97 finally extended?

[Ashley]

could extend it the other way to lands end via every fishing village and town city in the south west :D

[CRP2012]

could extend it the other way to lands end via every fishing village and town city in the south west :D

maybe then onto the ferry to france  :D

[monkeyjoe]

Have to say it's getting a bit boring now. Happy days.

[Stu]

SOOOO... getting back to topic...

Does anyone have any further information on this VOSA registration yet?

[Steveminor]

Why not extend it on to Solihull via the 966 route. Years back when I was at RAI I extended the 97s to the airport & it was successful. The only drawback was that RAI kept taking the buses & using them to bolster the private hire fleet, which was the downfall to their whole bus operation in the end. If they hadn't done that then an extension past the airport to Solihull was next on the cards.
But think of it from NXWM perspective, they could then terminate the 966 @ chelmsley wood & increase its frequency & reliability

[monkeyjoe]

The 72 & 73 as they stand as not know that much for reliability I could see a lot of issues if the 97 was extended that far.

[dayvid]

Lets just leave it terminating at the airport. Think realistic now kids.

[Stu]

Lets just leave it terminating at the airport. Think realistic now kids.

Agreed. The main purpose of the 97 extension to the Airport, as hinted at in the Surface Access Strategy document I linked to earlier, is to provide a direct link from areas of East Birmingham, where people who work at the airport may live or travel from. There wouldn't be any point in extending it further.

Though one might argue for these employees "why not catch the train?". The Aiport might also be planning to offer employees discounted travel passes, and it would be cheaper to procure NXWM Faresavers, rather than try and subsidise their rail travel.  ;)

[Westy]

Probably more reliable than the train, considering recent events!

[CRP2012]

Probably more reliable than the train, considering recent events!

& more convenient,some might perfer going to a bus stop at end of there street rather than having to divert my trip via a rail stn,what some might have to use a bus to get to!

[monkeyjoe]

I would be interested how the timetable integrates with the 966. I could see the 97 extension being every every 20 mins as would not work with a 30 min 966. So realistically every 15mins meaning the core 97 would be 7/8. Or possibly every 15 mins so could integrate every 15 mins with 966 and main service being every 10 mins.

Not sure if that makes sense, but proving got too  much time on my hands at the moment.

[CRP2012]

I would be interested how the timetable integrates with the 966. I could see the 97 extension being every every 20 mins as would not work with a 30 min 966. So realistically every 15mins meaning the core 97 would be 7/8. Or possibly every 15 mins so could integrate every 15 mins with 966 and main service being every 10 mins.

Not sure if that makes sense, but proving got too  much time on my hands at the moment.

i would think they make it so the 97 Would operate every 10 mins on current route,with 30 mins extentions to the airport,if they ever made the 966 Every 20 mins (would this be needed really?) then have 97 Airport every 20 Mins

[Sh4318]

I think either alternate journeys or buses every 30 mins will extend to the Airport. Any idea which way it's getting to the Airport from Chelmsley Wood?

[sonic84]

I would like to see it run a similar route to the 777, so it can call in to the Business Park during peak times, but realistically, I'm guessing that following the 966 route is what will happen.

[JB93]

I'd have thought it probably gets to Coleshill Heath Road like it already does at the moment, and instead of going left to the terminus it would go right straight down to the Airport following the 966. Seems the most logical option. But will it take the 97 route through Helmswood Drive or the 97A route through Bluebell Drive?

And with regards to frequency, it says in that document the current frequencies of the buses that go there don't encourage bus travel to the airport, and a more frequent link is needed. So making it every 20 or 30 minutes would surely defeat the object of extending it in the first place, as it won't be a frequent link.