Routes that deserve a bus upgrade

[karl724223]

i say every route at pensnett to compensate years of other garages sh?t buses

[monkeyjoe]

94 definately, the operations director bloke reckons, they will be making some sort of upgrade later in the year. Agree the competitions buses put NX to shame, also agree its seems like they are not bothered. Especially since Lea Hall closed.

[JB93]

Completely agree with the 94, it hasn't seen new buses since the Tridents first arrived at Lea Hall, and Claribels' buses are squeaky clean as well as brand new. The fares are cheaper, the buses are brighter, quicker and much more modern... no wonder Claribels do so well on the route! Same with the 16 I agree, these are two routes that are given whatever is left over after other routes have come first and as two of PB's busiest routes they deserve a lot better. I never, never understood why the 33 has always had such preferential treatment when there are much quicker routes to where it goes i.e. 934, 935, 997

Another one I'd nominate is the 97. I know they've already branded Tridents for it so new buses are unlikely but as one of NXWM's most frequent routes, if not the most frequent alongside the 50, it deserves flagship status, especially now it runs all night.

Also the 900 and 957 should get some sort of express branding and new buses.

[Trident 4609]

Either way i think PB will get some of the new E400 for the 16/94 and would probably be used on the sutton lines and 33 sometimes

[PM]

It seems ironic that NXWM went very defensive when connect arrived on the 37 which it did terribly on but claribels seems to make a killing on the 94 and national express dont respond??!!

[Bob]

The 900 takes ages tho, if they branded it express people would think they were takin the mick lol! It should have some buses with coach seats tho like it used to

[andy]

The 900 takes ages tho, if they branded it express people would think they were takin the mick lol! It should have some buses with coach seats tho like it used to

The 900 as an express service with dual purpose seating was only really viable while the train service was so poor and slow. The train service is now a hundred times better than it was so the 900 is more about local connections than going from Birmingham to Coventry.

A true express service between Coventry and Birmingham in order to be effective would have to mirror the Red Arrow type services between Nottingham and Derby, with no stopping. I'm amazed nobody ever tried it, but not that NX didn't, as they lack imagination.

The opposite is true for instance of the Walsall to Birmingham corridor, where the X51 can actually be quicker than the train and far more frequent.

[monkeyjoe]

It seems ironic that NXWM went very defensive when connect arrived on the 37 which it did terribly on but claribels seems to make a killing on the 94 and national express dont respond??!!

Wouldn't be surprised if they have some sort of secret agreement. When Claribels  first joined I remember when they went very defensive and made the route almost every 4 mins between the city and Arran Way. (When Lynx's used to operate it).

The Tame Valley days they went that bit further by buying up the company.

[Gareth]

There was a lot more to Tame Valley than just another local competition bus company. WMT must have been very nervous by having one of the newly forming big groups make such an impact on their door step. I've since learned that Washwood Heath garage was almost closed down as a result. Tame Valley were all over East Birmingham. Routes 26,28,55,94,97,663. Plus a couple in North Birmingham/Walsall. I'm sure the £1M cash paid for the old knackered fleet made them very happy.

[winston]

There was a lot more to Tame Valley than just another local competition bus company. WMT must have been very nervous by having one of the newly forming big groups make such an impact on their door step. I've since learned that Washwood Heath garage was almost closed down as a result. Tame Valley were all over East Birmingham. Routes 26,28,55,94,97,663. Plus a couple in North Birmingham/Walsall. I'm sure the £1M cash paid for the old knackered fleet made them very happy.

Tame Valley did make a big impact and quite quickly, they were backed financially by one of the big groups rather than owned weren't they?

[Gareth]

That may have been the situation. All got a bit muddled in the brain over the years. Frontline were another group to take on East Birmingham, using mostly ex WMT buses and part of Bagerline I believe. I liked them, a Routemaster on the 94, epic!

[winston]

That may have been the situation. All got a bit muddled in the brain over the years. Frontline were another group to take on East Birmingham, using mostly ex WMT buses and part of Bagerline I believe. I liked them, a Routemaster on the 94, epic!

I think Tame Valley may have been back by Stagecoach?

It was Frontline that were taken over by Bagerline who in turn merged with GRT Holdings to become First Bus, I don't recall Frontline competing with WMT on any great scale

[andy]

That may have been the situation. All got a bit muddled in the brain over the years. Frontline were another group to take on East Birmingham, using mostly ex WMT buses and part of Bagerline I believe. I liked them, a Routemaster on the 94, epic!

I think Tame Valley may have been back by Stagecoach?

It was Frontline that were taken over by Bagerline who in turn merged with GRT Holdings to become First Bus, I don't recall Frontline competing with WMT on any great scale

Most of Frontline's activity in the West Midlands was tendered, the 94 was a bit of an anomaly. Their primary focus was to engage Midland Red North although I was never really sure what the Badgerline Group were hoping to achieve with that.

In the event I think it was more of a tactic than an actual concrete plan as all they did was retain the competing services that already existed under its previous guise, Burman Travel. Badgerline only acquired one new vehicle for Frontline, the only other acquisitions being elderly cast offs from other Badgerline operators. They quickly lost interest and sold up to Drawlane/Cowie.

[Gareth]

Tame valley was either backed or owned by British Bus (if I remember correctly)

And Frontline operated commercially on the 94 and 96(or was it the 97) as well as their tendered work.

[winston]

That may have been the situation. All got a bit muddled in the brain over the years. Frontline were another group to take on East Birmingham, using mostly ex WMT buses and part of Bagerline I believe. I liked them, a Routemaster on the 94, epic!

I think Tame Valley may have been back by Stagecoach?

It was Frontline that were taken over by Bagerline who in turn merged with GRT Holdings to become First Bus, I don't recall Frontline competing with WMT on any great scale

Most of Frontline's activity in the West Midlands was tendered, the 94 was a bit of an anomaly. Their primary focus was to engage Midland Red North although I was never really sure what the Badgerline Group were hoping to achieve with that.

In the event I think it was more of a tactic than an actual concrete plan as all they did was retain the competing services that already existed under its previous guise, Burman Travel. Badgerline only acquired one new vehicle for Frontline, the only other acquisitions being elderly cast offs from other Badgerline operators. They quickly lost interest and sold up to Drawlane/Cowie.

Thanks Andy, some of those bits I can remember, but I'm really straining the memory banks with that!

Wasn't Serverse Travel related to the Burman / Frontline original owners as well? They competed with WMT on the 96 & 97at least

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