South West Birmingham network review

[JB93]

Any guesses as to where the B7RLE's will end up once the 98 goes double decker? (which it certainly doesn't need in my opinion)
Will they go onto other BC routes or transfer elsewhere? And where are these extra double deckers going to come from? Will it be a swap between garages? B7RLE's for Double Deckers?

[Sayeed]

Any guesses as to where the B7RLE's will end up once the 98 goes double decker? (which it certainly doesn't need in my opinion)
Will they go onto other BC routes or transfer elsewhere? And where are these extra double deckers going to come from? Will it be a swap between garages? B7RLE's for Double Deckers?

Probably one of the BC routes will be transformed into SD operation like 59 or 60 routes I can think of.

[Sh4318]

Any guesses as to where the B7RLE's will end up once the 98 goes double decker? (which it certainly doesn't need in my opinion)
Will they go onto other BC routes or transfer elsewhere? And where are these extra double deckers going to come from? Will it be a swap between garages? B7RLE's for Double Deckers?

Personally, I think they'll be cascaded to another garage, like PE, for instance, so some early Mercs could be withdrawn

[Liverpool Street]

Any guesses as to where the B7RLE's will end up once the 98 goes double decker? (which it certainly doesn't need in my opinion)
Will they go onto other BC routes or transfer elsewhere? And where are these extra double deckers going to come from? Will it be a swap between garages? B7RLE's for Double Deckers?

Probably one of the BC routes will be transformed into SD operation like 59 or 60 routes I can think of.

Doubt it, a Trident very rarely leaves the city without a full seated load on the 60. Possibly the 59 to single deck as some boards take the staff bus anyway, but it'll make more sense to change the 24 to single deck.

[Sayeed]

Doubt it, a Trident very rarely leaves the city without a full seated load on the 60. Possibly the 59 to single deck as some boards take the staff bus anyway, but it'll make more sense to change the 24 to single deck.

No way, 24 can't cope with SD. As 24 is my local route and I know that route busy at all times and packed.

[Liverpool Street]

Doubt it, a Trident very rarely leaves the city without a full seated load on the 60. Possibly the 59 to single deck as some boards take the staff bus anyway, but it'll make more sense to change the 24 to single deck.

No way, 24 can't cope with SD. As 24 is my local route and I know that route busy at all times and packed.

Even though there is numourous buses to go through Harborne? Is it a standing load past Harborne up to Wood gate V. N?

I am familiar with the route but not with loadings.

[Sayeed]

Even though there is numourous buses to go through Harborne? Is it a standing load past Harborne up to Wood gate V. N?

I am familiar with the route but not with loadings.

Not too sure about the loading but I find it's only use for pupils of Four Dwelling School that travels from Lordswood Rd in the morning. Other than that, route towards the city in the morning, it is really busy despite there is the alternative 10 route that goes directly.

[Liverpool Street]

Even though there is numourous buses to go through Harborne? Is it a standing load past Harborne up to Wood gate V. N?

I am familiar with the route but not with loadings.

Not too sure about the loading but I find it's only use for pupils of Four Dwelling School that travels from Lordswood Rd in the morning. Other than that, route towards the city in the morning, it is really busy despite there is the alternative 10 route that goes directly.

Is that WMSNT offering?

Is the 22/23/24/29/29A timed so there is a service to Harborne every few minutes from the City? It should be, if not already...

[Mike K]

Even though there is numourous buses to go through Harborne? Is it a standing load past Harborne up to Wood gate V. N?

I am familiar with the route but not with loadings.

Not too sure about the loading but I find it's only use for pupils of Four Dwelling School that travels from Lordswood Rd in the morning. Other than that, route towards the city in the morning, it is really busy despite there is the alternative 10 route that goes directly.

Is that WMSNT offering?

Is the 22/23/24/29/29A timed so there is a service to Harborne every few minutes from the City? It should be, if not already...

The timetables don't all fit in with one another as the 22/23 is every 7/8 mins and the 24 and 29/A each every 10 mins but you'll never wait more than 3 or 4 minutes for one.

The 10 is just too infrequent these days (and not much quicker with Augustus Road being a rat run) to make it a viable alternative. A pity, in it's heyday it was every 15 mins and ran all day including Sundays.

[Ex BC driver]

The single decks off the 98 will probably go in the 29/29A if the 29A is being extended

[monkeyjoe]

They could possibly go onto something like the 90 maybe.

[JB93]

I think converting any other BC routes to single deck would be a struggle to be honest, they're all pretty busy but I'd say the 24 or 56/90 if anything - if the 29 can cope with single deckers I'm sure the 24 can. I just don't understand why they're converting the 98 to double deck. It really doesn't need it, every time I see it pull away from the Square Peg you can count the amount of passengers on one hand.

[Liverpool Street]

I think converting any other BC routes to single deck would be a struggle to be honest, they're all pretty busy but I'd say the 24 or 56/90 if anything - if the 29 can cope with single deckers I'm sure the 24 can. I just don't understand why they're converting the 98 to double deck. It really doesn't need it, every time I see it pull away from the Square Peg you can count the amount of passengers on one hand.

There could be a decrease in frequency? Remember the 98 interworks with the x64 and the x64 can get pretty busy.

The idea could get scrapped I guess by September? Never made any sense to me either to get the 98 doubles, unless they'll make it the 62 and operate the full Bristol Road, and then change the x64 to go via the hospital? Make sense if they're curtailing yje x64 anyway, it wouldn't make any money if it still goes down the Bristol Road 'limitedly'

[Mike K]

I think converting any other BC routes to single deck would be a struggle to be honest, they're all pretty busy but I'd say the 24 or 56/90 if anything - if the 29 can cope with single deckers I'm sure the 24 can. I just don't understand why they're converting the 98 to double deck. It really doesn't need it, every time I see it pull away from the Square Peg you can count the amount of passengers on one hand.

The conversion of the 29 to single deck coincided with an increase in frequency to every 10 mins at the last SW Birmingham review. It copes ok with single decks off peak during the week but can get pretty full in rush hour and on Saturdays. A slightly delayed bus is soon wedged to capacity.

Incidentally why are single deckers on the 29 so rigidly enforced? In all the time since it was converted I've seen only one double decker on there, an ex LH 446x Trident, and that was some time ago. Are there any issues with trees around Black Haynes Rd / Swarthmore Rd?

[Ex BC driver]

I know the school working in the afternoon can sometimes be a double decker, however it starts at Shenley Academy.
Some ex Selly Oak drivers told me that the number 12 would go down Swarthmore/ Black Haynes and they used to be double deckers. I used to hate duty 18, 14:35 off Snow Hill, so by the time you get to outside Northfield Manor School the parents are parking on both sides of the road, add to that the bus in front going the other way and you'll be stuck