Service Changes July 20th 2025

[ellspurs]

What you mean replacing the 14?

Just between Tile Cross and Chelmsley, given that the 17 terminates at Tile Cross. Hopefully that won't be happening.

[Jack D]

Just between Tile Cross and Chelmsley, given that the 17 terminates at Tile Cross. Hopefully that won't be happening.

The 14 won't terminate at tile cross 

[Stu]

The 14 won't terminate at tile cross

There's no change to the 14, apart from the introduction of summer timetables.

It's not yet clear what routes the extended 17 and 17A will take, so lets wait and see.

[TGZac]

61 no longer serving Boleyn and Ormond Road again, this was a change originally done at 2018 South Birmingham network review and it was so unpopular it was reversed in March 2019

[Stu]

61 no longer serving Boleyn and Ormond Road again, this was a change originally done at 2018 South Birmingham network review and it was so unpopular it was reversed in March 2019

There's only one stop on Boleyn Road that gets missed out though.

Will be interesting to see what route the 27 will take, I also heard today that Kevs are revising their 55 in Frankley, it is going to serve New Street, Arden Road (for Holly Hill shops) and Ormond Road, before heading into Great Park. 

[LiamsTransport1]

The changes have made it onto the TFWM website.....

https://www.tfwm.org.uk/plan-your-journey/ways-to-travel/buses-in-the-west-midlands/upcoming-bus-service-changes/

rom Sunday 20th July, the following services will operate revised routes and/or timetables to improve reliability and better match passenger demand:
Service 46/46A – QE Hospital to Kings Heath/Hawkesley via Northfield: These services will be withdrawn and replaced by alternative services:

• 48 West Bromwich to Hawkesley via QE Hospital & Northfield – this service will be extended to Hawkesley every 20 minutes, following the route of the current 46 between Northfield and Hawkesley.
• X20 Bromsgrove – Birmingham via QE Hospital every 30 minutes
• 27 Rubery, Great Park – Solihull via Northfield, Brandwood End, Kings Heath & Yardley Wood, every 30 minutes, with buses continuing beyond Yardley Wood to Solihull every 60 minutes.

[don]

It's three services that operate hourly during the daytime only.

I am going to assume that the decision to terminate the 20 and 21 services at Rutland Road is based on passenger boarding data, which probably suggests that not many people actually use those services from Bearwood bus station.

For those who wish to interchange with Hagley Road services, there is always the option to hop on board the frequent 11A and 82 services.

If I'm not mistaken, that leaves the 82 as the only bus service that actually uses the bus station. I'm now starting to wonder at what point Sandwell council decide to close it and sell off the land?

I wouldn't be inclined to make that assumption - perhaps operating convenience, cost reduction or maybe service reliability? With low frequency any traffic delays en route are likely to have knock on effects on reliability.

Going back many years (pre deregulation) quite a lot of services as well as the 82 used Bearwood bus station - routes through Warley to Oldbury, beyond the A4123 and to Handsworth. Bearwood High St was always a large attractor of passengers (as well as being a traffic hot spot - no doubt still the same owing to parking). I guess there are routes which used to terminate there which travel through the High St and beyond (eg Hawkesley!!!!! 😲) these days. 

[Stu]

I wouldn't be inclined to make that assumption - perhaps operating convenience, cost reduction or maybe service reliability? With low frequency any traffic delays en route are likely to have knock on effects on reliability.

If there was a significant number of passengers boarding and alighting from those services at the bus station, then I'm sure efforts would have been made to keep it as the terminus point.

But you're right, having them terminate at (or operate via) Rutland Road is no doubt a compromise that has had to be made, to keep the service operating costs down and to improve reliability.

[Jack D]

Anymore news on changes?

[CJS47]

Anymore news on changes?

Some timetables now available on TfWM website. 

[2206]

Some timetables now available on TfWM website.

Looks like 17 timetable on there is wrong for after 20/07 as it shows it terminating at Tile Cross still.

[ellspurs]

17 isn't listed as changing on the TfWM website's change list yet. (I know it was in the change log thing but they haven't announced it yet)

[Stu]

Anymore news on changes?

https://wmbu.org.uk/2025/06/service-changes-from-20th-july-2025/

Looks like 17 timetable on there is wrong for after 20/07 as it shows it terminating at Tile Cross still.

Or maybe the timetable is correct and the route isn't changing after all! 

[ellspurs]

TfWM's latest registrations is saying the Tile Cross 17 service will extend to Chelmsley Wood and new variant 17A goes to Birmingham Airport.
In Coventry NXC will take over the evening and Sunday tender on service 7 to Brownshill Green from Stagecoach.

https://wmbu.org.uk/2025/06/service-changes-from-20th-july-2025/
Or maybe the timetable is correct and the route isn't changing after all! 

Why would the TfWM state those details on the registration (which weren't there before) if there were no plans for them?

[Stu]

Why would the TfWM state those details on the registration (which weren't there before) if there were no plans for them?

I don't know to be honest, maybe there was an error in the service registration which has subsequently been corrected, but not published yet.

Or perhaps the registration is correct, and NX haven't submitted the correct timetable data to TfWM yet, which has resulted in TfWM publishing incorrect future timetables.