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Although originally commercial, service 242 is now a tendered service run on behalf of Staffs CC.

Thanks for clarifying. And it makes sense the tendering Authority for the 242 is StaffsCC but then less sense to me why Kinver remains in the nbus area given residents there will pay the same South Staffs District council tax rates as a resident of say Featherstone or Essington who do not benefit from being in the nzone.

Does anyone know whether Staffordshire, Worcestershire & Warwickshire County Councils pay a contribution to TfWM related to those nbus areas outside the WMCA as the benefit to passengers can be significant.

Take buying a day ticket. Where as the cost difference if you're outside the zone is negligible for a NX route (ie +20p), on a Diamond route you're looking at £9 compared to £4.80.

Near my neck of the woods it might just be that WorcsCC's funding contribution to the tendered 664/665 is sufficient to then include Hollywood/Wythall within the nbus zone.

However a route like Diamond's 242 to Kinver is commercial so it would make sense that there'd be some form of tariff between Staffs and TfWM related to Kinver being included within the nbus area.

Even then though, those shire county residents benefiting from being within the nzone presumably pay the same rate of council tax (and specifically transport levy element) as those outside.

And one more for the map:
The pink boundary dot at the Maypole can be removed, and the note at the bottom should read 'West Midlands Zone valid to Wythall Island only on service 50A and to Inkford Brook, Dumble Pitt Lane on service 150'
[source: https://find-bus-area.tfwm.org.uk (acknowledging 50A runs non-stop Wythall Island to Redditch Gateway)]

I didn't realize you could ride on the classic buses for free

Free once you've paid the museum entry fee!

Hello Simon

This page on the website www.diamondbuses.com/tickets/zone-boundary-guides/west-midlands-boundary/ says that nbus tickets are valid on the '150 between Kings Heath and Maypole only'.

It should say between Kings Heath and Wythall Inkford Brook as per the linked nbus Zone Boundary Map as well as find-bus-area.tfwm.org.uk

Rather than put a bus gate on Colmore Road, it would probably be easier to add an exception for buses to the right-turn restriction.

I know this thread is more about fantasy route changes, but if this change was to be made in reality then no, because (traffic engineering detail alert) the Red Lion left turn green light sequence is also the right turn into Howard Rd. This single green phase would need separating into two phases to safely accommodate the occasion bus turning right out of Howard Rd, resulting in a big reduction in junction capacity. A bus gate on the other hand would just need a bus activated sinking bollard on Colmore Rd.

For both the 150 and 169, I'd 'reverse' the loop they currently do around Kings Heath.

Nice idea although the no right turn at the Red Lion (Howard Rd to Vicarage Rd) means a Bus Gate would be required on Colmore Rd.

Not obvious why the 50A would be subject to BSIP funding when those journeys clearly just consist of placement journeys associated with Diamond's Redditch garage fully operating their 50 commercial service

Coventry bus user posted the routes for the new routes

https://eu.remix.com/project/b977dc28?latlng=52.40404,-1.77506,12.146

Interesting

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