Questions for the NXWM Operations Director

[John]

Do they already use outside contractors for refurbishment. Theres a place in Willenhall (Walsall) on the 40 bus route on an industrial estate that usually has NX buses parked up outside. Can't remember the name of the place

I think that is ZF Powertrain, that has been mentioned before. I guess they do work on engines by the name

[Sh4318]

Hi Simon,

Any plans for routes (WB)46 & 53?

[4006]

Do they already use outside contractors for refurbishment. Theres a place in Willenhall (Walsall) on the 40 bus route on an industrial estate that usually has NX buses parked up outside. Can't remember the name of the place

I think that is ZF Powertrain, that has been mentioned before. I guess they do work on engines by the name

Probably EMR Darlaston where all the B6's are going   :o ::) ::)

[Trident 4609]

Do they already use outside contractors for refurbishment. Theres a place in Willenhall (Walsall) on the 40 bus route on an industrial estate that usually has NX buses parked up outside. Can't remember the name of the place

I think that is ZF Powertrain, that has been mentioned before. I guess they do work on engines by the name

Last time i went past a few months back A WN spectra was parked up. Seen a 414* trident and a Gemini Also parked up before along with a Green Bus Trident

[bususer12]

Relating to previous posts on dead running , this morning the first 246 of the morning failed to show at the stop on collis st by laser quest, next bus is a 256 in 25 minutes,had to walk to Stourbridge in the end otherwise would have been really late but 4 buses went past dead, 2 of those i think were for the 9, as they were e400s. Can you imagine how annoying that can be? Is it that the cascaded buses are unreliable,after all theyre only in some cases 2 years newer than the buses they replaced.

[Kevin]

Was going to ask about two bus routes in particular.

Firstly, to echo comments above about the 66, no word of a lie it has been ruined travelling through nechells and star city, and I know of a number of people who have given up on it completely and now use the 65/67 to work in nechells and walk from the Lichfield Road.

Secondly the 28. I've always wondered why the evening and sundays service (and indeed half the daytime services) don't go all the way to Scott Arms? It's a very useful link for a lot of people and at the moment it either requires a walk from Perry Beeches to Dyas Road or going most of the way into the city centre to come back out again.

Hi Kevin,

I think the 66 is much improved since the recent change so let's hope people come back to it.

The resource needed for the 28 to extend it evenings, Sundays and for the other half in the days to Scott Arms would not be matched by the demand.  I am not sure there is that much demand from Dyas Road to Scott Arms.

For the most part, I would agree the 66 has much improved... But for the section through Nechells, especially for people who work there and have to travel from the city in the morning and to the city in the evening when the service is suddenly only every half hour, usually full to the brim. Thinking about it now, previously it was reliably late (sounds a bit weird but true) so you could bank on still catching it if you were 5 minutes late leaving work, but nowits either bang on time (so you miss it because its 5 to the hour) or so late you don't know if its the next one.

Every time I catch a 28 of an evening that terminates at Dyas Rd to walk the last bit, there's always at least one person asking the driver if that's the end of the route, and every time I'm waiting for a full 28 and let a 28E go past there are a number of other people waiting with me. The link from Scott Arms and that part of the Walsall Rd to Old Oscott, Kingstanding and Erdington saves so much time. In the evenings and Sundays it would only require one extra bus, or even none if you got rid of the random extension to Small Heath that, from seeing it myself, is generally empty.

[monkeyjoe]

Was going to ask about two bus routes in particular.

Firstly, to echo comments above about the 66, no word of a lie it has been ruined travelling through nechells and star city, and I know of a number of people who have given up on it completely and now use the 65/67 to work in nechells and walk from the Lichfield Road.

Secondly the 28. I've always wondered why the evening and sundays service (and indeed half the daytime services) don't go all the way to Scott Arms? It's a very useful link for a lot of people and at the moment it either requires a walk from Perry Beeches to Dyas Road or going most of the way into the city centre to come back out again.

Hi Kevin,

I think the 66 is much improved since the recent change so let's hope people come back to it.

The resource needed for the 28 to extend it evenings, Sundays and for the other half in the days to Scott Arms would not be matched by the demand.  I am not sure there is that much demand from Dyas Road to Scott Arms.

For the most part, I would agree the 66 has much improved... But for the section through Nechells, especially for people who work there and have to travel from the city in the morning and to the city in the evening when the service is suddenly only every half hour, usually full to the brim. Thinking about it now, previously it was reliably late (sounds a bit weird but true) so you could bank on still catching it if you were 5 minutes late leaving work, but nowits either bang on time (so you miss it because its 5 to the hour) or so late you don't know if its the next one.

Every time I catch a 28 of an evening that terminates at Dyas Rd to walk the last bit, there's always at least one person asking the driver if that's the end of the route, and every time I'm waiting for a full 28 and let a 28E go past there are a number of other people waiting with me. The link from Scott Arms and that part of the Walsall Rd to Old Oscott, Kingstanding and Erdington saves so much time. In the evenings and Sundays it would only require one extra bus, or even none if you got rid of the random extension to Small Heath that, from seeing it myself, is generally empty.

28 comments

At least "one" extra person asking for the extension, i guess that proves Simons point.

Also getting rid of "random" extension to Small Heath this is subsidised by centro i thought.

[Steve3229vp]

Kevin is right on both counts, firstly the amount of times I've been on the 28 at night and on Sundays when passengers ask if they go to the Scott Arms or will it be extended in the future is very often, secondly the 66 does struggle in peaks when I used it when I worked in a school in Nechells for a few weeks in June and July, I gave up 4 times and walked to Lichfield Road, and whilst we're on the subject of the 66, the 66A should be renumbered as it bears no relation to the 66 route apart from the NWM contract at night and Sundays

[Kevin]

28 comments

At least "one" extra person asking for the extension, i guess that proves Simons point.

Also getting rid of "random" extension to Small Heath this is subsidised by centro i thought.

At least one extra person compared to the usually zero people I see on the 28 in small heath if im ever out that way

[Isle of Stroma]

Hi Simon,

I'm no longer in the industry, but congratulate you on finally extending the 97 through to BHX - something we almost acheived a while back.

However, timekeeping (& possibly route compliance as well, see below) is something that needs attention, please note my comments below. Do you have staff monitoring AVL of an evening, as compliance is somewhat lacking on the journeys that I have attempted to use. Below is an extract of a post I made on a different thread:

"Certainly 2128 was out tonight, assumedly on the 21:20 ex BHX - arrived Birmingham International around 21:36 displaying NEC/BHX etc, then returned to Brum O.O.S. WITHOUT EVER SERVING BHX. Don't know if the 21:50 ran as i'd given up (again) & got the local to Marston Green.

Don't know if there's any AVL staff monitoring the route out of office hours, but experiences tells me there NEEDS to be as timekeeping / route adherence is a joke"

Looking at the timetable, I can't see any obvious reason for delays. Are there any temporary issues earlier on in the route?

[uniquicity]

Simon, quick one re Merc 1668 at WB - it has an old style upper destination blind which doesn't have Bartley Green on for the 48. This could get confusing for passengers at the QE not knowing which way it is going when it showing a blank upper.

Just upping this in case it got missed.

(1592 still has the transitional logos BTW)...

[NX OD]

NX OD, Don't know if i have asked already but are WN going to change the TWM logos on the tridents as there doesn't seem to be any progress being made. But saying the WN tridents are being repainted at a rapid rate

Yes, all garages should be working through applying NX fleet names.

[NX OD]

Hi Simon,

Any plans for routes (WB)46 & 53?

Hi,

None that I am aware of.

[NX OD]

Hi Simon,

I'm no longer in the industry, but congratulate you on finally extending the 97 through to BHX - something we almost acheived a while back.

However, timekeeping (& possibly route compliance as well, see below) is something that needs attention, please note my comments below. Do you have staff monitoring AVL of an evening, as compliance is somewhat lacking on the journeys that I have attempted to use. Below is an extract of a post I made on a different thread:

"Certainly 2128 was out tonight, assumedly on the 21:20 ex BHX - arrived Birmingham International around 21:36 displaying NEC/BHX etc, then returned to Brum O.O.S. WITHOUT EVER SERVING BHX. Don't know if the 21:50 ran as i'd given up (again) & got the local to Marston Green.

Don't know if there's any AVL staff monitoring the route out of office hours, but experiences tells me there NEEDS to be as timekeeping / route adherence is a joke"

Looking at the timetable, I can't see any obvious reason for delays. Are there any temporary issues earlier on in the route?

Hi,

I am not aware of anything and am sorry if you were not able to catch the bus you wanted.

AVL is manned until 22.00 Monday to Saturday but with reduced levels of staff.  I will ask them and the late night Inspectors to look at the 97.

[NX OD]

Simon, quick one re Merc 1668 at WB - it has an old style upper destination blind which doesn't have Bartley Green on for the 48. This could get confusing for passengers at the QE not knowing which way it is going when it showing a blank upper.

Just upping this in case it got missed.

(1592 still has the transitional logos BTW)...

Hi,

I will try and sort this out.  Apologies for missing the post.