Johnsons

[MW]

I have been informed by Johnsons that the X20 will be replaced by the following:

New service 20 will operate between Shirley rail station and Stratford-upon-Avon, Monday to Saturday only.

New service X50 will operate between Birmingham and Chipping Norton via Stratford, on Sundays only. It will run between Birmingham and Stratford via the current X20 route, and then presumably via the current 50 route from Stratford to Chipping Norton.

Might be an opportunity for a nice day out though!

They've got the service running at 60 mins with a PVR of 3. That means 90 mins running time each way. I'm thinking with the increased traffic in Birmingham, they can't justify putting an extra bus on which is why they've shortened it to Shirley?

X50 will be the longest bus route in the region then. I know that the X20 is in itself about 26 miles.

[Smethwickian]

I have been informed by Johnsons that the X20 will be replaced by the following:

New service 20 will operate between Shirley rail station and Stratford-upon-Avon, Monday to Saturday only.

New service X50 will operate between Birmingham and Chipping Norton via Stratford, on Sundays only. It will run between Birmingham and Stratford via the current X20 route, and then presumably via the current 50 route from Stratford to Chipping Norton.

Might be an opportunity for a nice day out though!

I believe the current Sunday 50 and X20 already interwork so to retain the Birmingham link and advertise it as a through route is a welcome initiative. Hopefully Johnsons and Warwickshire County Council (which I believe subsidises both)  will take some steps to publicise the new X50.

[Cheese]

I believe the current Sunday 50 and X20 already interwork so to retain the Birmingham link and advertise it as a through route is a welcome initiative. Hopefully Johnsons and Warwickshire County Council (which I believe subsidises both)  will take some steps to publicise the new X50.

I recall many years ago, early 2000s when Pete's Travel had the Warwickshire Sunday contracts and linked them all up so on the first day a few of us did a through run from Birmingham to Oxford on the X20/50/X50 or however it was numbered/split. Vaguely recall the haulage was KU52xxx Dart SLFs. Very nice run there and back and gave a decent amount of time in Oxford for beer/spotting etc. I can also recall the advertised Rover ticket (£5.50 or something for the day) hadn't been programmed into the ticket machines so the driver issued us with 11 50p singles or something, that took a bit of explaining on the way back! The ticket was about a metre in length, took pride of place on the office wall for a good while afterwards.

[sonic84]

Ah yeah. I do remember the Sunday X50 that Pete's ran from Birmingham to Oxford.

[Kevin]

It's a fairly logical move really, Sunday X20s generally seem to be busier than any other day in the city. Shirley Station seems a strange place to terminate though, haven't seen the timetable so don't know how much layover they've got but I would have thought a better bet would be from Shirley across to Solihull to terminate. I know the previous S20 didn't really work but that was in conjunction with the X20 and ran a different way to Hockley Heath, maybe this way wouldn't be as bad.

[sonic84]

It's a fairly logical move really, Sunday X20s generally seem to be busier than any other day in the city. Shirley Station seems a strange place to terminate though, haven't seen the timetable so don't know how much layover they've got but I would have thought a better bet would be from Shirley across to Solihull to terminate. I know the previous S20 didn't really work but that was in conjunction with the X20 and ran a different way to Hockley Heath, maybe this way wouldn't be as bad.

I can see this new route eventually being cut to Henley in Arden to Stratford only with just peaks going as far as Shirley for the Blythe Valley workers.

[2206]

The 20 and X50 timetables are now on Johnsons website.

X50 -
http://www.johnsonscoaches.co.uk/contentfiles/files/X50%202nd%20September.pdf
20 -
http://www.johnsonscoaches.co.uk/contentfiles/files/20%20X50%202nd%20September.pdf

[Kevin]

Johnsons operating "graduation shuttles" around Brum City Centre today, I think for Aston University
Seen a coach and an E200 so far

[Trident 4194]

E200s still used regularly on 87?

[Stu]

It's a fairly logical move really, Sunday X20s generally seem to be busier than any other day in the city. Shirley Station seems a strange place to terminate though, haven't seen the timetable so don't know how much layover they've got but I would have thought a better bet would be from Shirley across to Solihull to terminate. I know the previous S20 didn't really work but that was in conjunction with the X20 and ran a different way to Hockley Heath, maybe this way wouldn't be as bad.

My guess is that Shirley rail station makes a convenient place to layover "out of the way", especially now only the NX 49 service calls there, its another link to the station from Shirley town centre if anything.

[Solo1]

The  ones with free bus& local train  passes can get to shirley train
Station then change onto the bus instead of paying on the trains as the 20 will stop in the town centre where as
the train you have to walk unless  they re route it to serve the train station both ways

[2206]

Johnsons operating "graduation shuttles" around Brum City Centre today, I think for Aston University
Seen a coach and an E200 so far

YY16YLL is on the Graduation Shuttle today.
Seen on Jennens Road turning right onto Woodcock Street at about 12:46 today.

[Jordan]

Is the Johnson's new x50 gonna be painted into the new west midlands bus livery because their is the new bus stop flags along the route

[DJ]

Is the Johnson's new x50 gonna be painted into the new west midlands bus livery because their is the new bus stop flags along the route

I can't say for sure, but I'm 99.99999% confident that they won't be. Those flags are going to be used everywhere, not just on WM Bus liveried routes.

[Jordan]

Okay then cheers mate