Diamond Bus - Discussion

[Trident 4194]

10 minute frequency on 4H. That's the best it's ever had

[2206]

Hi Simon

With Social Distancing being the key phrase, have Rotala thought about reintroducing deckers to the Diamond WM fleet (I know they had them prior to Rotala taking over back in '08)

Think it was more recently than 2008 when Diamond last had deckers in the West Midlands fleet?
I'm sure there were some Olympians that were used on the 97 in 2011/2012. Operated under Blue Diamond.

[ellspurs]

Think it was more recently than 2008 when Diamond last had deckers in the West Midlands fleet?
I'm sure there were some Olympians that were used on the 97 in 2011/2012. Operated under Blue Diamond.

I must've missed them. I can't recall ever seeing a double decker Diamond bus in the West Midlands.

I remember being surprised when I saw one in Manchester, although that was more "what are they doing up here" than "oh it's a double decker".

[Trident 4194]

Only a year or maybe too we had central deckers operating on the 4,002,301 302

[Jack]

Think it was more recently than 2008 when Diamond last had deckers in the West Midlands fleet?
I'm sure there were some Olympians that were used on the 97 in 2011/2012. Operated under Blue Diamond.

I remember seeing them on the 37 (4)too.

[Busboy105]

Think it was more recently than 2008 when Diamond last had deckers in the West Midlands fleet?
I'm sure there were some Olympians that were used on the 97 in 2011/2012. Operated under Blue Diamond.

yeah you are right. Tony re-posted a couple images of them about a month ago.
If Rotala are going to bring double deckers into Birmingham, what services would they be put on? The 16 and the 50 don't carry enough passengers to warrant them having them unlike their NX counterparts.

[Steve3229vp]

From Sunday 31st May
4   Walsall to West Bromwich   Will continue to be withdrawn and replaced with a NEW 10 minute frequency 4H service between Walsall and Hayley Green via West Bromwich.
4H   Walsall to Hayley Green   Increased to a NEW 10 minute frequency 4H service between Walsall and Hayley Green via West Bromwich.
16   Hamstead to Birmingham   Will be extended to include 16W route. Operating a NEW 10 minute frequency from West Bromwich to Birmingham via Hamstead.
16W   West Bromwich to Birmingham   Will be renumbered & combined with 16, Operating a NEW 10 minute frequency from West Bromwich to Birmingham via Hamstead.
202   Halesowen to Bromsgrove   Will be replaced with NEW 44 route, which will operate hourly Monday to Saturday from Halesowen to Bromsgrove via Quinton, Northfield, Rubery, Lydiate Ash and Princess of Wales Hospital, Bromsgrove.
146   Redditch to Birmingham   Will not be a reinstated service

[sonic84]

From Sunday 31st May
4   Walsall to West Bromwich   Will continue to be withdrawn and replaced with a NEW 10 minute frequency 4H service between Walsall and Hayley Green via West Bromwich.
4H   Walsall to Hayley Green   Increased to a NEW 10 minute frequency 4H service between Walsall and Hayley Green via West Bromwich.
16   Hamstead to Birmingham   Will be extended to include 16W route. Operating a NEW 10 minute frequency from West Bromwich to Birmingham via Hamstead.
16W   West Bromwich to Birmingham   Will be renumbered & combined with 16, Operating a NEW 10 minute frequency from West Bromwich to Birmingham via Hamstead.
202   Halesowen to Bromsgrove   Will be replaced with NEW 44 route, which will operate hourly Monday to Saturday from Halesowen to Bromsgrove via Quinton, Northfield, Rubery, Lydiate Ash and Princess of Wales Hospital, Bromsgrove.
146   Redditch to Birmingham   Will not be a reinstated service

The changes to the 202 will leave parts of Frankley with no bus service and Lickey with a much reduced service.

I wonder whether Worcester CC will introduced a subsidised service between Alvechurch and Redditch?

[Cedric]

From Sunday 31st May
4   Walsall to West Bromwich   Will continue to be withdrawn and replaced with a NEW 10 minute frequency 4H service between Walsall and Hayley Green via West Bromwich.
4H   Walsall to Hayley Green   Increased to a NEW 10 minute frequency 4H service between Walsall and Hayley Green via West Bromwich.
16   Hamstead to Birmingham   Will be extended to include 16W route. Operating a NEW 10 minute frequency from West Bromwich to Birmingham via Hamstead.
16W   West Bromwich to Birmingham   Will be renumbered & combined with 16, Operating a NEW 10 minute frequency from West Bromwich to Birmingham via Hamstead.
202   Halesowen to Bromsgrove   Will be replaced with NEW 44 route, which will operate hourly Monday to Saturday from Halesowen to Bromsgrove via Quinton, Northfield, Rubery, Lydiate Ash and Princess of Wales Hospital, Bromsgrove.
146   Redditch to Birmingham   Will not be a reinstated service

the  303 kidderminster worcester    Will not be a reinstated service

[MW]

The changes to the 202 will leave parts of Frankley with no bus service and Lickey with a much reduced service.

I wonder whether Worcester CC will introduced a subsidised service between Alvechurch and Redditch?

I imagine that's what Diamond are hoping for. Same goes for the 303.

[Dom]

10 minute frequency on 4H. That's the best it's ever had

It's also a ridiculously high frequency for a route that doesn't need it. Gaurentee it won't last long. Also gaurentee that it won't take long for you to complain about them not going round Hayley Green or the state of the buses on there.

[winston]

It's also a ridiculously high frequency for a route that doesn't need it. Gaurentee it won't last long. Also gaurentee that it won't take long for you to complain about them not going round Hayley Green or the state of the buses on there.

There were far too many buses per hour through to Hayley Green even before lockdown with Diamond/NXWM frequencies combined, at the moment with Diamond's 6 bph & NXWM's 2 bph from 24th May, there will now be 8 bph where it was 7 bph previously, Diamond (4), NXWM (3). Hopefully, NX don't do anything stupid like ramp up their 4H frequency again during June.....

[Trident 4194]

It's also a ridiculously high frequency for a route that doesn't need it. Gaurentee it won't last long. Also gaurentee that it won't take long for you to complain about them not going round Hayley Green or the state of the buses on there.

All they have done is added an extra bus to the 4/4H. Increasing the competition on NX too is interesting to see. The 4H makes more sense than the 4.

[Trident 4194]

It's also a ridiculously high frequency for a route that doesn't need it. Gaurentee it won't last long. Also gaurentee that it won't take long for you to complain about them not going round Hayley Green or the state of the buses on there.

Maybe that's why the 4H branded buses have been debranded? New branding coming onto reflect the changes I would imagine?

[winston]

All they have done is added an extra bus to the 4/4H. Increasing the competition on NX too is interesting to see. The 4H makes more sense than the 4.

It doesn't make sense the Hayley Green end, as Diamond already seem to carry the lion's share of 4H passengers as it was, so they'll just be diluting their own revenue per bus, unless there's something I'm missing i.e. it makes an overall pvr saving overall the combined new route & it's swings & roundabouts etc....