Messages

The 50 (along with the 8 and the 11) has its own Wikipedia page.

Some other south Birmingham routes have pages on the Fandom uk transport wiki.

The last time a 97A service ran to the airport the extension was sponsored by the Airport company, mainly I think to help staff (and encourage more employees) from Chelmsley Wood and east Birmingham. I wonder if this is the case again?

But for this fare revision from next week all the nBus tickets will NO LONGER be valid on NX Buses outside the nBus zone, hence the introduction of the Outer zones ticket.

It does make sense that a regular weekly or monthly nbus ticket would be refused when boarding outside the nbus zone.

why are passengers starting their journey from outside the WM County on NX Buses, to travel into the WM County being penalised?

Even the 'new' Extra ticket, they are paying more for less validity.

The only way they could get round this, it appears, is to pay on the bus to the boundary, then pay for the Nbus ticket from there.

Been thinking this through using a hypothetical example journey of Bromsgrove to Balsall Common (changing at Longbridge and Solihull using NX, NX & Stagecoach) and return.
Sole adult saves 20p by deffing off the Outer Zone day ticket and instead paying single first then a regular nbus day ticket to cover all other journeys, total cost £6.80.
As ever if 2 adults or family travelling together, substitute buying individual nbus tickets for the group ticket.
If group reached 4 adults or a family of 6 then it becomes worth buying an Outer Zone group initially, then an nbus group when boarding the Stagecoach bus.

As has been established, if this journey is being made in reverse (one way) then just a single individual or group regular nbus ticket is all that is required.


Somethig else though is I can't see the point of the Outer Zone weekly or monthly direct debit tickets when the regular weekly and monthly direct debit versions state 'Unlimited travel on all bus operators within the nbus zone and on all National Express buses'.
The point of purchase (residence location) surely isn't relevant here and can't be proven anyway.

Tony, fao YW maintenance - 6944 upper saloon near side rear opening window annoyingly rattling, the main pane below opener would benefit from being reseated/resealed

Great to see a best possible fit co-ordination between the 76 & 27 on Chinn Brook Road and Hollybank Road to and from Kings Heath after seemingly years of the two services near enough following each each other followed by a close to 20 min gap (particularly obvious back when the 27 ran to Hawkesley). From the end of the month Mon-Sat daytime will offer a 12+8 to KH & 8+12 from KH interval (ie best overall fit given alternative would be 10+10 & 6+14) and Sun daytime offers a nice 16+14 & 14+16 interval. Well done NXWM scheduling team.

The new timetables are up.

https://nxbus.co.uk/west-midlands/information/service-changes/changes-to-bus-services-in-northfield-area-from-30th-august-2020

For me the current layout works fine where for each service, the city stops it serves are listed.

The 'high frequency' demarcation on the maps is something I like but once you start looking carefully there are numerous inaccuracies versus the 10 minutes or less definition such as Walmley Ash Road and Walmley Road being shown as a HF route from Minworth to Sutton.

I also think it was a backwards step to lose the frequency guide on the back of the most recent paper versions in favour of the overly simplistic day of the week a service operates tick.

Noticed that the 99 (or the 32) hasn't been awarded. Does that mean that it is going to be withdrawn or is it staying with NX.
I don't know how tendered routes work so don't laugh at me because I don't.

AG32 (Shirley-Lyndon) is run commercially so is not affected. Same with the 58 (Solihull-Lyndon-Kingshurst).

That flag so doesn't need to be there with the replacement shelter just four car-lengths away!

In Burton Green (between Cov and Balsall Common) I've noticed both a TWM flag and round the corner a PTE one. They are still there because Burton Green is just outside the WMCA boundary (even though today both including the TWM '192' stop are actually served by Johnsons route 87).

Not a mistake, QEH to Five Ways is a loop so common to both directions of the evening timetable.
I see the Acocks Green (Dolphin Lane) loop is completely dropped. The new 31 timetable allows a minute longer inbound to Acocks but I'm unsure its exact route.

According to NWM from 24/03/2019:
1/1A and 31 are having a route change in Acocks Green in 2 weeks time, does anyone know what route they are going to take?

Pure speculation on my behalf, but I'm going to take a guess on the 1/1A losing its Shirley Rd & Dolphin La loop with the 31 rerouted accordingly.

This story explains why we have the A7W & A8W variants. Basically a concession to those opposed to the daytime routing, though quite what the issue with sending a total of two buses an hour up or down Alderminster Road is I'm struggling to see. I can think of so many other less suited roads that non-the-less accommodate a bus route. I wonder if once those opposed surely see what a non big deal it is they'll be less noise should all journeys be proposed to be routed that way in future.

S16 not swapping the S for an A?

Yes, according to the latest Solihull Area Map, however I can't find any other reference or a timetable to confirm this.

We now have some confirmation of what these changes will be.
With reference to the original consultation, it is S2 west option 4 that is to be implemented - a South Solihull circular via Cheswick Green, Blythe Valley, Hockley Heath and Dorridge. Numbered 78/79 at tender, it will actually run as service A7 & A8 (plus A6 shorts to Cheswick Gr) and will be operated by Landflight on a 5 year contract.
Also operated by Landflight, service S3 is largely retained although split as service A3 to Dorridge via Knowle (tender service nr. 83) and A5 to Dickens Heath (tender service nr. 33), along with an hourly extension of the latter to Wythall running as A4 (tender service nr. 34) following WorcCC's decision to continue subsidy.

The S1 and S11 continue, still operated by Diamond but as services A1 and A2, whilst the S15 is confirmed as being absorbed by an extension to iGo service 69.

There will also be changes to services 87 & 88 - details here.