Dudley Bus Station

[Westy]

I took a trip to Dudley today to pay my last respects to the bus station.

I know I haven't been there for a few years now, but my, what a dump. I actually felt like I'd travelled back in time.

It was all the same as I remember from before, I even remembered where I needed to get buses back to Birmingham from. Even most of the signage was still in the old Centro/Network West Midlands style.

Only thing different I could see were the real-time displays at each stand, but even then the one at the 126 stop was wrong, stuck at 14:46 showing a 126 due in 3mins, although it was just past 3pm.

On arrival at the bus station, I was greeted by the sight of a police car and several officers blocking a 74, there were passengers on board and there appeared to be two officers on the bus talking to a man sat on the rear seats.

Went for a walk around the town centre while I was there, wasn't surprised to see cars parked on the tram tracks right next to the mosque. 

It's a real shame as I used to enjoy going into Dudley when I was younger, looks more like a warzone than a 'regeneration project'.

Travelled into Dudley hoping to feel a bit nostalgic, left there feeling glad that bus station is being demolished.

I went last Saturday.

Thinking back, it was so modern at the time, along with the Wolves one that opened around the same time, compared with the old one & the circa 1975 Walsall one still in use then.

(Don't remember the pre 1986 Wolves one, as we always used the 560 from Bloxwich, which terminated at Wulfruna Street!)

[Westy]

Another blog I follow, this time Phil Tonks.

Dudley's Buzz Station | OnThisBus (wordpress.com)

[Jack6101]

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/dudley/2024/01/15/vintage-buses-have-one-last-ride-around-dudley-bus-station-ahead-of-its-demolition/

[karl724223]

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/dudley/2024/01/15/vintage-buses-have-one-last-ride-around-dudley-bus-station-ahead-of-its-demolition/

Before veg start moaning they couldn't go it was a private event organised by tfwm with the contractors who are now in charge of the land/building site 

[Jack]

The new Dudley stops are a joke, perfect TfWM planning. Too many services serving 1 stop, pavements nowhere wide enough. Loads of confused and frustrated people, hardly any inspectors as per. Whos bright idea was it to shove all the Wolverhampton bound services together and also the 74/87?

Shambles and it's only the first day...

[karl724223]

The new Dudley stops are a joke, perfect TfWM planning. Too many services serving 1 stop, pavements nowhere wide enough. Loads of confused and frustrated people, hardly any inspectors as per. Whos bright idea was it to shove all the Wolverhampton bound services together and also the 74/87?

Shambles and it's only the first day...

Ok where would you put everything then 

[Jack]

Ok where would you put everything then

Wouldn't shove all the busy services for one shelter, when there's an empty one not in use. Nice to see they've bothered to give the 6 its own shelter but not thought about giving the 74 and 87 there own one.

[Tony]

Wouldn't shove all the busy services for one shelter, when there's an empty one not in use. Nice to see they've bothered to give the 6 its own shelter but not thought about giving the 74 and 87 there own one.

Standard practise for TfWM on any city centre/town centre stop is it can have a departure every 5 minutes.

74 - every 10 minutes
87 - every 10 minutes

so fits.

6 every 9 minutes, so no other service can fit in the rules.

[don]

Before veg start moaning they couldn't go it was a private event organised by tfwm with the contractors who are now in charge of the land/building site

Wasn't the Bishop available for this after all? 😀

Love the pictures in the newspaper and plenty of veg got in them @karl724223!!

Nice to see a D9 in the pics 👍

It's worth reflecting that many of the people involved with the museums and preserved buses here would have been referred to as 'veg' in yesteryear or its equivalent of the time, in the way some people are now - in my view it's a pity it was felt necessary to keep this event private - let's hope we don't get any repetition of 'private' heritage events - operating in private as well as public areas - I think the heritage movement need all the help they can get rather than operating as some sort of exclusive elite!!

[karl724223]

Lik

Wasn't the Bishop available for this after all? 😀

Love the pictures in the newspaper and plenty of veg got in them @karl724223!!

Nice to see a D9 in the pics 👍

It's worth reflecting that many of the people involved with the museums and preserved buses here would have been referred to as 'veg' in yesteryear or its equivalent of the time, in the way some people are now - in my view it's a pity it was felt necessary to keep this event private - let's hope we don't get any repetition of 'private' heritage events - operating in private as well as public areas - I think the heritage movement need all the help they can get rather than operating as some sort of exclusive elite!!

Like I said organised by tfwm  with contractors having a big say on who was on there land/building site 
Doubt museums will hold private events as they need the money to survive and pay for costly restorations and keep buses on the road in good condition
Oh and yes my son is a driver at pn

[don]

LikLike I said organised by tfwm  with contractors having a big say on who was on there land/building site
Doubt museums will hold private events as they need the money to survive and pay for costly restorations and keep buses on the road in good condition
Oh and yes my son is a driver at pn

I guess it was down to TfWM etc, but it still seems a pity to make it 'exclusive' to the extent of the apparent secrecy in advance. 

[TT90]

5 Services are using DY4 in Tower Street. 8/X8, 2, 2A, 81 and 82. Yet the 1 has it's own stop on DY5   ? 

[Jack]

5 Services are using DY4 in Tower Street. 8/X8, 2, 2A, 81 and 82. Yet the 1 has it's own stop on DY5  ?

Makes so much sense doesn't it.

[karl724223]

I guess it was down to TfWM etc, but it still seems a pity to make it 'exclusive' to the extent of the apparent secrecy in advance.

So whinge at tfwm and the contractors tgen 

[j789]

I saw Metro 2789 coming back along the A491 in Amblecote, maybe on the way back to Pensnett.