Bus Services axed/changed from 1st January 2023

[Westy]

Anyone noticed, with Nx now operating the Sunday evening journeys that were operated by Diamond on the 41, they are also now able to operate a Sunday evening service on the 37 to Willenhall,  instead of just to Bentley/Lodge Farm?

By the way,if TfWm have told the operators they can't upload the new timetables on their own site at the moment,  how come TfWm are doing this on their site anyway?

[Rachvince53]

I agree the timings for the 25 and 600 make sense if they interwork.   

[BBS]

Anyone noticed, with Nx now operating the Sunday evening journeys that were operated by Diamond on the 41, they are also now able to operate a Sunday evening service on the 37 to Willenhall,  instead of just to Bentley/Lodge Farm?

By the way,if TfWm have told the operators they can't upload the new timetables on their own site at the moment,  how come TfWm are doing this on their site anyway?

TFWM also missed the timetable for the new A16

[Jack D]

Have we had route maps for diamonds new routes or just the timetables of a few?

[MasterPlan]

Perhaps a stupid question, but what does the A prefix mean with regards to route numbers? There's a few in Solihull like that isn't there?

[Jack D]

Perhaps a stupid question, but what does the A prefix mean with regards to route numbers? There's a few in Solihull like that isn't there?

Heard somewhere that it's A for Arden

[Steve3229vp]

Perhaps a stupid question, but what does the A prefix mean with regards to route numbers? There's a few in Solihull like that isn't there?

I think it's a sensible question, an 'A' prefix makes no sense at all

[winston]

There is a high level of consensus within the industry that should the government stick to this plan, near on every operator will replicate this step withdrawing significant mileage. Hopefully, the government will not be so short sighted, no actually stupid, to let this happen.

Passenger numbers would never recover and you cannot really blame the operating companies either. The gov have to step up.

That's all well & good, but where's the money going to keep coming from for the Government to continue supporting bus operators two years after Covid? The country is in enough debt as it is.

NXWM will have lost patronage & revenue due to the unreliability of its services for a sustained period of time, largely as a result of driver shortages. Whilst their drivers look set to get a double digit payrise from January, it has only come about due to large numbers voting with their feet. 

[Stu]

Perhaps a stupid question, but what does the A prefix mean with regards to route numbers? There's a few in Solihull like that isn't there?

'A' is for Arden, a historic name for that area of Warwickshire.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arden%2C_Warwickshire

[Ginger66]

I think it's a sensible question, an 'A' prefix makes no sense at all

Is the letter before the number?

You have X51 the X means express.  

But if the letter is after 
You have 11A/11C the A/C means direction of route on circle route.

If the letter S is after a number it could indicate the route is a school service as well.

NXWM and NXC use letters mainly after the route number.

[monkeyjoe]

I think the point is A is meaningless to a large portion of users. No evidence but willing to bet most people don't refer to the area as Arden. 

[Sandy Lane]

I think the point is A is meaningless to a large portion of users. No evidence but willing to bet most people don't refer to the area as Arden.

Sounds to me that Arden could be some political 'feel good' spin from those in high office? 

[j789]

That's all well & good, but where's the money going to keep coming from for the Government to continue supporting bus operators two years after Covid? The country is in enough debt as it is.

NXWM will have lost patronage & revenue due to the unreliability of its services for a sustained period of time, largely as a result of driver shortages. Whilst their drivers look set to get a double digit payrise from January, it has only come about due to large numbers voting with their feet. 

Driver shortages are industry wide and really a result of bus drivers not being valued as much as they should have in the past (particularly when compared to train drivers). There has always been a high turnover of drivers in the industry because of the anti social nature of the job, it's not an ideal job if you have a young family for example.

The problem the last 2 years has seen all these factors have suddenly multiplied in severity and no company could possibly have planned long term for these sort of issues. Whilst I am sure some passengers will have been out off by the service disruption, many more were lost due to the initial COVID advice from the government not to use public transport. These are the ones that will probably be hardest to get back on the buses.

Looking at the routes given up by NXWM, none of them are exactly trunk routes, probably of minimal profit too, so they have made the right decision in the circumstances to focus resources on the main routes. Ironically, if the NXWM pay increase does go through as rumoured, other local companies taking over these routes may well find themselves short on drivers 'jumping ship to NXWM' if their own companies don't match those pay rises, then the service disruption continues.

I read only this week in a BBC news report that First is withdrawing all services from Southampton due to passenger decreases and driver shortages. Whilst GO Ahead have said they will take over the routes, there will now be no competition in that area (particularly after Yellow Buses also have gone) so the current low fares of that area will no doubt rise due to the new monopoly created. 

At least the West Mids is not in such a position but it still shows that government support is required longer term so that the industry can stabilise and have a brighter future based in this new post-COVID reality of reduced passenger numbers.

[Rachvince53]

In the list of service changes on the TfWM Page, there are several mistakes including service 9 stated as running from DUDLEY to Birmingham and the Dudley 2A listed as withdrawn under the Wolves 2!  

[metrocity]

Driver shortages are industry wide and really a result of bus drivers not being valued as much as they should have in the past (particularly when compared to train drivers). There has always been a high turnover of drivers in the industry because of the anti social nature of the job, it's not an ideal job if you have a young family for example.

The problem the last 2 years has seen all these factors have suddenly multiplied in severity and no company could possibly have planned long term for these sort of issues. Whilst I am sure some passengers will have been out off by the service disruption, many more were lost due to the initial COVID advice from the government not to use public transport. These are the ones that will probably be hardest to get back on the buses.

Looking at the routes given up by NXWM, none of them are exactly trunk routes, probably of minimal profit too, so they have made the right decision in the circumstances to focus resources on the main routes. Ironically, if the NXWM pay increase does go through as rumoured, other local companies taking over these routes may well find themselves short on drivers 'jumping ship to NXWM' if their own companies don't match those pay rises, then the service disruption continues.

I read only this week in a BBC news report that First is withdrawing all services from Southampton due to passenger decreases and driver shortages. Whilst GO Ahead have said they will take over the routes, there will now be no competition in that area (particularly after Yellow Buses also have gone) so the current low fares of that area will no doubt rise due to the new monopoly created.

At least the West Mids is not in such a position but it still shows that government support is required longer term so that the industry can stabilise and have a brighter future based in this new post-COVID reality of reduced passenger numbers.

Have you been riding the Hogwarts Express ?