Merry Hill better bus scheme

[Dylan4579]

The key elements of the
proposal are:
- Brand new state of the art bus station, with 25% increase in capacity, full DDA
compliance and high quality passenger information and facilities
- Significant highway measures to remove delays and increase reliability for
buses in the Brierley Hill area, including a dedicated bus only link and two bus
lanes with bus gates
- Segregation of buses from general traffic without loss of highway capacity
- New bus stop infrastructure and RTI at key locations along strategic routes
- New commercial multi-operator Smartcard (e-purse and bus)
- Bespoke marketing and communications campaign
- Workwise support to help 1,090 people into employment
- £2.2.m investment in brand new euro 5 buses
- On Vehicle Displays (Talking Buses) on strategic routes, which are:
- 002 Merry Hill - Weoley Castle
- 81 Merry Hill - Wolverhampton via Dudley
- 222 Merry Hill - Dudley
- 226 Merry Hill - Dudley
- 246 Stourbridge - Dudley
- 255 Merry Hill - Wolverhampton
- 297 Halesowen - Stickley via Merry Hill
- X96 Wollaston - Wrens Nest via Merry Hill and Dudley


The 2.2M pounds for new buses is coming from both NXWM and Diamond

[Justin Tyme]

Sounds good - especially the highway and segregation measures.

I know at least some of it is coming - I hope it *all* happens.

[Trident 4609]

I'm confused about routes 81 and 255 having next stop announcements as i can't sew them installing tridents and mercs with Next Stop Announcements. New buses maybe?

[Ash]

New buses from diamond guess the investment could be for the 226 as the 002 has the centro's.

[nitromatt1]

I'm confused about routes 81 and 255 having next stop announcements as i can't sew them installing tridents and mercs with Next Stop Announcements. New buses maybe?

Diamond

[Trident 4609]

I'm confused about routes 81 and 255 having next stop announcements as i can't sew them installing tridents and mercs with Next Stop Announcements. New buses maybe?

Diamond

No the NX 255 and 81 will have NSA aswell

[nitromatt1]

I'm confused about routes 81 and 255 having next stop announcements as i can't sew them installing tridents and mercs with Next Stop Announcements. New buses maybe?

Diamond

No the NX 255 and 81 will have NSA aswell

Are you sure? (I'm not saying you're wrong)

Perhaps B7RLEs will be allocated to both routes which will be fitted with announcements. Two ideas off the top of my head:

1: Swap the 81's Mercs and 255's Tridents with B7RLE route/s (e.g. the 2/3/4), putting those Mercs and Tridents on the other routes and the B7RLEs fitted with next stop announcements placed on the 81 and 255.

or 2: Another new order of B7RLEs (14/64 plate?) for WN garage which are fitted with next stop announcements for the 81 and 255, displacing the Mercs on the 81 for withdrawal and cascading the Tridents off the 255 to Pensnett for a double-decker upgrade of the 246 (allowing Pensnett Merc withdrawals)?

[Trident 4609]

I think that all buses should be fitted with audio announcements like london personally.

[nitromatt1]

I think that all buses should be fitted with audio announcements like london personally.

Mercs, B6s, B10s, Presidents, Spectras? All of which won't be around in a few years time. Go to sleep Nath ;)  ;D (only joking)

[nitromatt1]

The key elements of the
proposal are:
- Brand new state of the art bus station, with 25% increase in capacity, full DDA
compliance and high quality passenger information and facilities
- Significant highway measures to remove delays and increase reliability for
buses in the Brierley Hill area, including a dedicated bus only link and two bus
lanes with bus gates
- Segregation of buses from general traffic without loss of highway capacity
- New bus stop infrastructure and RTI at key locations along strategic routes
- New commercial multi-operator Smartcard (e-purse and bus)
- Bespoke marketing and communications campaign
- Workwise support to help 1,090 people into employment
- £2.2.m investment in brand new euro 5 buses
- On Vehicle Displays (Talking Buses) on strategic routes, which are:
- 002 Merry Hill - Weoley Castle
- 81 Merry Hill - Wolverhampton via Dudley
- 222 Merry Hill - Dudley
- 226 Merry Hill - Dudley
- 246 Stourbridge - Dudley
- 255 Merry Hill - Wolverhampton
- 297 Halesowen - Stickley via Merry Hill
- X96 Wollaston - Wrens Nest via Merry Hill and Dudley


The 2.2M pounds for new buses is coming from both NXWM and Diamond

Just wondering, the 246 doesn't actually go to Merry Hill, only Brierley Hill, so why is it included in that list?

[winston]

The key elements of the
proposal are:
- Brand new state of the art bus station, with 25% increase in capacity, full DDA
compliance and high quality passenger information and facilities
- Significant highway measures to remove delays and increase reliability for
buses in the Brierley Hill area, including a dedicated bus only link and two bus
lanes with bus gates
- Segregation of buses from general traffic without loss of highway capacity
- New bus stop infrastructure and RTI at key locations along strategic routes
- New commercial multi-operator Smartcard (e-purse and bus)
- Bespoke marketing and communications campaign
- Workwise support to help 1,090 people into employment
- £2.2.m investment in brand new euro 5 buses
- On Vehicle Displays (Talking Buses) on strategic routes, which are:
- 002 Merry Hill - Weoley Castle
- 81 Merry Hill - Wolverhampton via Dudley
- 222 Merry Hill - Dudley
- 226 Merry Hill - Dudley
- 246 Stourbridge - Dudley
- 255 Merry Hill - Wolverhampton
- 297 Halesowen - Stickley via Merry Hill
- X96 Wollaston - Wrens Nest via Merry Hill and Dudley


The 2.2M pounds for new buses is coming from both NXWM and Diamond

Just wondering, the 246 doesn't actually go to Merry Hill, only Brierley Hill, so why is it included in that list?

Because the funding was awarded for Brierley Hill Better Bus fund not just Merry Hill, The intention is that Merry Hill will be linked in to Brierley Hill

[nitromatt1]

The key elements of the
proposal are:
- Brand new state of the art bus station, with 25% increase in capacity, full DDA
compliance and high quality passenger information and facilities
- Significant highway measures to remove delays and increase reliability for
buses in the Brierley Hill area, including a dedicated bus only link and two bus
lanes with bus gates
- Segregation of buses from general traffic without loss of highway capacity
- New bus stop infrastructure and RTI at key locations along strategic routes
- New commercial multi-operator Smartcard (e-purse and bus)
- Bespoke marketing and communications campaign
- Workwise support to help 1,090 people into employment
- £2.2.m investment in brand new euro 5 buses
- On Vehicle Displays (Talking Buses) on strategic routes, which are:
- 002 Merry Hill - Weoley Castle
- 81 Merry Hill - Wolverhampton via Dudley
- 222 Merry Hill - Dudley
- 226 Merry Hill - Dudley
- 246 Stourbridge - Dudley
- 255 Merry Hill - Wolverhampton
- 297 Halesowen - Stickley via Merry Hill
- X96 Wollaston - Wrens Nest via Merry Hill and Dudley


The 2.2M pounds for new buses is coming from both NXWM and Diamond

Just wondering, the 246 doesn't actually go to Merry Hill, only Brierley Hill, so why is it included in that list?

Because the funding was awarded for Brierley Hill Better Bus fund not just Merry Hill, The intention is that Merry Hill will be linked in to Brierley Hill

Oh I see.

Winston, any thoughts on what was said above, about NX's 81 and 255 receiving next stop announcements?

[winston]

The key elements of the
proposal are:
- Brand new state of the art bus station, with 25% increase in capacity, full DDA
compliance and high quality passenger information and facilities
- Significant highway measures to remove delays and increase reliability for
buses in the Brierley Hill area, including a dedicated bus only link and two bus
lanes with bus gates
- Segregation of buses from general traffic without loss of highway capacity
- New bus stop infrastructure and RTI at key locations along strategic routes
- New commercial multi-operator Smartcard (e-purse and bus)
- Bespoke marketing and communications campaign
- Workwise support to help 1,090 people into employment
- £2.2.m investment in brand new euro 5 buses
- On Vehicle Displays (Talking Buses) on strategic routes, which are:
- 002 Merry Hill - Weoley Castle
- 81 Merry Hill - Wolverhampton via Dudley
- 222 Merry Hill - Dudley
- 226 Merry Hill - Dudley
- 246 Stourbridge - Dudley
- 255 Merry Hill - Wolverhampton
- 297 Halesowen - Stickley via Merry Hill
- X96 Wollaston - Wrens Nest via Merry Hill and Dudley


The 2.2M pounds for new buses is coming from both NXWM and Diamond

Just wondering, the 246 doesn't actually go to Merry Hill, only Brierley Hill, so why is it included in that list?

Because the funding was awarded for Brierley Hill Better Bus fund not just Merry Hill, The intention is that Merry Hill will be linked in to Brierley Hill

Oh I see.

Winston, any thoughts on what was said above, about NX's 81 and 255 receiving next stop announcements?

I thought work on expanding/rebuilding Merry Hill bus station would have started by now. Logic would say the routes included in the scheme would get new buses but the NSA is a bit of kit that can be installed/removed from older buses in the interim

[the trainbasher]

Anything will be better than the y plate darts that's on the 226 nowadays. Could a Quartet of E200s be viable?

[D10]

I'm confused about routes 81 and 255 having next stop announcements as i can't sew them installing tridents and mercs with Next Stop Announcements. New buses maybe?

Diamond

No the NX 255 and 81 will have NSA aswell

Are you sure? (I'm not saying you're wrong)

Perhaps B7RLEs will be allocated to both routes which will be fitted with announcements. Two ideas off the top of my head:

1: Swap the 81's Mercs and 255's Tridents with B7RLE route/s (e.g. the 2/3/4), putting those Mercs and Tridents on the other routes and the B7RLEs fitted with next stop announcements placed on the 81 and 255.

or 2: Another new order of B7RLEs (14/64 plate?) for WN garage which are fitted with next stop announcements for the 81 and 255, displacing the Mercs on the 81 for withdrawal and cascading the Tridents off the 255 to Pensnett for a double-decker upgrade of the 246 (allowing Pensnett Merc withdrawals)?

I definitely agree that it would be nice for Tridents to be displaced from somewhere onto the 246. Not sure about B7RLEs on the 255 though as I am pretty sure that Double Decker capacity is needed on the 255.