Subsidised services on 26 October 1986

[Roy]

I was recently given a 4-page pull out from the Birmingham Post dated Thursday 23 October 1986.  It lists all bus services that would be subsidised by WMPTE from Deregulation Day.  I have scanned it as best as I can (apologies for the quality) for those of you of a certain age who remember those days.  I hope that the link below actually works!  If not, I can post each page in turn.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WSz50OEBkselo9VXKQQtOKr2BodEfC2-/view?usp=sharing 

[Westy]

Bet there's a fair few of those gone now, that are no longer represented in current timetables?

As regards Walsall timetables, there is no longer an evening service on what was the 319, now the 19, no longer an evening & Sunday service on the 326, no longer a through service between Bloxwich & Wednesbury(325) or Ashmore Park & Wednesbury(327) at first glance!

[Justin Tyme]

There are many items of interest in the list.

First, why the newspaper supplement?  It was because many tenders were only awarded at a late stage, and timetables for commercial services had already been printed.  Also, almost every service had some tendered journeys added - even very frequent ones like the 16 and the 50.

Note also the award of tendered journeys on the 110 within the West Midlands County - probably the only service not previously run by WMPTE in the list.

Also, tender prices were lower than expected so Night Services unexpectedly survived.

[j789]

I never knew that Midland Red West ran on the 3 route (103/current 24), anyone got any photo links to MRW buses on this route as it was my local one growing up. Always thought it was WMT fully operated.

Also on the link it mentions the 22 Brum to Kitwell service but also the 12N night service to Bartley Green. I thought the 22 replaced the 12 but did the night route stay as the 12? Confusing!

[Steveminor]

Also interesting to see that even back then Mike James had a presence. Those poor passengers on his route the first casualties of deregulation.

[Justin Tyme]

I never knew that Midland Red West ran on the 3 route (103/current 24), anyone got any photo links to MRW buses on this route as it was my local one growing up. Always thought it was WMT fully operated.

Also on the link it mentions the 22 Brum to Kitwell service but also the 12N night service to Bartley Green. I thought the 22 replaced the 12 but did the night route stay as the 12? Confusing!

Midland Red West ran tendered journeys on many services from 1986 until the mid 1990s - so many in fact that it could almost be easier to list the services it did not run on during that time!

I don't remember if the 12N stayed as that for long after 26 Oct 1986.  I suspect it kept that number because the decision to subsidise it was made so late.  As I recall, the night services were recast in 1987 or 1988 into circulars that needed fewer vehicles - operated by Midland Red West at first.