Birmingham Central Garage

[2206]

14:47 and 15:06 consecutive departures on the main service between Solihull and Birmingham X2 failed to operate today. Leaving a gap in service of an hour.
On a week when there are also no trains as well.

6847 turned up at 15:33.

[Tony]

The 1447 started  from the Swan due to late running, the 15:06 started in Solihull town centre. Birmingham Central must be one of the few large bus garages in the country that has enough drivers to cover all the work most days at the moment

[2206]

The 1447 started  from the Swan due to late running, the 15:06 started in Solihull town centre. Birmingham Central must be one of the few large bus garages in the country that has enough drivers to cover all the work most days at the moment

The 15:06 was  probably supposed to be the 75XX that changed the number from X2 Solihull Station to Not In Sevice and then drove off.
From the tracking 7528 went Dead to Moor Street at 15:15.

[Tony]

6843 also ran in between from the college
 6843 - SN66 WFM – National Express West Midlands – bustimes.org

[2206]

6843 also ran in between from the college
 6843 - SN66 WFM – National Express West Midlands – bustimes.org

That ones timetabled to start there. No good for the passengers who were waiting for the X2 at Solihull Station though expecting the 14:47 and 15:06 to turn up. 

[Kevin]

That ones timetabled to start there. No good for the passengers who were waiting for the X2 at Solihull Station though expecting the 14:47 and 15:06 to turn up.

And how many people were waiting at the station?

[2206]

And how many people were waiting at the station?

Several people, over the hour a few more people turned up and there was a small crowd waiting including some who gave up with it in the end.

[BK63 YWP]

That ones timetabled to start there. No good for the passengers who were waiting for the X2 at Solihull Station though expecting the 14:47 and 15:06 to turn up.

There are other services into Solihull town centre they could easily get the 72 then x1/60 if they are really desperate...

[2206]

There are other services into Solihull town centre they could easily get the 72 then x1/60 if they are really desperate...

That's beside the point. The departure screen counted down both times as if they were coming and then they disappeared of the display.
X2 is supposed to be a direct service to Yardley, Hay Mills and Birmingham, some people might not even know where to get off on the 72 and change.

[don]

That's beside the point. The departure screen counted down both times as if they were coming and then they disappeared of the display........

That's the most frustrating situation for passengers waiting. 

And Solihull station is meant to be a transport interchange so suggesting walking elsewhere to get a bus in Solihull isn't helpful (especially for non regular users). 

[MasterPlan]

I don't understand why the 23/24 still terminate / wait time at New St when they have their own stop again on Colemore Row and could easily do it there.
I don't know about the 82/7 but for the 61/3 and X21/2 that stop is the busiest in the City Centre so they typically spend more time there offloading so you quickly get 3-4 buses blocked in there when there's 23 and 24s sat there waiting time.

Additionally,  and not related, but looking at the 24 outbound terminus could it not continue down West Boulevard and terminate by the island at the bottom of Barnes Hill? It'd only be an extra 1-2 mins journey time and would connect passengers to the big Asda.

[mesub]

Additionally,  and not related, but looking at the 24 outbound terminus could it not continue down West Boulevard and terminate by the island at the bottom of Barnes Hill? It'd only be an extra 1-2 mins journey time and would connect passengers to the big Asda.

The only two questions I have is where would it pick passengers to head back to Birmingham, and would those extra few minutes require another bus? I don't think it's safe to have 2 buses by the West Boulevard bus stop (just after the roundabout for Barnes Hill and California Way) laying by there.

[MasterPlan]

The only two questions I have is where would it pick passengers to head back to Birmingham, and would those extra few minutes require another bus? I don't think it's safe to have 2 buses by the West Boulevard bus stop (just after the roundabout for Barnes Hill and California Way) laying by there.

I don't know about the extra bus, so I can't answer that. But perhaps it could not stop at all from the current terminus until the island. Also currently the 23 takes 4 more minutes than the 24 to complete a journey currently so would that make a difference? Or maybe only every other 24 would extend there as a 24A?

I don't know what you mean by where would it pick up passengers but it would go back on itself and go the same way through Quinton etc. Either terminate before the island or go around it and do it after. I think a new stop would have to be created though.

[j789]

I don't know about the extra bus, so I can't answer that. But perhaps it could not stop at all from the current terminus until the island. Also currently the 23 takes 4 more minutes than the 24 to complete a journey currently so would that make a difference? Or maybe only every other 24 would extend there as a 24A?

I don't know what you mean by where would it pick up passengers but it would go back on itself and go the same way through Quinton etc. Either terminate before the island or go around it and do it after. I think a new stop would have to be created though.

I've suggested it before but extending a 24A from Quinton direct to Northfield via Barnes Hill every 20 or so minutes (say every 3rd bus) would be useful. This would also give an alternative Harborne route to Northfield and probably quicker than the 76 too.

[MasterPlan]

I've suggested it before but extending a 24A from Quinton direct to Northfield via Barnes Hill every 20 or so minutes (say every 3rd bus) would be useful. This would also give an alternative Harborne route to Northfield and probably quicker than the 76 too.

I mean it would be useful but that definitely would require a few extra buses surely.