Messages

The timetable's now up - not sure if it's just me but some of the journeys on X4/X5 now make no sense timings wise?

They look wrong

Interesting choice of route for the X21, up Field Lane to the main Bartley Green stops then down Romsley Road / Adams Hill to the Woodgate terminus. means city bound X21 & X22 stop on opposite sides of Romsley Road to each other

So will the X21 do same route as 002 between Weoley castle and Bartley green?

4761-PN9. Surely an mmc is more fuel efficient to run on a Sunday

Anyone any idea what the special charter train running between Coventry and Carlisle is? Seen the departure board for it at Wolverhampton, was due in at 8:27

Those Scania irizars really do look outstanding vehicles. Managed to sample two of midland classics fleet today. President 105 on the 12 (what a great route that one is) and 92 on the 401 (very quick e400). Double deckers have some great scenery too. West Midlands is so dull now

I caught 69155 on the 101 today Stoke- Stafford? Not down as allocated to first potteries?

The MAN to caernathen trains are absolutely appalling for reliability. Currently on a 35 minute delayed class 150 from Crewe to MAN. This train was started from Cardiff central and not caernathen.

Also instead of announcing Wilmslow automatically, it announces Alderley edge! I presume this train was an ex northern train.

Some WB buses ended up in random positions this morning. Saw a Dudley road branded e400mmc parked on the bus stop just after oldbury heading to birch field island. Also the driver on 80* parked up opposite Sandwell and Dudley station to help a WB e400 to turn round- reversing into Sandwell and Dudley station side road.

No trains from local stations on the Dorridge line into Birmingham for 2 hours this morning. Pretty pathetic when you consider Birmingham's supposedly the second city. I think they're still blaming Covid for some reason while in reality, as has been the norm since the days of Central trains on this line, they just can't get the staff.

Yeah they are a complete disgrace. The Williams review can't come into action fast enough. Twice this week the Wolverhampton- Birmingham New Street (originate from Shrewsbury) has been cancelled.

158 and 153 coupled on the 8:11 from Wolverhampton- BHI. One of the 153s was an ex EMR carriage (still in EMR colours)

I took my first ride on one of the two MetroDeckers recently  --  UPSTAIRS  --   and it was the most tastefully finished bus interior I've seen in over 50 years !! , - high quality, very fashionable seats with integrated (neat) car-style seat belts, and traditional /"retro" flooring, - nice colours !! -

I didn't like the two tables ( - one each side, behind the staircase), because it means having two lots of rear-facing seats,  --  --  when I ride upstairs I want to look at the various views ahead, and don't want eye-contact with passengers in front of me ( - facing the wrong way!).

Also, I was lucky to be able to sit at the front, because further back the high-backed seats made it seem claustrophobic  ("sardine-can job") - although that is probably true of many double-decker coaches (?)
  --  but FOUR skylights in the roof helped to alleviate that feeling.

- nice new "shoe-shop" smell upstairs, too !!
:)

Definitely the most luxurious vehicle I've ever travelled on. The rear seat facing isn't really an issue as the route doesn't tend to be that busy. Also having tables means families of more than 2 can all sit together

More personal critisism? Never done anything wrong in your life?

Must say those metrodeckers sh*t on the nx platinum brand. Tables inside and everything

Metro decker taken out of service on x20 after taking the tree reflector off in Meriden. Shame the driver got too close to trees

Please name these former 'innovative' companies. Apart from the already mentioned Yourbus and Ludlows, which other companies in the West Midlands in the last 35 years have been innovative, rather than just chosen to run 2 minutes in front of WMT/TWM/NXWM. If you think any of those other companies would have offered a better service over these years than that provided by NXWM, that is laughable in the extreme.

I have used a regular bus user in the West Midlands since the 1980s and worked in the industry in Worcestershire for many years too. I am so Pro-NXWM because what they offer is superior to most other places around Britain. Passengers benefit from having one known operator, they don't want multiple operators.

Central connect used to run the 192 Birmingham- Kidderminster and the 123 Merry Hill- Perry Barr. And can I remind you that the 417 now 4H was a ludlows route that got taken over when diamond took over. Nx are the ones that have jumped to compete on the 4H. Do we need nx on the 4H? @j789

Irizar i3, fleet number 26, on its first day in service
https://flic.kr/p/2m6rb3v

What nice vehicles they look!