service 71A withdrawn apart from a few school journeys to cope with passenger loadings at peak times. The route of the 71A is unchanged.
- Service 72 increased in frequency from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Heathland Avenue (Castle Bromwich), and reduced to every half an hour from every 20 minutes between Heathland Avenue and Solihull. The route is unchanged.
- Service 638 rerouted between Castle Vale and Erdington to serve the Fort Shopping Park instead of Chester Road, and it is also rerouted around Castle Vale estate to serve Farnborough Road. It will serve Castle Vale estate in both directions instead of via a one-way loop (as it does at present). It will continue to provide a link from Castle Vale to Erdington. The frequency is reduced to every 30 minutes and it will be renumbered the 38.
- Service 66 retimed to improve reliability on the new route that was introduced from the 9th June following the North Birmingham Network Review. There are no change to the Sunday timetable on the 66, and no changes to the 66A timetable on any day.
- The 966 timetable has been amended to include new tendered journeys in the evenings, and Sunday mornings.
The key benefits of these changes are:
- Increase in frequency between Tile Cross and Solihull with services 70, 71 and 72 providing a fitted 7/8 minute frequency (up from every 10).
- New links from Water Orton and Coleshill to Marston Green and Solihull on the 70.
- Services 70 and 72 provide a fitted 15 minute frequency between Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green, up from every 20.
- Increase in frequency to every 15 minutes from every 20 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Bromford on the 72.
- All timetables have been re-done to improve reliability.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 966.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 70, 71 and 72 to improve access to shift changes at industry at Jaguar Land Rover on Lode Lane and in Coleshill.
Do you know which way the 70 will be taking between Chelmsley Wood & Solihull :)
Quote from: Rob4367 on September 06, 2013, 08:18:50 PM
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 07:48:22 AM
Changes to 71/71A/72/90/66/638/966
As promised here is the detail of the changes from 27th October.
- Service 90 renumbered service 70, and extended from Chelmsley Wood to Solihull. Frequency unchanged at every 30 minutes (with peak time extras).
- Service 71 increased in frequency from every 20 to every 15 minutes along the whole length of the route. The route is unchanged except in Castle Vale where it will serve Tangmere Drive instead of Farnborough Road (service 38 (old 638) will serve Farnborough Road instead).
- Service 71A withdrawn apart from a few school journeys to cope with passenger loadings at peak times. The route of the 71A is unchanged.
- Service 72 increased in frequency from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Heathland Avenue (Castle Bromwich), and reduced to every half an hour from every 20 minutes between Heathland Avenue and Solihull. The route is unchanged.
- Service 638 rerouted between Castle Vale and Erdington to serve the Fort Shopping Park instead of Chester Road, and it is also rerouted around Castle Vale estate to serve Farnborough Road. It will serve Castle Vale estate in both directions instead of via a one-way loop (as it does at present). It will continue to provide a link from Castle Vale to Erdington. The frequency is reduced to every 30 minutes and it will be renumbered the 38.
- Service 66 retimed to improve reliability on the new route that was introduced from the 9th June following the North Birmingham Network Review. There are no change to the Sunday timetable on the 66, and no changes to the 66A timetable on any day.
- The 966 timetable has been amended to include new tendered journeys in the evenings, and Sunday mornings.
The key benefits of these changes are:
- Increase in frequency between Tile Cross and Solihull with services 70, 71 and 72 providing a fitted 7/8 minute frequency (up from every 10).
- New links from Water Orton and Coleshill to Marston Green and Solihull on the 70.
- Services 70 and 72 provide a fitted 15 minute frequency between Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green, up from every 20.
- Increase in frequency to every 15 minutes from every 20 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Bromford on the 72.
- All timetables have been re-done to improve reliability.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 966.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 70, 71 and 72 to improve access to shift changes at industry at Jaguar Land Rover on Lode Lane and in Coleshill.
Do you know which way the 70 will be taking between Chelmsley Wood & Solihull :)
Same as the 72 I would think if it is making a joint 15 minute frequency with it
Quote from: Tony on September 06, 2013, 08:26:29 PM
Quote from: Rob4367 on September 06, 2013, 08:18:50 PM
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 07:48:22 AM
Changes to 71/71A/72/90/66/638/966
As promised here is the detail of the changes from 27th October.
- Service 90 renumbered service 70, and extended from Chelmsley Wood to Solihull. Frequency unchanged at every 30 minutes (with peak time extras).
- Service 71 increased in frequency from every 20 to every 15 minutes along the whole length of the route. The route is unchanged except in Castle Vale where it will serve Tangmere Drive instead of Farnborough Road (service 38 (old 638) will serve Farnborough Road instead).
- Service 71A withdrawn apart from a few school journeys to cope with passenger loadings at peak times. The route of the 71A is unchanged.
- Service 72 increased in frequency from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Heathland Avenue (Castle Bromwich), and reduced to every half an hour from every 20 minutes between Heathland Avenue and Solihull. The route is unchanged.
- Service 638 rerouted between Castle Vale and Erdington to serve the Fort Shopping Park instead of Chester Road, and it is also rerouted around Castle Vale estate to serve Farnborough Road. It will serve Castle Vale estate in both directions instead of via a one-way loop (as it does at present). It will continue to provide a link from Castle Vale to Erdington. The frequency is reduced to every 30 minutes and it will be renumbered the 38.
- Service 66 retimed to improve reliability on the new route that was introduced from the 9th June following the North Birmingham Network Review. There are no change to the Sunday timetable on the 66, and no changes to the 66A timetable on any day.
- The 966 timetable has been amended to include new tendered journeys in the evenings, and Sunday mornings.
The key benefits of these changes are:
- Increase in frequency between Tile Cross and Solihull with services 70, 71 and 72 providing a fitted 7/8 minute frequency (up from every 10).
- New links from Water Orton and Coleshill to Marston Green and Solihull on the 70.
- Services 70 and 72 provide a fitted 15 minute frequency between Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green, up from every 20.
- Increase in frequency to every 15 minutes from every 20 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Bromford on the 72.
- All timetables have been re-done to improve reliability.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 966.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 70, 71 and 72 to improve access to shift changes at industry at Jaguar Land Rover on Lode Lane and in Coleshill.
Do you know which way the 70 will be taking between Chelmsley Wood & Solihull :)
Same as the 72 I would think if it is making a joint 15 minute frequency with it
So if it does the same route as the 72 between Chelmsley Wood & Solihull it will come through Sheldon then :)
Quote from: Rob4367 on September 06, 2013, 08:30:26 PM
Quote from: Tony on September 06, 2013, 08:26:29 PM
Quote from: Rob4367 on September 06, 2013, 08:18:50 PM
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 07:48:22 AM
Changes to 71/71A/72/90/66/638/966
As promised here is the detail of the changes from 27th October.
- Service 90 renumbered service 70, and extended from Chelmsley Wood to Solihull. Frequency unchanged at every 30 minutes (with peak time extras).
- Service 71 increased in frequency from every 20 to every 15 minutes along the whole length of the route. The route is unchanged except in Castle Vale where it will serve Tangmere Drive instead of Farnborough Road (service 38 (old 638) will serve Farnborough Road instead).
- Service 71A withdrawn apart from a few school journeys to cope with passenger loadings at peak times. The route of the 71A is unchanged.
- Service 72 increased in frequency from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Heathland Avenue (Castle Bromwich), and reduced to every half an hour from every 20 minutes between Heathland Avenue and Solihull. The route is unchanged.
- Service 638 rerouted between Castle Vale and Erdington to serve the Fort Shopping Park instead of Chester Road, and it is also rerouted around Castle Vale estate to serve Farnborough Road. It will serve Castle Vale estate in both directions instead of via a one-way loop (as it does at present). It will continue to provide a link from Castle Vale to Erdington. The frequency is reduced to every 30 minutes and it will be renumbered the 38.
- Service 66 retimed to improve reliability on the new route that was introduced from the 9th June following the North Birmingham Network Review. There are no change to the Sunday timetable on the 66, and no changes to the 66A timetable on any day.
- The 966 timetable has been amended to include new tendered journeys in the evenings, and Sunday mornings.
The key benefits of these changes are:
- Increase in frequency between Tile Cross and Solihull with services 70, 71 and 72 providing a fitted 7/8 minute frequency (up from every 10).
- New links from Water Orton and Coleshill to Marston Green and Solihull on the 70.
- Services 70 and 72 provide a fitted 15 minute frequency between Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green, up from every 20.
- Increase in frequency to every 15 minutes from every 20 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Bromford on the 72.
- All timetables have been re-done to improve reliability.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 966.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 70, 71 and 72 to improve access to shift changes at industry at Jaguar Land Rover on Lode Lane and in Coleshill.
Do you know which way the 70 will be taking between Chelmsley Wood & Solihull :)
Same as the 72 I would think if it is making a joint 15 minute frequency with it
So if it does the same route as the 72 between Chelmsley Wood & Solihull it will come through Sheldon then :)
It's quite clear from the orginal statement that it will or am i just being grumpy? lol
Quote from: Winston on September 06, 2013, 12:17:56 PM
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 11:50:21 AM
Quote from: Winston on September 06, 2013, 09:18:37 AM
Hi Simon,
From various comments/rumours it's becoming apparent that there are increasing capacity issues particularly at the Brimingham based garages, is this largely as a result of health & safety requirements to have marked out bus parking lanes with clear walkways between each row of parked buses? Thus reducing the total usable space to park the allocation within the garage
Do you anticipate having to move things around/open a new garage or outstation anytime soon to cater for growth/potential new routes and free up space at the Birmingham garages?
Hi,
The closure of LH put pressure on the capacity at each garage more than the current parking plans are doing.
There are no plans for depot moves, new depots or outstations at the moment.
Thanks Simon,
Are NXWM intending to grow turnover/profits through increasing passenger journeys on existing services, rather the growing the size of the fleet/introducing new routes on any scale? Obviously Dean Finch's has set the groups longer term objectives of 'driving organic growth' and achieving 'best-in-class margins' within NX group businesses...... High unemployment in the West Midlands will obviously have a bearing on what can be achieved
Are you seeing positive results in terms of increasing passenger numbers following the introduction of all the new buses since 2011 & branding routes?
Growth on existing services is easier (and often cheaper) to achieve than through expansion so that is the main one we are going after but if something made sense for expansion then we would look at it.
Passenger numbers can be affected by lots of factors but broadly we are seeing growth on routes with new buses, branding and high levels of punctuality.
Quote from: Winston on September 06, 2013, 12:57:30 PM
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 07:48:22 AM
Changes to 71/71A/72/90/66/638/966
As promised here is the detail of the changes from 27th October.
- Service 90 renumbered service 70, and extended from Chelmsley Wood to Solihull. Frequency unchanged at every 30 minutes (with peak time extras).
- Service 71 increased in frequency from every 20 to every 15 minutes along the whole length of the route. The route is unchanged except in Castle Vale where it will serve Tangmere Drive instead of Farnborough Road (service 38 (old 638) will serve Farnborough Road instead).
- Service 71A withdrawn apart from a few school journeys to cope with passenger loadings at peak times. The route of the 71A is unchanged.
- Service 72 increased in frequency from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Heathland Avenue (Castle Bromwich), and reduced to every half an hour from every 20 minutes between Heathland Avenue and Solihull. The route is unchanged.
- Service 638 rerouted between Castle Vale and Erdington to serve the Fort Shopping Park instead of Chester Road, and it is also rerouted around Castle Vale estate to serve Farnborough Road. It will serve Castle Vale estate in both directions instead of via a one-way loop (as it does at present). It will continue to provide a link from Castle Vale to Erdington. The frequency is reduced to every 30 minutes and it will be renumbered the 38.
- Service 66 retimed to improve reliability on the new route that was introduced from the 9th June following the North Birmingham Network Review. There are no change to the Sunday timetable on the 66, and no changes to the 66A timetable on any day.
- The 966 timetable has been amended to include new tendered journeys in the evenings, and Sunday mornings.
The key benefits of these changes are:
- Increase in frequency between Tile Cross and Solihull with services 70, 71 and 72 providing a fitted 7/8 minute frequency (up from every 10).
- New links from Water Orton and Coleshill to Marston Green and Solihull on the 70.
- Services 70 and 72 provide a fitted 15 minute frequency between Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green, up from every 20.
- Increase in frequency to every 15 minutes from every 20 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Bromford on the 72.
- All timetables have been re-done to improve reliability.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 966.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 70, 71 and 72 to improve access to shift changes at industry at Jaguar Land Rover on Lode Lane and in Coleshill.
Are the above planned frequency increases on the 71 & 72 the reason why Omnilinks 7019 & 7020 have transferred fro PB to AG? Will any further moves be required?
No I don't think that is the reason why those 2 moved to AG. Not sure on other moves required for this change.
Quote from: YW4355 on September 06, 2013, 12:58:10 PM
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 07:48:22 AM
Changes to 71/71A/72/90/66/638/966
As promised here is the detail of the changes from 27th October.
- Service 90 renumbered service 70, and extended from Chelmsley Wood to Solihull. Frequency unchanged at every 30 minutes (with peak time extras).
- Service 71 increased in frequency from every 20 to every 15 minutes along the whole length of the route. The route is unchanged except in Castle Vale where it will serve Tangmere Drive instead of Farnborough Road (service 38 (old 638) will serve Farnborough Road instead).
- Service 71A withdrawn apart from a few school journeys to cope with passenger loadings at peak times. The route of the 71A is unchanged.
- Service 72 increased in frequency from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Heathland Avenue (Castle Bromwich), and reduced to every half an hour from every 20 minutes between Heathland Avenue and Solihull. The route is unchanged.
- Service 638 rerouted between Castle Vale and Erdington to serve the Fort Shopping Park instead of Chester Road, and it is also rerouted around Castle Vale estate to serve Farnborough Road. It will serve Castle Vale estate in both directions instead of via a one-way loop (as it does at present). It will continue to provide a link from Castle Vale to Erdington. The frequency is reduced to every 30 minutes and it will be renumbered the 38.
- Service 66 retimed to improve reliability on the new route that was introduced from the 9th June following the North Birmingham Network Review. There are no change to the Sunday timetable on the 66, and no changes to the 66A timetable on any day.
- The 966 timetable has been amended to include new tendered journeys in the evenings, and Sunday mornings.
The key benefits of these changes are:
- Increase in frequency between Tile Cross and Solihull with services 70, 71 and 72 providing a fitted 7/8 minute frequency (up from every 10).
- New links from Water Orton and Coleshill to Marston Green and Solihull on the 70.
- Services 70 and 72 provide a fitted 15 minute frequency between Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green, up from every 20.
- Increase in frequency to every 15 minutes from every 20 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Bromford on the 72.
- All timetables have been re-done to improve reliability.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 966.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 70, 71 and 72 to improve access to shift changes at industry at Jaguar Land Rover on Lode Lane and in Coleshill.
Some good changes there, but why renumber the 90 to 70? Is it simply to fit in numericaly with 71, 72 and 73?
It will surely lead to confusion with passengers in Water Orton and Coleshill who have seen their 90 change to 590, back to 90 and now 70.
Hi,
Yes it is to fit in with 71 and 72.
Quote from: bob on September 06, 2013, 02:48:12 PM
Hi the driver of the X51 I was on on Wednesday said that there were rumours/possible plans to extend the 302 service to cannock. Is that right? Id have said highly unlikely but you never know.
I can only think that this was linked to the tenders that we bid for. There are no other plans to do this.
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 06, 2013, 05:32:08 PM
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 08:48:27 AM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 06, 2013, 08:37:13 AM
Hello again Simon.
A few from me again.
1) Bristol Road. Timetable? Sorry for pestering you but its going to make it difficult for my missus to go to work without that timetable mate.
2) Is the above all the October 27th changes? What about what I've heard reference the 29/A extension to Great Park, the 49 curtailing to Great Park and other various snippets of assorted goodness?
Hello,
1) I am on the case again with this now.
2) There are no changes to the 29 or 49 for October. The plan you are referring to is still being developed.
Thanks alot Simon, its on the website now.
Any idea if/when the 29 will change?
Will be February 2014 at the earliest.
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 08:55:28 PM
Quote from: bob on September 06, 2013, 02:48:12 PM
Hi the driver of the X51 I was on on Wednesday said that there were rumours/possible plans to extend the 302 service to cannock. Is that right? Id have said highly unlikely but you never know.
I can only think that this was linked to the tenders that we bid for. There are no other plans to do this.
Bummer :-( Arriva could do with a run for their money
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 08:53:10 PM
Quote from: YW4355 on September 06, 2013, 12:58:10 PM
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 07:48:22 AM
Changes to 71/71A/72/90/66/638/966
As promised here is the detail of the changes from 27th October.
- Service 90 renumbered service 70, and extended from Chelmsley Wood to Solihull. Frequency unchanged at every 30 minutes (with peak time extras).
- Service 71 increased in frequency from every 20 to every 15 minutes along the whole length of the route. The route is unchanged except in Castle Vale where it will serve Tangmere Drive instead of Farnborough Road (service 38 (old 638) will serve Farnborough Road instead).
- Service 71A withdrawn apart from a few school journeys to cope with passenger loadings at peak times. The route of the 71A is unchanged.
- Service 72 increased in frequency from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Heathland Avenue (Castle Bromwich), and reduced to every half an hour from every 20 minutes between Heathland Avenue and Solihull. The route is unchanged.
- Service 638 rerouted between Castle Vale and Erdington to serve the Fort Shopping Park instead of Chester Road, and it is also rerouted around Castle Vale estate to serve Farnborough Road. It will serve Castle Vale estate in both directions instead of via a one-way loop (as it does at present). It will continue to provide a link from Castle Vale to Erdington. The frequency is reduced to every 30 minutes and it will be renumbered the 38.
- Service 66 retimed to improve reliability on the new route that was introduced from the 9th June following the North Birmingham Network Review. There are no change to the Sunday timetable on the 66, and no changes to the 66A timetable on any day.
- The 966 timetable has been amended to include new tendered journeys in the evenings, and Sunday mornings.
The key benefits of these changes are:
- Increase in frequency between Tile Cross and Solihull with services 70, 71 and 72 providing a fitted 7/8 minute frequency (up from every 10).
- New links from Water Orton and Coleshill to Marston Green and Solihull on the 70.
- Services 70 and 72 provide a fitted 15 minute frequency between Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green, up from every 20.
- Increase in frequency to every 15 minutes from every 20 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Bromford on the 72.
- All timetables have been re-done to improve reliability.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 966.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 70, 71 and 72 to improve access to shift changes at industry at Jaguar Land Rover on Lode Lane and in Coleshill.
Some good changes there, but why renumber the 90 to 70? Is it simply to fit in numericaly with 71, 72 and 73?
It will surely lead to confusion with passengers in Water Orton and Coleshill who have seen their 90 change to 590, back to 90 and now 70.
Hi,
Yes it is to fit in with 71 and 72.
And just for a bit more confusion for the residents of Coleshill and Water Orton, there used to be a 70 that operated to Minworth, Walmley and Sutton Coldfield too...
Quote from: andy on September 06, 2013, 11:35:09 PM
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 08:53:10 PM
Quote from: YW4355 on September 06, 2013, 12:58:10 PM
Quote from: NX OD on September 06, 2013, 07:48:22 AM
Changes to 71/71A/72/90/66/638/966
As promised here is the detail of the changes from 27th October.
- Service 90 renumbered service 70, and extended from Chelmsley Wood to Solihull. Frequency unchanged at every 30 minutes (with peak time extras).
- Service 71 increased in frequency from every 20 to every 15 minutes along the whole length of the route. The route is unchanged except in Castle Vale where it will serve Tangmere Drive instead of Farnborough Road (service 38 (old 638) will serve Farnborough Road instead).
- Service 71A withdrawn apart from a few school journeys to cope with passenger loadings at peak times. The route of the 71A is unchanged.
- Service 72 increased in frequency from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Heathland Avenue (Castle Bromwich), and reduced to every half an hour from every 20 minutes between Heathland Avenue and Solihull. The route is unchanged.
- Service 638 rerouted between Castle Vale and Erdington to serve the Fort Shopping Park instead of Chester Road, and it is also rerouted around Castle Vale estate to serve Farnborough Road. It will serve Castle Vale estate in both directions instead of via a one-way loop (as it does at present). It will continue to provide a link from Castle Vale to Erdington. The frequency is reduced to every 30 minutes and it will be renumbered the 38.
- Service 66 retimed to improve reliability on the new route that was introduced from the 9th June following the North Birmingham Network Review. There are no change to the Sunday timetable on the 66, and no changes to the 66A timetable on any day.
- The 966 timetable has been amended to include new tendered journeys in the evenings, and Sunday mornings.
The key benefits of these changes are:
- Increase in frequency between Tile Cross and Solihull with services 70, 71 and 72 providing a fitted 7/8 minute frequency (up from every 10).
- New links from Water Orton and Coleshill to Marston Green and Solihull on the 70.
- Services 70 and 72 provide a fitted 15 minute frequency between Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green, up from every 20.
- Increase in frequency to every 15 minutes from every 20 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Bromford on the 72.
- All timetables have been re-done to improve reliability.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 966.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 70, 71 and 72 to improve access to shift changes at industry at Jaguar Land Rover on Lode Lane and in Coleshill.
Some good changes there, but why renumber the 90 to 70? Is it simply to fit in numericaly with 71, 72 and 73?
It will surely lead to confusion with passengers in Water Orton and Coleshill who have seen their 90 change to 590, back to 90 and now 70.
Hi,
Yes it is to fit in with 71 and 72.
And just for a bit more confusion for the residents of Coleshill and Water Orton, there used to be a 70 that operated to Minworth, Walmley and Sutton Coldfield too...
Moan Moan Moan. Personally i think it sounds like a positive change, what ever you do you are going to get moaners or some confusion on parts of the route over such a wide area. It's called progress and peeps should just get over it. :)
Quote from: Tony on August 30, 2013, 07:03:31 PM
Quote from: Westy on August 30, 2013, 07:00:37 PM
Quote from: NX OD on August 30, 2013, 03:59:05 PM
Quote from: Westy on August 29, 2013, 08:00:19 AM
Any idea what happened to the second X51 from Cannock this morning?
Sister went out for it well before its arrival time south of Bloxwich at 659am.
No bus turned up until 727am, but whether this was the second or third bus from Cannock is not known!
Tony's reply is correct. Sorry about the problems.
Cheers for the reply, but she's also sent an email via the website too, so someone your end will have to take a look there too as she's complained about the x51 single deckers.
Any snippets of information I've got from here I've passed onto her but she wants a general moan anyway!
The single deckers are because of a road closure in Cheslyn Hay meaning the bus has to go under a low bridge. This only affects the evening return service as the morning route is open
My sister has now received 2 replies from your Travel care department, which contradicts your answers.
I am going to believe your answers in here, as we feel that people 'on the ground' so to speak, seems to be more reliable.
My sister has replied back on the emails concerned, to save going on about it here again!
(Edit - Slight modification to my reply!)
Hi Simon,
NX have obviously recently made the additional plot of land adjacent to Pensentt garage more secure with new security fencing etc, do you anticipate moving any more of the reserve fleet there in the near future? or is this being prepared in advance to potentially house the reserve fleet currently stored at LH in the event a suitable offer is received for that garage?
I also understand that Pensnett garage was originally designed to accommodate 100 buses, the allocation is currently 117 buses with a number of functions having operated out of port-a-cabins dotted around the parking yard for a number of years, additionally I understand any spare capacity is very limited. Do NX envisage improving the depot infrastructure and potentially increasing the capacity of the garage via using a proportion of the adjacent land?
Quote from: Winston on September 08, 2013, 03:42:59 PM
Hi Simon,
NX have obviously recently made the additional plot of land adjacent to Pensentt garage more secure with new security fencing etc, do you anticipate moving any more of the reserve fleet there in the near future? or is this being prepared in advance to potentially house the reserve fleet currently stored at LH in the event a suitable offer is received for that garage?
I also understand that Pensnett garage was originally designed to accommodate 100 buses, the allocation is currently 117 buses with a number of functions having operated out of port-a-cabins dotted around the parking yard for a number of years, additionally I understand any spare capacity is very limited. Do NX envisage improving the depot infrastructure and potentially increasing the capacity of the garage via using a proportion of the adjacent land?
Don't forget the original 100 max allocation was of B6's and Merc breadvans both of which significantly smaller than the current Mercs, Enviro's and B7's etc...
Quote from: wilmotm (Matt Wilmot) on September 08, 2013, 04:54:03 PM
Quote from: Winston on September 08, 2013, 03:42:59 PM
Hi Simon,
NX have obviously recently made the additional plot of land adjacent to Pensentt garage more secure with new security fencing etc, do you anticipate moving any more of the reserve fleet there in the near future? or is this being prepared in advance to potentially house the reserve fleet currently stored at LH in the event a suitable offer is received for that garage?
I also understand that Pensnett garage was originally designed to accommodate 100 buses, the allocation is currently 117 buses with a number of functions having operated out of port-a-cabins dotted around the parking yard for a number of years, additionally I understand any spare capacity is very limited. Do NX envisage improving the depot infrastructure and potentially increasing the capacity of the garage via using a proportion of the adjacent land?
Don't forget the original 100 max allocation was of B6's and Merc breadvans both of which significantly smaller than the current Mercs, Enviro's and B7's etc...
Not sure what size buses the original planning application was based upon, but it was based on 100 buses.
Quote from: Winston on September 08, 2013, 03:42:59 PM
Hi Simon,
NX have obviously recently made the additional plot of land adjacent to Pensentt garage more secure with new security fencing etc, do you anticipate moving any more of the reserve fleet there in the near future? or is this being prepared in advance to potentially house the reserve fleet currently stored at LH in the event a suitable offer is received for that garage?
I also understand that Pensnett garage was originally designed to accommodate 100 buses, the allocation is currently 117 buses with a number of functions having operated out of port-a-cabins dotted around the parking yard for a number of years, additionally I understand any spare capacity is very limited. Do NX envisage improving the depot infrastructure and potentially increasing the capacity of the garage via using a proportion of the adjacent land?
The land is being made mor secure just so we have some measures against theft (and there have been some). The actual use of the land is for reserve fleet only, whether that be from LH or elsewhere. There are no plans to change the depot infrastructure.
Quote from: monkeyjoe on September 07, 2013, 10:26:16 AM
Moan Moan Moan. Personally i think it sounds like a positive change, what ever you do you are going to get moaners or some confusion on parts of the route over such a wide area. It's called progress and peeps should just get over it. :)
Calm down it was just an observation? Where did I say anything about it not being positive?
Hi Simon,
Most interesting reading through this thread!
Will the 'New' 70 be ran by Singles or Deckers?
Quote from: gc802002 on September 11, 2013, 12:02:29 PM
Hi Simon,
Most interesting reading through this thread!
Will the 'New' 70 be ran by Singles or Deckers?
Doubles.
Hi Simon,
After the North Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield Review which turned out to be a disappointment, can you and NX give consideration to linking Good Hope Hospital with Perry Barr, Kingstanding, New Oscott, Perry Common etc without having to change buses in Sutton Coldfield which is OK during the daytime, but not in the evenings. May I suggest extending the 907 to pass the hospital to Falcon Lodge, they can then be on the same duties as 904's and will enable the drivers to change at Perry Barr Garage as they did in the 1990's when the 107's changed to 114/115 in Sutton.
Quick question , the last couple of days there has been at least 1 b7 on the 126. Is there a decker shortage at wn? If there is would it be possible to remove deckers from the 27 first as the 126 needs deckers the 27 doesn't
Quote from: bususer12 on September 12, 2013, 09:44:31 AM
Quick question , the last couple of days there has been at least 1 b7 on the 126. Is there a decker shortage at wn? If there is would it be possible to remove deckers from the 27 first as the 126 needs deckers the 27 doesn't
A lot of the deckers on the 27 lately are Spectras, which can't (or shouldn't!) be used on the 126, due to emissions rules.
The obvious solution would be to put these Spectras off the 27 on the 59, one or two Tridents from the 59 to the 126, and the B7RLE(s) from the 126 to the 27. However this may not always be possible for the allocator, due to the way buses are parked in the garage. If too many B7s are parked at the front then one is likely to end up on the 126.
I only mentioned because first bus i saw was a 45xx trident in Dudley. Just seems silly to send one into city centre on am peak
Simon Mathieson,
Are you still working for NX?
This is a serious question and I would like to kill out all rumours.
L S
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 12, 2013, 08:38:17 PM
Simon Matheison,
Are you still working for NX?
This is a serious question and I would like to kill out all rumours.
L S
Rumours are flying today!
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 12, 2013, 08:38:17 PM
Simon Mathieson,
Are you still working for NX?
This is a serious question and I would like to kill out all rumours.
L S
I believe Simon is leaving NX at the end of the month.
Congratulations I guess! Where will you be moving on to?
Quote from: notepanel on September 12, 2013, 09:10:00 PM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 12, 2013, 08:38:17 PM
Simon Mathieson,
Are you still working for NX?
This is a serious question and I would like to kill out all rumours.
L S
I believe Simon is leaving NX at the end of the month.
Congratulations I guess! Where will you be moving on to?
Congratulations Simon on your new post, I'm sure NX will find it hard to fill your shoes!
Well done if you are leaving, better get those questions in.
With the introduction of the new 70 service, will that mean vehicle up grade (on current Bham - Coleshill Corridor) in line with this policy of growing passenger use on current corridors etc? Pretty much of the new 70 will be a chuck from the previous 59/90, introducing part the links that went last time. Still all good though.
If the rumour is true about Simon leaving the NX company, I'm sorry to hear about this. I wish Simon good luck.
Let's hope his replacement will join us on here.
I've had a bit of news locally from the guy who runs the Bloxwich Telegraph website & Facebook page.
It seems he's not happy with the recent 302 changes.
I've asked him to pop on here to outline his concerns so I've left the ball in his court whether he does or not.
Good luck in the new job Simon, whatever it is.
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 12, 2013, 08:38:17 PM
Simon Mathieson,
Are you still working for NX?
This is a serious question and I would like to kill out all rumours.
L S
Here in Dundee, We are loosing Paul Clark for a few months while he comes down to replace someone leaving NX. To Arriva according to jungle drums. Kevin who has been up from Birmingham for a few weeks will do Paul's job for 4 months.
Quote from: gc802002 on September 13, 2013, 06:14:28 AM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 12, 2013, 08:38:17 PM
Simon Mathieson,
Are you still working for NX?
This is a serious question and I would like to kill out all rumours.
L S
Here in Dundee, We are loosing Paul Clark for a few months while he comes down to replace someone leaving NX. To Arriva according to jungle drums. Kevin who has been up from Birmingham for a few weeks will do Paul's job for 4 months.
Fingers crossed that Simon isn't defecting to Arriva Midlands ;)
Quote from: Winston on September 13, 2013, 10:41:32 AM
Quote from: gc802002 on September 13, 2013, 06:14:28 AM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 12, 2013, 08:38:17 PM
Simon Mathieson,
Are you still working for NX?
This is a serious question and I would like to kill out all rumours.
L S
Here in Dundee, We are loosing Paul Clark for a few months while he comes down to replace someone leaving NX. To Arriva according to jungle drums. Kevin who has been up from Birmingham for a few weeks will do Paul's job for 4 months.
Fingers crossed that Simon isn't defecting to Arriva Midlands ;)
There was recently two posts with Arriva Midlands advertised - Area Director for either West or East Midlands!
Quote from: notepanel on September 13, 2013, 11:19:05 AM
Quote from: Winston on September 13, 2013, 10:41:32 AM
Quote from: gc802002 on September 13, 2013, 06:14:28 AM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 12, 2013, 08:38:17 PM
Simon Mathieson,
Are you still working for NX?
This is a serious question and I would like to kill out all rumours.
L S
Here in Dundee, We are loosing Paul Clark for a few months while he comes down to replace someone leaving NX. To Arriva according to jungle drums. Kevin who has been up from Birmingham for a few weeks will do Paul's job for 4 months.
Fingers crossed that Simon isn't defecting to Arriva Midlands ;)
There was recently two posts with Arriva Midlands advertised - Area Director for either West or East Midlands!
Exactly, plus Arriva Midlands have been taking on other NXWM management, I suspect they do have medium/longer term plans for the West Midlands
Quote from: monkeyjoe on September 12, 2013, 11:56:46 PM
Well done if you are leaving, better get those questions in.
With the introduction of the new 70 service, will that mean vehicle up grade (on current Bham - Coleshill Corridor) in line with this policy of growing passenger use on current corridors etc? Pretty much of the new 70 will be a chuck from the previous 59/90, introducing part the links that went last time. Still all good though.
Hi,
There is no vehicle upgrade for the 70 planned at the moment.
Quote from: Steve3229vp on September 11, 2013, 03:52:07 PM
Hi Simon,
After the North Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield Review which turned out to be a disappointment, can you and NX give consideration to linking Good Hope Hospital with Perry Barr, Kingstanding, New Oscott, Perry Common etc without having to change buses in Sutton Coldfield which is OK during the daytime, but not in the evenings. May I suggest extending the 907 to pass the hospital to Falcon Lodge, they can then be on the same duties as 904's and will enable the drivers to change at Perry Barr Garage as they did in the 1990's when the 107's changed to 114/115 in Sutton.
Hi,
It was considered at the time but extending it to Falcon Lodge does not stack up financially. We would like to extend it just to the hospital but there is nowhere to turn the bus quick enough to avoid lots of extra cost.
Hi all,
It is true that I am leaving and my last day with NX will be 27th September, although my last week will be holiday.
I am leaving to join Arriva Midlands in the Leicestershire and Derbyshire areas as Area Director.
It was a difficult decision to leave. I have been here 5 years, covering 4 jobs at BC, Dundee, Black Country and my current role. I also worked for TWM when I was at Aston University in 2000/2001 so I have a long association with the firm. I still miss Hockley!
In light of my departure I will answer questions here up to the end of Monday 16th September, after which I will answer no more as it would seem to be inappropriate. I have enjoyed talking to you all on here so thank you. I will keep an eye on the forum anyway as this is more than a job to me.
Do you know who'll be taking your role at NX?
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 13, 2013, 01:55:44 PM
Do you know who'll be taking your role at NX?
Bob Emery will cover for me until a permanent replacement is found.
Quote from: NX OD on September 13, 2013, 01:48:01 PM
Hi all,
It is true that I am leaving and my last day with NX will be 27th September, although my last week will be holiday.
I am leaving to join Arriva Midlands in the Leicestershire and Derbyshire areas as Area Director.
It was a difficult decision to leave. I have been here 5 years, covering 4 jobs at BC, Dundee, Black Country and my current role. I also worked for TWM when I was at Aston University in 2000/2001 so I have a long association with the firm. I still miss Hockley!
In light of my departure I will answer questions here up to the end of Monday 16th September, after which I will answer no more as it would seem to be inappropriate. I have enjoyed talking to you all on here so thank you. I will keep an eye on the forum anyway as this is more than a job to me.
Hi Simon,
Sorry to hear you are leaving NX, I'm sure you moving on will be a big loss to NX and us on the forum, it's a pity NX couldn't have persuaded you to stay on!
Best wishes for the future! ;)
Quote from: NX OD on September 13, 2013, 01:48:01 PM
Hi all,
It is true that I am leaving and my last day with NX will be 27th September, although my last week will be holiday.
I am leaving to join Arriva Midlands in the Leicestershire and Derbyshire areas as Area Director.
It was a difficult decision to leave. I have been here 5 years, covering 4 jobs at BC, Dundee, Black Country and my current role. I also worked for TWM when I was at Aston University in 2000/2001 so I have a long association with the firm. I still miss Hockley!
In light of my departure I will answer questions here up to the end of Monday 16th September, after which I will answer no more as it would seem to be inappropriate. I have enjoyed talking to you all on here so thank you. I will keep an eye on the forum anyway as this is more than a job to me.
I've seen a big improvement since you've been at the company, Simon, and we're all grateful that you have spent time with us answering questions. All the best for your new job. :)
Can I ask why you wanted to move to 'the other side'?
Hi Simon,
Sorry to hear you'll be leaving NX soon, but would also like to wish you all the best in your new role with Arriva.
Thanks again for taking the time (and judging by some of the times that you have posted at, your own personal time) to respond to our questions here, they have been most informative and helpful.
I will like to congratulate you Simon on your new Post. And i will like to Thank You SO much for taking the time to answer our questions.
And Thank You for Making the 59 earlier on a Sunday ;D ;) Only joking
Congratulations Simon.
Interesting dynamic that exists now with the management teams at Arriva and NX in many cases having completely swapped over.
The Derbyshire and Leicestershire operating territory is extremely interesting and challenging in a good way, I miss it. So much of it is still very functional and stuck in the days of Derby City Transport and Midland Fox and bits of Leicester Corporation, and could certainly do with the sort of fresh approach that I know you will take with you.
Thurmaston is a nice place to work with the odd exception, although be warned the traffic in the morning getting in from this side is evil!
Best of luck to you and I hope Arriva will permit you to post on here as you will be missed if not.
will there ever ;Dnew buses for 74/5 because old ones are no good
Sad to see you go Simon, wishing you good luck at Arriva.
Hi simon, this also goes to tony if he reads this as im aware he is inspector if im right?
Is there anyway you can speak to you drivers on the coventry road to speed up driver changes, im currently sat on the 900 which arrived at the change over point at 1358 and left just after 1405, i and the other passengers all have somewhere to go and waiting here for 10 minutes while the new driver speaks to other drivers sat in the bus stop.
Sorry but has happened on many occasions and is starting to the biscuit a bit
And for refrance sake the bus im on is 4902
Quote from: andy on September 13, 2013, 07:58:03 PM
Congratulations Simon.
Interesting dynamic that exists now with the management teams at Arriva and NX in many cases having completely swapped over.
The Derbyshire and Leicestershire operating territory is extremely interesting and challenging in a good way, I miss it. So much of it is still very functional and stuck in the days of Derby City Transport and Midland Fox and bits of Leicester Corporation, and could certainly do with the sort of fresh approach that I know you will take with you.
Thurmaston is a nice place to work with the odd exception, although be warned the traffic in the morning getting in from this side is evil!
Best of luck to you and I hope Arriva will permit you to post on here as you will be missed if not.
Andy,
I understand that Arriva's Derbyshire and Leicestershire operations are quite a lot smaller than the size of NXWM, any idea how many vehicles Arriva operate in those areas?
Can you ask YW engineering to have a look at 4094. It's deafeningly loud. And that's without the fan spinning. Cheers
4092 is another one that sounds beyond hope, can understand why it was stuck at WB for so long before transfer!
Better get my question in while I can then (great thread btw).
My query is about the co-ordination of services 27 & 76 between Kings Heath and Hollybank Rd/Chinn Brook Rd.
Both services have a 20 min daytime frequency, however I appreciate that without altering turn-around times it is not possible to achieve a 10 min headway in both directions based on current timetables.
Non-the-less I think the current 1'/19' interval to KH (ie the services run on top of each other) and 13'/'7 from KH could be improved upon.
If the whole (daytime) 27 timetable was brought forward 6 minutes, the 7'/13' interval from KH would be maintained (but now with the DD [76] service leading after the 13'), whilst a slightly better 15'/5' interval to KH would be achieved.
Thanks in advance.
Dunno if this happens regularly now, but it did when I caught it regularly & it happened again the other week when I had to catch it, but can you please get your Walsall drivers, especially the 529 (I know it's Wolverhampton before you say! ) to pull in at the first available stand to unload instead of waiting for the previous bus to clear the proper stand, as we had to wait 5 minutes on an incoming 529 & some people do need to make urgent connections?
RE: Service 900
This is largely observation and recommendation, I would firstly like to take the time to note that the service has improved compared to the dark days of the Metrobus (the smell haunts me) and I favor using it over Coventry service 7. Please note I am only a customer/passenger/slightly over interested person.
One thing I've noticed is the dead mileage on service 900 when vehicles are taken out of service after terminating in Coventry (Evenings when the timetable goes from every 30 mins to hourly). Surely it'd be more useful to run these buses as a short working Coventry-Airport/NEC at least? Instead of trundling all the way back to the garage empty. Would decrease wasted emissions.
I understand driver working hours and even profitability may be a factor, but there always seem to be people waiting for a 900 in Pool Meadow.
I would like to see better cooperation between Central garage and Coventry garage on service 900.
Before the urrent timetables were put up on the website, I rang Coventry garage ([no way I'd phone that Traveline] and my journey was soley within Coventry) for bus times and they apparently had no access to service 900 information (possibly not even the previous timetable).
Surely it would make sense to give all garages access to all service information?
Not too long ago there was a large incident which blocked the A45 for some time. To deal with the delays and growing number of passengers waiting, empty buses were sent empty to Coventry, before staring the service . It would have saved delays if temporary vehicles had of been sourced from the Coventry garage instead, and again avoiding dead mileage if the temporary vehicles then worked a round service Coventry-Birmingham-Coventry.
The factors I can see for this not being the case would be: Vehicle availability, Driver route knowledge, correct ticketing/charges and bus signage although these could be easily resolved with perhaps exception with route availability.
I hope this has been constructive, and I wish to say thanks for the opportunity to share this.
I was tempted previously to contact customer service, but this information would be better utilized by operations management. The old adage "I could do a better job" comes to mind, but then again it is probably more complicated than I'd expect.
Hi Simon,
Sorry to hear that you are leaving National Express. I hope that your successor will carry on the good work that you have started and wish you all the very best in your new job.
Stuart
Quote from: Winston on September 14, 2013, 02:24:04 PM
Quote from: andy on September 13, 2013, 07:58:03 PM
Congratulations Simon.
Interesting dynamic that exists now with the management teams at Arriva and NX in many cases having completely swapped over.
The Derbyshire and Leicestershire operating territory is extremely interesting and challenging in a good way, I miss it. So much of it is still very functional and stuck in the days of Derby City Transport and Midland Fox and bits of Leicester Corporation, and could certainly do with the sort of fresh approach that I know you will take with you.
Thurmaston is a nice place to work with the odd exception, although be warned the traffic in the morning getting in from this side is evil!
Best of luck to you and I hope Arriva will permit you to post on here as you will be missed if not.
Andy,
I understand that Arriva's Derbyshire and Leicestershire operations are quite a lot smaller than the size of NXWM, any idea how many vehicles Arriva operate in those areas?
Hi Winston,
Well I'm risking another 'off topic' rebuke but I'm going to chance it since you ask!
I think at the moment the two Leicester depots (including the Coalville outstation) total about 180 vehicles with Derby coming in at about 80.
It doesn't seem a lot for such a large area but these vehicles are all concentrated in high density operations. When Arriva first got Fox they carried out a fair bit of retrenchment, abandoning many corridors and reducing PVR's and closing depots and outstations in favour of super depots like Thurmaston. This is all very well but has left gaps in services in many areas that were previously better served, letting other operators in. The Centrebus deal is interesting as it suggests they may be looking to get back into some of these gaps.
The operation has always been very focussed on key corridors in both areas, and in my opinion has not been thought of as an operating territory or network.
The management structure at Arriva has been very eratic over the years with several area changes resulting in at times Derby, Leicester and Burton / Swadlincote / Uttoxeter all being in different operational areas, resulting in them all being run very seperately. I have no idea if they are now going to include Burton in this new area, but I hope so. There is no more consolidation that can be done really, enough depots have closed and I think they need to step back a bit if anything.
The other challenge is the balance of power that exists in Derby with Trent Barton, in Leicester with First and Centrebus and some other more established independents. It's whether or not they are willing to rip the status quo up and invigorate the network or just carry on with the same old and stick with the no risk. I suspect there may be some activity.
Although the area is not as lucrative as the West Midlands in general, there is much more scope for expansion and both local authorities are extremely proactive when it comes to buses. They also pay well on tenders and concessionary travel, particularly Derbyshire.
A little remodelling of the network and incursion into some new areas could produce some interesting results, and Nottingham isn't too far away. Now that would be interesting!
Thanks for sharing with us the proposals for the 71 and associated routes.
As far as the 71 itself is concerned, this takes us back to the service that existed before the Bus Reviews and all the subsequent messing about. The East Birmingham Bus Review must have concluded that 4 buses an hour was insufficient at the Sutton Coldfield end of the route, but amounted to over-provision beyond Castle Vale, so I'm wondering what has happened since to cause the reverse?
I'm also interested to see what will be done to improve the reliability. I wouldn't even bother trying to catch a full-route 71 towards Sutton outside of very quiet periods, such is the compounded effect of traffic on the way, and the buses coming back out are often impacted as well.
Whatever happens, I do hope a real effort is made to inform people of the changes, and get timetables printed and issued in plenty of time; on previous occasions, this part of the task has been carried out really badly.
While I'm here, I was on a 20:40 route 914 from Birmingham one recent Saturday, and noticed there seemed a reasonable number of passengers on there for an evening service, with several picked up along the way. It made me wonder how far from viability is extending the 30-minute service on there – perhaps an extra journey from Birmingham around 20:10?
Thanks again for all the interest and information, best of luck for the future!
Quote from: Trident 4609 on September 13, 2013, 07:18:06 PM
I will like to congratulate you Simon on your new Post. And i will like to Thank You SO much for taking the time to answer our questions.
And Thank You for Making the 59 earlier on a Sunday ;D ;) Only joking
I promise you the earlier 59 is being looked at for a Sunday.
Quote from: jack corbett on September 14, 2013, 12:10:59 PM
will there ever ;Dnew buses for 74/5 because old ones are no good
There will be at some point but it is not clear when. No plans for new ones here in 2014.
Quote from: makkacdt on September 14, 2013, 02:10:07 PM
Hi simon, this also goes to tony if he reads this as im aware he is inspector if im right?
Is there anyway you can speak to you drivers on the coventry road to speed up driver changes, im currently sat on the 900 which arrived at the change over point at 1358 and left just after 1405, i and the other passengers all have somewhere to go and waiting here for 10 minutes while the new driver speaks to other drivers sat in the bus stop.
Sorry but has happened on many occasions and is starting to the biscuit a bit
I agree that this is frustrating. I will have some staff spend some time there to ensure that this improves.
Quote from: Liverpool Street on September 14, 2013, 02:36:37 PM
Can you ask YW engineering to have a look at 4094. It's deafeningly loud. And that's without the fan spinning. Cheers
Yes, will do.
Quote from: Busmapper on September 14, 2013, 03:21:05 PM
Better get my question in while I can then (great thread btw).
My query is about the co-ordination of services 27 & 76 between Kings Heath and Hollybank Rd/Chinn Brook Rd.
Both services have a 20 min daytime frequency, however I appreciate that without altering turn-around times it is not possible to achieve a 10 min headway in both directions based on current timetables.
Non-the-less I think the current 1'/19' interval to KH (ie the services run on top of each other) and 13'/'7 from KH could be improved upon.
If the whole (daytime) 27 timetable was brought forward 6 minutes, the 7'/13' interval from KH would be maintained (but now with the DD [76] service leading after the 13'), whilst a slightly better 15'/5' interval to KH would be achieved.
Thanks in advance.
Hi,
This sounds like something we should be able to do. I will pass it on to the relevant people.
Quote from: Westy on September 14, 2013, 05:48:48 PM
Dunno if this happens regularly now, but it did when I caught it regularly & it happened again the other week when I had to catch it, but can you please get your Walsall drivers, especially the 529 (I know it's Wolverhampton before you say! ) to pull in at the first available stand to unload instead of waiting for the previous bus to clear the proper stand, as we had to wait 5 minutes on an incoming 529 & some people do need to make urgent connections?
Hi,
It is not always possible and Centro can request that we only use the correct stand so we don't block other services.
Quote from: ben710 on September 14, 2013, 06:37:21 PM
RE: Service 900
This is largely observation and recommendation, I would firstly like to take the time to note that the service has improved compared to the dark days of the Metrobus (the smell haunts me) and I favor using it over Coventry service 7. Please note I am only a customer/passenger/slightly over interested person.
One thing I've noticed is the dead mileage on service 900 when vehicles are taken out of service after terminating in Coventry (Evenings when the timetable goes from every 30 mins to hourly). Surely it'd be more useful to run these buses as a short working Coventry-Airport/NEC at least? Instead of trundling all the way back to the garage empty. Would decrease wasted emissions.
I understand driver working hours and even profitability may be a factor, but there always seem to be people waiting for a 900 in Pool Meadow.
I would like to see better cooperation between Central garage and Coventry garage on service 900.
Before the urrent timetables were put up on the website, I rang Coventry garage ([no way I'd phone that Traveline] and my journey was soley within Coventry) for bus times and they apparently had no access to service 900 information (possibly not even the previous timetable).
Surely it would make sense to give all garages access to all service information?
Not too long ago there was a large incident which blocked the A45 for some time. To deal with the delays and growing number of passengers waiting, empty buses were sent empty to Coventry, before staring the service . It would have saved delays if temporary vehicles had of been sourced from the Coventry garage instead, and again avoiding dead mileage if the temporary vehicles then worked a round service Coventry-Birmingham-Coventry.
The factors I can see for this not being the case would be: Vehicle availability, Driver route knowledge, correct ticketing/charges and bus signage although these could be easily resolved with perhaps exception with route availability.
I hope this has been constructive, and I wish to say thanks for the opportunity to share this.
I was tempted previously to contact customer service, but this information would be better utilized by operations management. The old adage "I could do a better job" comes to mind, but then again it is probably more complicated than I'd expect.
Hi,
All very interesting. I will pass it on to BC and Coventry to see if they can get better at communication.
It must be said that the garages are not set up to answer calls about bus times. This is what Traveline is for and although some people don't like it, it is a useful source of information.
Hi Simon,
Could you get someone to check the Sunday timetable for the 80, often in the daytime 05 and 35 journeys from Birmingham, arrive at Blue Gates around 38 and 08, when it's meant to arrive at 33 and 03, presumably arriving in West Bromwich late to enter service onto the 50 and 20 back to Birmingham
Hi,
I will answer the last few questions later today but I must say that Walsall are in no way 47 drivers short as mentioned on other posts. I have no idea where this has come from but I want to set the record straight.
Thanks.
Quote from: Sh4166 on September 16, 2013, 10:08:31 PM
Hi Simon,
Could you get someone to check the Sunday timetable for the 80, often in the daytime 05 and 35 journeys from Birmingham, arrive at Blue Gates around 38 and 08, when it's meant to arrive at 33 and 03, presumably arriving in West Bromwich late to enter service onto the 50 and 20 back to Birmingham
Hi,
Yes I will do.
Hi,
Thanks for all the posts and questions. I have really enjoyed it.
That's all for now!
Simon