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(if this thread goes elsewhere pls lmk)

i was wondering if it would make sense to agglomerate routes to make them 1 route? for instance (please ignore the fact that this includes both nxwm and diamond), the 202, 002, 4H and 4M can be agglomerated to make a single route from rednal to merry hill.

i got bored and decided to make an idea:

7: Merry Hill to Hayley Green
new route running every 20 minutes to replace 002 between Merry Hill and Halesowen, and 4H between Halesowen and Hayley Green

X7: Merry Hill to Bromsgrove
new route running every 20 minutes to replace the 4M between Merry Hill and Blackheath, 4H between Blackheath and Halesowen, 002 between Halesowen and Bartley Green, and 202 between Bartley Green and Frankley. from Frankley, it runs up Frankley Beeches Lane, down Tessall Lane, then follows the X20 to Bromsgrove (1ph), the other two terminating at Leach Green Lane

X9: Rowley to Redditch
the rowley section is kinda hard to explain so i'm gonna avoid, but the segment between Blackheath and Bartley Green is the same as the X7, then runs to Weoley Castle following the 002, then to Northfield following the old 46, then to Rednal Island before u-turning through Cofton Hackett up Groveley Lane to Longbridge Lane, then the fastest route to Redditch Bus Station past the Abbey Sports Ground. Rowley and Redditch are served hourly, Blackheath to Rednal 3x hourly. runs every 20 mins.

other changes:
002: cut
4: more services between West Brom and Blackheath to account for removal of 4H and 4M
4H: cut
4M: cut
202: curtailed to Frankley from Bromsgrove

it would open up more cross city links whilst still being viable as it taps into existing consumer bases at the same frequency that they currently exist, there may just be a couple more changes (which can open up town centres as more people will change buses, potentially more shopping) - i also did calculations:

X7 full length - 1h 54m
X7 Merry Hill to Rednal - 1h 25m
X7 Blackheath to Rednal - 56m (late night)
X9 full length - 1h 51m
X9 Blackheath to Rednal - 1h 9m

also if you have any ideas for routes that can do this, please let me know

While you're at it, why not combine the 48 with whatever random route in the Northfield area to create helpful new links from the likes of Warley and Bearwood to somewhere like Hawkesley? 

Oh hang on a minute...

9, X8, X10 on diversion towards city from
Quinton church via Ridgacre Road and Wolverhampton Road South due to a RTA on Hagley Road West. Seen this diversion a few times recently, that area seems an accident black-spot. 

exactly this, if the 11A/C hasnt served the QEHB by now when it would be a shorter diversion than the one proposed for MMUH, why would they do it for MMUH?

It "sort of" did serve the (old) QE for a time. The South West Link (SWL) service from Kings Heath to Bearwood replicated the 11A/11C along that section of the route but also branched off to serve the QE in addition. The route used branded Lynxs based at the Elliott Road outstation depot in Selly Oak.

Didn't last long though.

And how will it do that? by skipping half of Dudley Road and City Road? or by going down Shireland Road, Cape Hill, Grove Lane & Booth Street thereby entirely skipping Dudley Road, Half of City Road, and ALL of Winson Green?

It could be achieved by sending buses in both directions via Dudley Road and Grove Lane to do a u-turn where the 82/87 do on outbound journeys. Not ideal, would add to running time and possibly PVR, but could be done without missing out any of the current route. 

2110 involved in a collision with a car in Old Hill. Car on the wrong side of the road by the looks of it:

https://www.halesowennews.co.uk/news/25264670.halesowen-road-old-hill-crash-involving-car-bus/

With the 17 now also being extended to the airport, I think it's time a more southern route also gets an extension to BHX. My best bet is on a 4, serving Stratford road, Acocks green, with an airport link. Maybe then follow the X2 up to wheatsheaf, and X1 way down to BHX.

It's been done before, with the 6 being extended from Solihull to the airport via Damsonwood, with alternative buses terminating at Hermitage Road. Didn't last very long though.

6865 not having a good day. Not tracking today and now broken down on the dual carriageway section of Court Oak Road, Harborne, completely blocking the road city-bound. Recovery truck in attendance. 

Emirates bus 6865 doesn't seem to be tracking - on the 24 this morning. 

Completely forgot the 48 went to Bartley Green for a bit, does anyone remember which way it went?

From the QE via Selly Oak (or was it Gibbins Road?), Weoley Avenue, Weoley Castle, Woodcock Lane and Newman Uni to Bartley Green as I recall - replacing the withdrawn 21 over that section. The 48 was still the 448 at that time. 

The X21 now covers most of that section but serves Long Nuke Road between Weoley Castle and Woodcock Hill.

How many times has the 48 changed beyond the QE now? There was the extension to Bartley Green to replace the then 21, the ridiculous section through most of south Birmingham in the 2018 changes, the current extension to Northfield to cover the 76 and now a further extension to cover West Heath and Hawkesley again. Was there also one to Northfield via Black Haynes Road at some point or have I imagined that? And on top of that it's also interworked at the QE with the 84 and the 20/20A.

Presumably due to an issue on Quinton Road, but just saw 6948 diverting via Northfield Road, War Lane and Harborne Park Road on the X22 towards city. 

The X8 and 529 route brandings have both quietly disappeared and I haven't seen anyone make nearly as much a fuss of them going as the 82/87...

People had already come to terms with the banishing of any semblance of colour from the NXWM fleet. 

6894 on the X22 this evening with the defective scrolling display - showed 'via Woodgate' for a split second then started again.

Didn't catch the fleet number but a city-bound X20 this evening seemed to be stuck on "thfield and Selly Oak" on the 'via' scrolling line. 

Yeah... not like they are proven vehicles that have played their part in developing successful bus networks throughout Europe or anything 

They undoubtedly have worked in some settings but have hardly been a success in the West Midlands. Horses for courses. 

Articulated will be a disaster!

An articulated hydrogen bus really would be the offspring of 2 white elephants.