Questions for the NXWM Operations Director

[The Real 4778]

How about this for a livery suggestion with a difference.

Towards the end of the repainting programme, why not paint a few buses, maybe one from each garage, into the livery of the principal/ traditional bus operator of towns from around the world that are twinned with our local towns and cities.  This could be done in conjunction with the local councils as a means of promoting the local area, and as a source of discussion, education and so on. 

Birmingham - Chicago, Frankfurt, Lyon
Coventry - Dresden, Stalingrad (Volgograd)
Walsall - Mulhouse

etc...

[bususer12]

Hi Simon,

I'm with LS on the times for Sunday services, I think it's about time they are looked at. The 126 on Sunday got caught and ended up 20 minutes late, and then got asked to get on the one behind on the Hagley Road. Other passengers were saying its not the first time its happened. Also with the 255, can you really see a bus doing a Sunday afternoon journey at Christmas from Merry Hill to Wolverhampton in 1 hour and 2 minutes, when on a Saturday morning it takes 1 hour end to end?

It struggled last year with the help of the 255E (Now withdrawn on Sundays) and X1. I think it may need looking at, because by the look of the timetable the route will interwork, meaning two routes could suffer. I would monitor the next few weeks, and bear in mind how Merry Hill snowballs at Xmas.

Sorry think this one was missed, fair enough about loadings, but if an hourly service may be unreliable, there might be low loadings on the hourly service. Will be on the 4pm from Merry Hill Sunday, i'll let you know how long it takes!, and what time it arrives

[Trident 4609]

NXOD, Do BC operate a running board or certain journeys on YW50 now because both Birmingham Central based 4906 and 4326 have apparantly been spotted on the 50 over the past few days

[nitromatt1]

NXOD, Do BC operate a running board or certain journeys on YW50 now because both Birmingham Central based 4906 and 4326 have apparantly been spotted on the 50 over the past few days

According to trident4370, 4326 was definitely on there yesterday, and 4906 was spotted by someone else today

[Liverpool Street]

NXOD, Do BC operate a running board or certain journeys on YW50 now because both Birmingham Central based 4906 and 4326 have apparantly been spotted on the 50 over the past few days

I heard from a friend BC have gained 2 or 3 actual lines of rota from YW due to bus shortages at YW. I can believe it aswell.

[PM]

NXOD, Do BC operate a running board or certain journeys on YW50 now because both Birmingham Central based 4906 and 4326 have apparantly been spotted on the 50 over the past few days

I heard from a friend BC have gained 2 or 3 actual lines of rota from YW due to bus shortages at YW. I can believe it aswell.

There was a YW manager and a BC manager on the 50 and 61 today

[Mike K]

NXOD, Do BC operate a running board or certain journeys on YW50 now because both Birmingham Central based 4906 and 4326 have apparantly been spotted on the 50 over the past few days

I heard from a friend BC have gained 2 or 3 actual lines of rota from YW due to bus shortages at YW. I can believe it aswell.

Interesting how times change. YW gained 2 or 3 boards from BC some years back, then soon after they gained about half of the route, before finally taking it over completely.

Back in the early 80s the 50 was operated mainly by LS (BC) with a handful of YW buses on there too.

Good to hear BC are getting a share of it back.

[Liverpool Street]

NXOD, Do BC operate a running board or certain journeys on YW50 now because both Birmingham Central based 4906 and 4326 have apparantly been spotted on the 50 over the past few days

I heard from a friend BC have gained 2 or 3 actual lines of rota from YW due to bus shortages at YW. I can believe it aswell.

Interesting how times change. YW gained 2 or 3 boards from BC some years back, then soon after they gained about half of the route, before finally taking it over completely.

Back in the early 80s the 50 was operated mainly by LS (BC) with a handful of YW buses on there too.

Good to hear BC are getting a share of it back.

Indeed Mikey, the 50 seems like a typical BC route. Not a fluppy YW inbreed.

[monkeyjoe]

NXOD, Do BC operate a running board or certain journeys on YW50 now because both Birmingham Central based 4906 and 4326 have apparantly been spotted on the 50 over the past few days

I heard from a friend BC have gained 2 or 3 actual lines of rota from YW due to bus shortages at YW. I can believe it aswell.

Interesting how times change. YW gained 2 or 3 boards from BC some years back, then soon after they gained about half of the route, before finally taking it over completely.

Back in the early 80s the 50 was operated mainly by LS (BC) with a handful of YW buses on there too.

Good to hear BC are getting a share of it back.

Indeed Mikey, the 50 seems like a typical BC route. Not a fluppy YW inbreed.

I remember HY used to have some of the journeys on the 50 to, must have been early 90's i think.

[NX OD]

How about this for a livery suggestion with a difference.

Towards the end of the repainting programme, why not paint a few buses, maybe one from each garage, into the livery of the principal/ traditional bus operator of towns from around the world that are twinned with our local towns and cities.  This could be done in conjunction with the local councils as a means of promoting the local area, and as a source of discussion, education and so on. 

Birmingham - Chicago, Frankfurt, Lyon
Coventry - Dresden, Stalingrad (Volgograd)
Walsall - Mulhouse

etc...

Hi,

Very interesting but I think very unlikely to happen.

[NX OD]

Hi Simon,

I'm with LS on the times for Sunday services, I think it's about time they are looked at. The 126 on Sunday got caught and ended up 20 minutes late, and then got asked to get on the one behind on the Hagley Road. Other passengers were saying its not the first time its happened. Also with the 255, can you really see a bus doing a Sunday afternoon journey at Christmas from Merry Hill to Wolverhampton in 1 hour and 2 minutes, when on a Saturday morning it takes 1 hour end to end?

It struggled last year with the help of the 255E (Now withdrawn on Sundays) and X1. I think it may need looking at, because by the look of the timetable the route will interwork, meaning two routes could suffer. I would monitor the next few weeks, and bear in mind how Merry Hill snowballs at Xmas.

Sorry think this one was missed, fair enough about loadings, but if an hourly service may be unreliable, there might be low loadings on the hourly service. Will be on the 4pm from Merry Hill Sunday, i'll let you know how long it takes!, and what time it arrives

Hi,

Sorry for missing this.  Please let me know how you get on.

The loadings and timings have been looked at by the Network Planning team and they are confident that this is the correct thing to do.  All feedback welcome on how it is running.

[NX OD]

NXOD, Do BC operate a running board or certain journeys on YW50 now because both Birmingham Central based 4906 and 4326 have apparantly been spotted on the 50 over the past few days

Hi,

Yes 1 running board on the 50 is now at BC.  This is due to parking capacity at YW.

[NX OD]

Changes to 71/71A/72/90/66/638/966

As promised here is the detail of the changes from 27th October.

- Service 90 renumbered service 70, and extended from Chelmsley Wood to Solihull. Frequency unchanged at every 30 minutes (with peak time extras).
- Service 71 increased in frequency from every 20 to every 15 minutes along the whole length of the route. The route is unchanged except in Castle Vale where it will serve Tangmere Drive instead of Farnborough Road (service 38 (old 638) will serve Farnborough Road instead).
- Service 71A withdrawn apart from a few school journeys to cope with passenger loadings at peak times. The route of the 71A is unchanged.
- Service 72 increased in frequency from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Heathland Avenue (Castle Bromwich), and reduced to every half an hour from every 20 minutes between Heathland Avenue and Solihull. The route is unchanged.
- Service 638 rerouted between Castle Vale and Erdington to serve the Fort Shopping Park instead of Chester Road, and it is also rerouted around Castle Vale estate to serve Farnborough Road. It will serve Castle Vale estate in both directions instead of via a one-way loop (as it does at present). It will continue to provide a link from Castle Vale to Erdington. The frequency is reduced to every 30 minutes and it will be renumbered the 38.
- Service 66 retimed to improve reliability on the new route that was introduced from the 9th June following the North Birmingham Network Review. There are no change to the Sunday timetable on the 66, and no changes to the 66A timetable on any day.
- The 966 timetable has been amended to include new tendered journeys in the evenings, and Sunday mornings.

The key benefits of these changes are:
- Increase in frequency between Tile Cross and Solihull with services 70, 71 and 72 providing a fitted 7/8 minute frequency (up from every 10).
- New links from Water Orton and Coleshill to Marston Green and Solihull on the 70.
- Services 70 and 72 provide a fitted 15 minute frequency between Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green, up from every 20.
- Increase in frequency to every 15 minutes from every 20 minutes between Birmingham city centre and Bromford on the 72.
- All timetables have been re-done to improve reliability.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 966.
- Earlier and later journeys on the 70, 71 and 72 to improve access to shift changes at industry at Jaguar Land Rover on Lode Lane and in Coleshill.

[Liverpool Street]

Hello again Simon.

A few from me again.

1) Bristol Road. Timetable? Sorry for pestering you but its going to make it difficult for my missus to go to work without that timetable mate.

2) Is the above all the October 27th changes? What about what I've heard reference the 29/A extension to Great Park, the 49 curtailing to Great Park and other various snippets of assorted goodness?

[NX OD]

Hello again Simon.

A few from me again.

1) Bristol Road. Timetable? Sorry for pestering you but its going to make it difficult for my missus to go to work without that timetable mate.

2) Is the above all the October 27th changes? What about what I've heard reference the 29/A extension to Great Park, the 49 curtailing to Great Park and other various snippets of assorted goodness?

Hello,

1) I am on the case again with this now.

2) There are no changes to the 29 or 49 for October.  The plan you are referring to is still being developed.