Yardley Wood Garage

[2206]

Saw 4587 on Yardley Road at about 10 this morning. Heading towards the Swan Island.

[Steve3229vp]

6944 on 35E to Kings Heath from City at 0738 but still showing as going to Hawksley on Bus Times 

[2206]

6944 on 35E to Kings Heath from City at 0738 but still showing as going to Hawksley on Bus Times

It will do yes, because its timetabled to go to Hawkesley.

[Stu]

Another nightmare journey home this evening - looks to me like there were two missing journeys on the 3, which meant that the single-decks on the 2 were totally rammed coming out of city.

I ended up getting off at Brunswick Road, as the driver allowed someone with a buggy on, despite the bus having a full standing load. Walked up to Esme Road, and waited twenty minutes for another 2, which was also full, though a few passengers do normally get off there, so at least I could get on and there were some seats then available.

I get the whole driver shortages thing, and I also appreciate that YW has far more single-decks than they actually 'need', but these Scanias are completely unsuited to the 2 and 3 routes during the busy peak-times, when passenger loadings are at their highest. You can just about get away with them if the scheduled journeys run on time (or close enough), but it becomes a huge problem when journeys are missed out due to driver unavailability.

[Ronnoc]

It just seems like every single bus service out of the city needs to be double deck nowadays. Every single service at peak time on Stratford road is rammed, plus traffic makes the journey very testing. For a city of our size we need at least a tram service in that direction too, but at that point I'm just wishing for too much.

[BBS]

It just seems like every single bus service out of the city needs to be double deck nowadays. Every single service at peak time on Stratford road is rammed, plus traffic makes the journey very testing. For a city of our size we need at least a tram service in that direction too, but at that point I'm just wishing for too much.

The 4 especially 

[SO6597]

I've seen on Bus Times that the 27/76 evening and Sunday journeys are being withdrawn by NXWM from 23rd Feb, does anyone know who's picking them up?

[MW]

I've seen on Bus Times that the 27/76 evening and Sunday journeys are being withdrawn by NXWM from 23rd Feb, does anyone know who's picking them up?

It went out to tender yesterday, to commence on 26th Feb. I'd imagine NX will pick it up.*

* I imagine it's commercial at the moment.

[Stu]

I've seen on Bus Times that the 27/76 evening and Sunday journeys are being withdrawn by NXWM from 23rd Feb, does anyone know who's picking them up?

That's interesting, that was one of the tenders up for renewal from 1st Jan, yet on the list of tenders outcome, it is not shown as awarded.
https://www.tfwm.org.uk/who-we-are/what-we-do/bus-services/bus-tenders/

But NX continued to operate them, and the registration dated 8th Dec shows award of this tender. So perhaps the contract was just extended, in the hope that someone else would put in a bid?

It's a bit surprising really because I've travelled on both the 27 and 76 on Sundays and they both seem fairly well used.

[MW]

That's interesting, that was one of the tenders up for renewal from 1st Jan, yet on the list of tenders outcome, it is not shown as awarded.
https://www.tfwm.org.uk/who-we-are/what-we-do/bus-services/bus-tenders/

But NX continued to operate them, and the registration dated 8th Dec shows award of this tender. So perhaps the contract was just extended, in the hope that someone else would put in a bid?

It's a bit surprising really because I've travelled on both the 27 and 76 on Sundays and they both seem fairly well used.

There's a couple of different options proposed for the Sunday service but basically it's QE / Northfield sections of the 76 up for tender on Sundays with a couple of full journeys from Solihull. I'd imagine that they're happy with Solihull to Kings Heath leg of the route.

[Stu]

There's a couple of different options proposed for the Sunday service but basically it's QE / Northfield sections of the 76 up for tender on Sundays with a couple of full journeys from Solihull. I'd imagine that they're happy with Solihull to Kings Heath leg of the route.

To be honest, the 76 is such a long convoluted route, I'm surprised they haven't already looked at splitting it up, and same goes for the 27 too.

Here's a thought, curtail the 27 to Northfield to Maypole, and the 76 to QE to Solihull. Then have a new route running from QE to Cofton Hackett/Longbridge to cover those withdrawn parts. Call it the 43 and see if Stagecoach fancy a crack at it!

[Steve3229vp]

To be honest, the 76 is such a long convoluted route, I'm surprised they haven't already looked at splitting it up, and same goes for the 27 too.

Here's a thought, curtail the 27 to Northfield to Maypole, and the 76 to QE to Solihull. Then have a new route running from QE to Cofton Hackett/Longbridge to cover those withdrawn parts. Call it the 43 and see if Stagecoach fancy a crack at it!

I'd call it 29

[SO6597]

Just before Christmas, a 27 timetable appeared on the TfWM site very fleetingly that showed evening journeys ending at 8ish and stated 'No Sunday Service' so the theory of NXWM keeping it going temporarily could be right.

[MasterPlan]

Given that the 48 has gone, should the 76 disappear from Weoley without replacement, that would be concerning.

[Rachvince53]

Could the new Solus Coaches operations be interested, see post regarding recruiting new drivers for Solihull and Sutton routes.