Number 9 Service 26/11/12

[Ash]

I caught the 9 today and with the train service between snow hill and kidderminster suspended and everyone being diverted onto using the 9/120/127 i was wondering were extra buses put on the 9 service especially. At 17:30 there must have been 500+ people waiting for the 9 service and 3 double deckers couldnt cope with the demand with a 9E behind that got full straight away all 4 buses left rammed with well over 100+ left waiting. There was alot of 9E buses terminating at Halesowen just wondered if they were extra buses put on to cope with the demand as most people wanted Stourbridge so the buses never really emptied from Birmingham.

[Westy]

How were people getting to points south of Stourbridge, Kiddy, Worcester etc?

Does a bus service still run from Halesowen to Kiddy?

I caught one a few years back.

[Tony]

How were people getting to points south of Stourbridge, Kiddy, Worcester etc?

Does a bus service still run from Halesowen to Kiddy?

I caught one a few years back.

Trains were running between Stourbridge & Kidderminster, as the 9 drops you in in Town and Trains were from Junction I bet the PPM was busy as well! a whole bus load of passengers onto one PPM?

[Ash]

How were people getting to points south of Stourbridge, Kiddy, Worcester etc?

Does a bus service still run from Halesowen to Kiddy?

I caught one a few years back.

Trains were running between Stourbridge & Kidderminster, as the 9 drops you in in Town and Trains were from Junction I bet the PPM was busy as well! a whole bus load of passengers onto one PPM?

Went I got to Stourbridge has I had to visit there trains were running between Kidderminster and Stourbridge this was around 7pm but on the Chiltern Train I was from Solihull at around 5pm the conductor said any people wanting Kidderminster should go to New Street and change at Droitwich as there are no trains running past Snowhill to Kidderminster obviously incorrect information was given. I had never seen so many people in Birmingham trying to get on one bus well 4 actually.

[richie]

I caught the 9 today and with the train service between snow hill and kidderminster suspended and everyone being diverted onto using the 9/120/127 i was wondering were extra buses put on the 9 service especially. At 17:30 there must have been 500+ people waiting for the 9 service and 3 double deckers couldnt cope with the demand with a 9E behind that got full straight away all 4 buses left rammed with well over 100+ left waiting. There was alot of 9E buses terminating at Halesowen just wondered if they were extra buses put on to cope with the demand as most people wanted Stourbridge so the buses never really emptied from Birmingham.

There would be no provision to run extra buses as there would be none available.

[Ashley]

We've got an over sized reserve fleet, a chunk of which is surely roadworthy. If there were as many people waiting for buses as you say there were then its a bit of a missed oppurtunity

[winston]

We've got an over sized reserve fleet, a chunk of which is surely roadworthy. If there were as many people waiting for buses as you say there were then its a bit of a missed oppurtunity

The reserve fleet is in as withdrawn condition; therefore buses being pulled out of reserve would need preparing for service / 28 day checks / servicing / re-moting / taxing etc they couldn't just be scrambled in to service at a moment's notice. With the costs involved it wouldn't be worth NXWM's while to put on extra 9's just for a day

[Ash]

We've got an over sized reserve fleet, a chunk of which is surely roadworthy. If there were as many people waiting for buses as you say there were then its a bit of a missed oppurtunity

Yeah there were masses of people the buses couldnt take them away quick enough and there was a similar queue size for the 120 as they werent one of them to be seen expected with the problems around langley road closures, heavy traffic, diversions etc. Im sure PE have a couple double deckers that may be free in the garage possibly not all 30 double deckers are in service at one time also extra double deckers could of come from WB as some drivers know the 9 service from working the 9s extra's. As i was on a 9E I had to get off at Halesowen and catch the one behind, fortunately 2 number 9's turned up both double deckers and both rammed full I was lucky to find the one seat upstairs as it was standing only downstairs and remained the same from Halesowen to Stourbridge as nearly everyone wanted the train station. Obviously the people in charge thought their would be enough bus options available and didnt call upon road transport to provide extra capacity or a direct link between Snow hill and Stourbridge town/junction.

[nitromatt1]

Anybody know why the trains were suspended today? I heard something about a fire.

[Ash]

yeah fire at some alcoholic bottling factory or something so was giving off fire balls etc evacuations of the local area had to occur but the rail station is very close to it so the line had to be closed.

[winston]

We've got an over sized reserve fleet, a chunk of which is surely roadworthy. If there were as many people waiting for buses as you say there were then its a bit of a missed oppurtunity

Yeah there were masses of people the buses couldnt take them away quick enough and there was a similar queue size for the 120 as they werent one of them to be seen expected with the problems around langley road closures, heavy traffic, diversions etc. Im sure PE have a couple double deckers that may be free in the garage possibly not all 30 double deckers are in service at one time also extra double deckers could of come from WB as some drivers know the 9 service from working the 9s extra's. As i was on a 9E I had to get off at Halesowen and catch the one behind, fortunately 2 number 9's turned up both double deckers and both rammed full I was lucky to find the one seat upstairs as it was standing only downstairs and remained the same from Halesowen to Stourbridge as nearly everyone wanted the train station. Obviously the people in charge thought their would be enough bus options available and didnt call upon road transport to provide extra capacity or a direct link between Snow hill and Stourbridge town/junction.

If the trains were suspended due to engineering works or were going to be suspended for a longer period of time i.e the rest of the week, replacement bus/coach services could have been organized. But when its due to something unexpected like a fire and only for a day, unfortunately commuters just have to find alternative means of getting from A-B using existing services. NXWM garages don't carry the available spare buses these days, those that are spare are generally on the pits or off the road, therefore NX would have been unable to react to a situation like today at such short notice. Finding spare drivers would have also have been another issue at such short notice

[Ash]

thanks for info Winston

[winston]

thanks for info Winston

No worries!

[richie]

The lack of buses may not be as much of an issue as finding drivers to drive them? London midland can't operate their timetable yet people expect NX to have buses and drivers hanging around in case the train can't operate ?

[danny]

Well I live in langley and it been mayhem all day could see and here the fire giving off all day, can honestly say the 122 came into its own today as was the only bus allowed round the area, it still simmering as we speak