North Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield Review

[andy]

Couple of school services changing in the North Birmingham area on 9th June

PD0001111/129 - WEST MIDLANDS TRAVEL LTD T/A TRAVEL WEST MIDLANDS, 51 BORDESLEY GREEN, BIRMINGHAM, B9 4BZ

Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Gillity Village, Redruth Road and Barr Beacon Comprehensive School given service number 705/705A effective from 09-Jun-2013. To amend Route and Timetable.

PD0001111/130 - WEST MIDLANDS TRAVEL LTD T/A TRAVEL WEST MIDLANDS, 51 BORDESLEY GREEN, BIRMINGHAM, B9 4BZ

Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Walsall, Milton Street and Barr Beacon Comprehensive School given service number 704 effective from 09-Jun-2013. To amend Route and Timetable.

PD0001111/406 - WEST MIDLANDS TRAVEL LTD T/A TRAVEL WEST MIDLANDS, 51 BORDESLEY GREEN, BIRMINGHAM, B9 4BZ

Cancellation Accepted by SN: Operating between Walsall, Beacon Road, Barr Beacon School and Birmingham, Great Barr, Merrions Close given service number 705S effective from 09-Jun-2013.

I believe the 705 has a slight re-route around Gillity Village. The 705A is being renumbered to the 788 and the 704/705S are merged into the new 881. (705S route to the Bell Inn, Walstead Road then 704 route to Milton Street).

Other minor changes include the X51 serving an additional stop (Alexander Stadium), X51 journeys to Cannock using the Arriva 1 & 2 stop in Walsall instead of Stand B and the 997 using the 6/7/7A (To Walsall) stop in Aldridge (the current stop is the otherside of the road - both directions will now be on the same side of the road).

Also of note is this article in the Express & Star today concerning the 952 route. The article suggests it is not confirmed yet though. http://www.expressandstar.com/news/transport-news/2013/05/09/anger-at-great-barr-bus-route-scheme/

Just sounds like a bunch of disgruntled do-gooders who just don't want a bus down their road. If it gives greater transport links (which by the sounds of things it does) then where's the issue? If a bus going past can knock their garden wall over I think they need to find new builders.

Good grief I bet the hack that drew the straw for that job couldn't wait to get to work...

People like these should basically be told to do one. When you buy a house you acquire the house and whatever plot of land it is built on. You do not acquire the pavement, the grass verge, the automatic right to a permanent parking space immediately outside or any part of the road. That all remains public property, paid for and maintained by tax payers and road fund licence payers. There are no weight restrictions or limited access conditions, therefore a bus operator should be entitled to register it as a bus route and expect support from the local authority to provide the facilities required, as long as they are commiting to operate it responsibly.

Whether two silver foxes can retire gracefully at the same time as the occasional bus passes them by really shouldn't be of major concern. 

[Kevin]

Do you know the area though? Have you seen the route that article seems to suggest? Its awful, goes half a mile up the Walsall road, to do a U turn, turns left then near enough immediately right, ends up 50 yards down beeches road from where it originally would have been with not much to show for it, it wouldn't even make it as far as Scott Arms it would U turn before that. Turnberry road is only just about manageable as it is, if they put mini or midi-buses on that road it perhaps wouldn't be that bad, I can see no sense in sending any bus down Foden road, the 424 already does and from what I can see no one uses it.
(rant over, apologies)

[lynx1103]

Question regarding 997 will evenings and Sundays be re-routed via foley arms/Deers Leap because the running time will be very tight and unrealistic.

[Steve3229vp]

I agree entirely, sending the 952 down Foden Road would be silly and would take too long, I agree with an earlier post by having the 952 using Beeches Road, Thornbridge Road and Hassop Road in BOTH directions and have a separate route going to and from Scott Arms via Booths Farm Road, Turnberry Road, Beeches and may be to Kingstanding Circle via Old Oscott as this link is likely to disappear.

[Steve3229vp]

I know I've asked this before but does anybody know if the peak frequency on the 907 (whether it includes the 907A or not) will be improved ?, it needs it badly and does anybody know whats happening with route 28 ?

[Steve3229vp]

This has appeared on Central Buses page on Facebook

Commencing Sunday 9th June 2013

Service 28 (Dyas Road - Erdington via Hawthorn Road) - Service Withdrawn

Service 76 (Old Oscott - Walsall via Kingstanding & Pheasey) - Service Withdrawn. Revised 88 service will replace the section of route between Old Oscott and Kingstanding and National Express 934 service will replace the route between Kingstanding and Walsall

Service 78 (Streetly - Sutton Coldfield via Mere Green) - Weekday timetable enhanced to operate every 30 minutes. Route extended in the Streetly area via Bakers Lane to terminate at Parson & Clerk

Service 88 / 88A (Streetly - Kingstanding - Erdington) - Route & Timetable revised. Off peak journeys will now operate between Kingstanding and Erdington via Old Oscott & Finchley Road as Service 88A due to low patronage in the Streetly area. Peak time journeys will continue to operate along the existing 88 route between Streetly and Erdington at revised times.

Now how NWM pulling there fingers out and publish all the changes  !!!

[uniquicity]

http://www.networkwestmidlands.com/bus/servicechanges/ServiceChangesPages/09June2013.aspx

[monkeyjoe]

Doesn't look like their are a great deal of changes apart from the 934/936 etc as compared with other reviews. I suppose if major changes aren't needed why bother.

[winston]

Doesn't look like their are a great deal of changes apart from the 934/936 etc as compared with other reviews. I suppose if major changes aren't needed why bother.

That's exactly what I was thinking....

[Steve3229vp]

Looks like the 907 has been neglected again - "Timetable amended" doesn't inspire me much !!!

[vinh1000]

46   National Express West Midlands   Perry Barr - Birmingham via Newtown   Route Curtailed Perry Barr / Witton - extension withdrwan   Timetable Amended

woo this is good :D

[andy]

Doesn't look like their are a great deal of changes apart from the 934/936 etc as compared with other reviews. I suppose if major changes aren't needed why bother.

That's exactly what I was thinking....

The network is still largely based on what we had 25 years ago, I believe it needs major changes, but then until they pull their fingers out and turn Sutton Coldfield into the practical transport hub it needs to be, it would all be futile anyway.

[Westy]

Any idea which of the Walsall via Pheasey / Kingstanding to Brum links will have evening & Sunday services?

Not convinced about the reduction in running time on the X51 between Cannock & Walsall, as when I caught it between Bloxwich & Walsall, it was always late anyway. (It was timed at my stop at 654am, but always seemed to be nearer 7 when it arrived!)

My sister(who now catches that particular journey into City) said there is waiting time at Walsall anyway, but bearing in mind my sister has been highly critical of the reliability of the return journeys back home, so I expect more moaning from her if that continues.

(By the way, how many more of the evening journeys on Walsall 70 can they withdraw? It's an hourly frequency now! Maybe it's time once   the Bloxwich railway station situation has been sorted out, to look at service provision on that route?

Maybe put an evening & Sunday service on the 69 as far as New Invention, allowing for connections with the 89 maybe & not sure about the Dudleys Fields section, unless they increase the 326, including an evening & Sunday service.

The couple of drawbacks I can see is the factories on Leamore Lane between Dudleys Fields & Beechdale, plus the northern section of Bloxwich Lane, how would they be served if the 70 was withdrawn completely?

Or how about running a route Walsall to Bloxwich Lane, turn right at Leamore Lane, left at KFC into Somerfield Road, continue into Bloxwich then a one way circle around Dudleys Fields like the 25 does!)

[Bob]

How much have they shaved off the cannock - walsall journey time then? To be honeat anything that makes it quicker could be a viable alternative to the train

[Stu]

The North Birmingham changes are listed here:
http://www.networkwestmidlands.com/BusReview/North_Birmingham_changes.aspx

Remarkably 'low-key' I must say, compared to other reviews. Still, now I see 'Matthew McKenzie' on my Facebook page has made himself look silly, as the only change to the 71A has been to introduce a 'summer timetable'.  ::)