Yardley Wood Garage

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I remember the 145, 202 (and sister service 201) and 318 well - they were all single deckers. I think the closest WMT have got to Bromsgrove with a DD was the short-lived 945 Timesaver service that ran as far as Barnt Green.

West Mids DD's have visited Bromsgrove in the recent past when they ran a service to Villa Park AV5 or similar seems to ring a bell not a regular service I grant you (I take it there was no demand for one to St Andrews as well )

The 145 was Nationals then Lynxes only ever remember seeing Nationals on the 318 which TWM operated evenings and Sundays in the mid to late eighties

[2206]

Interesting line on the NX website.
"The service will initially run up to every 70 minutes whilst we fully integrate it into our network and work with Worcester County Council on plans to operate a more frequent service.".

From that sounds like it could potentially be made more frequent and intergrated with other routes like the 63 or 20  in the future.

[Stu]

Interesting line on the NX website.
"The service will initially run up to every 70 minutes whilst we fully integrate it into our network and work with Worcester County Council on plans to operate a more frequent service.".

From that sounds like it could potentially be made more frequent and intergrated with other routes like the 63 or 20  in the future.

Its all been put together very 'last minute' so the network planners won't have had a proper chance to look at all available options, hence the 'odd' 70 minute frequency.

As for its future, well that very much depends on the passengers and how regularly they use it.

[Tony]

To get a service out in less than a week is quite a challenge, specially one withdrawn by another operator, so you know not much income so have to get the costs to a bare minimum

[Stu]

Is it too soon to ask how the 144A is doing?

From reviewing journeys on BusTimes, one positive appears to be that it has run pretty reliably today, so at least the timetable has been planned out correctly. (If a service is going to run to an irregular 'non-clockface' schedule, passengers at least need to be confident the bus will turn up when it is suppposed to.)

On the other hand, buses find it easier to run to schedule if they are not having to stop and pick up or drop off passengers.

But equally, I hope that passenger numbers haven't been 'boosted' by enthusiasts just looking for a nice ride out to Bromsgrove and back.

[2206]

On the other hand, buses find it easier to run to schedule if they are not having to stop and pick up or drop off passengers.

But equally, I hope that passenger numbers haven't been 'boosted' by enthusiasts just looking for a nice ride out to Bromsgrove and back.

Not necessarily when I caught 6842 into Solihull this morning 7.49, it had a full bus all the way to Solihull passengers boarded and alight in Solihull then full bus out of Solihull. Dead on time through the whole route, as very light traffic. And it started its next trip 08.44 on time to.

I think it was said that the route would run for 6 months. They will probably review the usage over the weeks and months to come.
If people are using it not a bad thing surely. Some people do use buses for days out to, when I went to Stratford on a Sunday last year on the X50 I remember there were people on the bus and came back on the same return a few hours later all the ways back to Birmingham. Leisure travellers, etc.

[BBS]

Im not sure but has E001s rear dest been fixed as i reported it a couple of times 

[Stu]

Im not sure but has E001s rear dest been fixed as i reported it a couple of times

Looks like it has, I noticed it myself on the Stratford Road a few days ago showing a rear destination finally.

[BBS]

Looks like it has, I noticed it myself on the Stratford Road a few days ago showing a rear destination finally.

Great it was not working for a while and i haven't seen e001 for quite some time now 

[Stu]

Great it was not working for a while and i haven't seen e001 for quite some time now

It's been out on the 6 every day for the last couple of weeks.

[Jack]

Have any other more Tridents at YW been Euro 6'd other than 4590?

[Tony]

all the 46xx at YW are Euro 6

[Tony]

Another of the long missing Tridents has returned to service today.
4608 which has been dead since January after engine failure is out on the 18 today

[Stu]

Road traffic accident this morning blocked off Stoney Lane in both directions (at the junction with Wilton Road), so myself and a near bus-full of passengers had to be turfed off to walk the rest of the way into Sparkbrook.

I was on a 3 which was already running late due to the traffic queue on Stoney Lane, and there was a 2 just behind us. There were also two other buses coming in the opposite direction, which also found themselves stuck.

I didn't hear this exactly as I was sat towards the rear of the bus, but while walking up Stoney Lane, I passed two other passengers who'd been on the same bus, and I overheard the one complaining to the other about our driver, "it came on the radio, to divert down Showell Green Lane, but he just carried on", or something along those lines.

I do remember something coming over the radio, but I can't remember where we were exactly, so I'm not trying to blame the driver or cause any trouble.

Ironically, after walking up and across to Stratford Road, the bus I then caught to complete my journey was the later 3, which obviously had heard the radio announcement in good time and diverted.

Looking at BusTimes later on, those buses look to have been stuck there for over an hour. I guess its just as frustrating for bus operators to have vehicles 'trapped' like this, especially on roads like Stoney Lane where there is no way of turning vehicles this size around. "The only way is forward!"

As for the incident itself, thankfully it looked like no-one was hurt, the white car had some visible side damage (as well as the airbags being set off), though there was no sign of any other vehicle involved, so presumably the police were called either because it was a 'hit-and-run' or just because the damaged car couldn't be moved on its own and was causing an obstruction.
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[Tony]

Road traffic accident this morning blocked off Stoney Lane in both directions (at the junction with Wilton Road), so myself and a near bus-full of passengers had to be turfed off to walk the rest of the way into Sparkbrook.

I was on a 3 which was already running late due to the traffic queue on Stoney Lane, and there was a 2 just behind us. There were also two other buses coming in the opposite direction, which also found themselves stuck.

I didn't hear this exactly as I was sat towards the rear of the bus, but while walking up Stoney Lane, I passed two other passengers who'd been on the same bus, and I overheard the one complaining to the other about our driver, "it came on the radio, to divert down Showell Green Lane, but he just carried on", or something along those lines.

I do remember something coming over the radio, but I can't remember where we were exactly, so I'm not trying to blame the driver or cause any trouble.

Ironically, after walking up and across to Stratford Road, the bus I then caught to complete my journey was the later 3, which obviously had heard the radio announcement in good time and diverted.

Looking at BusTimes later on, those buses look to have been stuck there for over an hour. I guess its just as frustrating for bus operators to have vehicles 'trapped' like this, especially on roads like Stoney Lane where there is no way of turning vehicles this size around. "The only way is forward!"

As for the incident itself, thankfully it looked like no-one was hurt, the white car had some visible side damage (as well as the airbags being set off), though there was no sign of any other vehicle involved, so presumably the police were called either because it was a 'hit-and-run' or just because the damaged car couldn't be moved on its own and was causing an obstruction.
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Yes, An Inspector was sent to the scene to free the stuck buses, but the police refused to allow them to be moved. Luckily (not for the drivers involved) a couple were due to change drivers at the outer, so YW were able to give the relief drivers a different bus so the service wasn't four buses missing.