Thandi

[Busboy105]

So it will be following the current route to Saltley and then running along the 55/94 route which run every few minutes to the City Centre. Can't see much point in it if that's the case, would make more sense to curtail it back to Saltley. Only runs every hour and looks to be a fairly long winded route as well, through areas where there are much more regular services, so I can't see it being very popular.
Whenever I see it around Nechells/Saltley or Stechford, passenger numbers are always very low. Same with the 10H between Q.E. Hospital and City Centre, where passenger numbers always are very low.

That's true, but it can also follow the 65/67 to Spaghetti Junction, then turn onto Cuckoo Road to Star City, then it can continue on its original route to Smiths Wood.

[Stu]

So it will be following the current route to Saltley and then running along the 55/94 route which run every few minutes to the City Centre. Can't see much point in it if that's the case, would make more sense to curtail it back to Saltley. Only runs every hour and looks to be a fairly long winded route as well, through areas where there are much more regular services, so I can't see it being very popular.
Whenever I see it around Nechells/Saltley or Stechford, passenger numbers are always very low. Same with the 10H between Q.E. Hospital and City Centre, where passenger numbers always are very low.

I don't think it has been confirmed yet what route it is going to take. But going by other comments here about overcrowding on the 55 and 94, perhaps TfWM think there is a case to make this route a bit more viable if it can carry some of those passengers between city centre and Saltley at least, even if it only operates hourly.

If there is little to no demand between Saltley and Erdington, and much demand between Saltley and city centre, it makes sense to me to try this.

But of course it remains to be seen what the actual route will end up being.

[Busboy105]

I don't think it has been confirmed yet what route it is going to take. But going by other comments here about overcrowding on the 55 and 94, perhaps TfWM think there is a case to make this route a bit more viable if it can carry some of those passengers between city centre and Saltley at least, even if it only operates hourly.

If there is little to no demand between Saltley and Erdington, and much demand between Saltley and city centre, it makes sense to me to try this.

But of course it remains to be seen what the actual route will end up being.

Speaking of overcrowding, what about if TFWM made the 53 support the 17. As someone who is a regular user of the service, it is terrible for overcrowding ever since the 73 was rerouted so the 53 could follow the 17 up to Hob Moor Road then continue onto Yardley Green Road and follow the 28/A to Heartlands Hospital. Either way, they would want to make sure it sticks to its original route as possible because of the change of terminus.

[2206]

I don't think it has been confirmed yet what route it is going to take. But going by other comments here about overcrowding on the 55 and 94, perhaps TfWM think there is a case to make this route a bit more viable if it can carry some of those passengers between city centre and Saltley at least, even if it only operates hourly.

If there is little to no demand between Saltley and Erdington, and much demand between Saltley and city centre, it makes sense to me to try this.

But of course it remains to be seen what the actual route will end up being.

Its the 55 and its Ominlinks that can get overcrowded. Never seen it with the 94, since is allocated Deckers and they seem to cope fine on the 94, from what I've seen. 

[metrocity]

New 53 route as follows :

From Birmingham, Priory Queenway, Old Square, Priory Queensway, Moor Street Queensway, Jennens Road, Ashted Circus, Nechells Parkway, Saltley Road, Saltley Viaduct, Adderley Road Ash Road, Arden Road, St Saviours Road, College Road, Bridge Road, (returns via Bridge Road, College Road, Hartopp Road, Bowyer Road) Pretoria Road, Whitacre Road, Colonial Road, Bordesley Green, Bordesley Green East, Richmond Road, Stechford Five Ways, Albert Road,(returns via Albert Road, Stuarts Road, Bordeley Green East), Victoria Road, Mary Road, Frederick Road, Station Road, Manor Road, Rattle Croft, Bagshaw Road, Hill House Lane, Inglefield Road, Church Lane, Audley Road, Lyme Green Road, Wyndhurst Road, Glebe Farm Road, Middle Leaford, Cole Hall Lane, Brookmeadow Road, Heath Way, Shard End Crescent, Old Croft Way, Brownfield Road, Timberley Lane, Chester Road, Hurst Lane North, Green Lane,  Lanchester Way to the bus turning circle close to Auckland Drive.(returns by continuing along Lanchester way, into Auckland Drive, and reverse of outward route) 

[Busboy105]

New 53 route as follows :

From Birmingham, Priory Queenway, Old Square, Priory Queensway, Moor Street Queensway, Jennens Road, Ashted Circus, Nechells Parkway, Saltley Road, Saltley Viaduct, Adderley Road Ash Road, Arden Road, St Saviours Road, College Road, Bridge Road, (returns via Bridge Road, College Road, Hartopp Road, Bowyer Road) Pretoria Road, Whitacre Road, Colonial Road, Bordesley Green, Bordesley Green East, Richmond Road, Stechford Five Ways, Albert Road,(returns via Albert Road, Stuarts Road, Bordeley Green East), Victoria Road, Mary Road, Frederick Road, Station Road, Manor Road, Rattle Croft, Bagshaw Road, Hill House Lane, Inglefield Road, Church Lane, Audley Road, Lyme Green Road, Wyndhurst Road, Glebe Farm Road, Middle Leaford, Cole Hall Lane, Brookmeadow Road, Heath Way, Shard End Crescent, Old Croft Way, Brownfield Road, Timberley Lane, Chester Road, Hurst Lane North, Green Lane,  Lanchester Way to the bus turning circle close to Auckland Drive.(returns by continuing along Lanchester way, into Auckland Drive, and reverse of outward route)

Where did you get this?

[Solo1]

Any timetable if the route is published

[Stu]

Any timetable if the route is published

There's a timetable showing on BusTimes:
https://bustimes.org/services/53-birmingham-smiths-wood-via-saltley-shard-end

[2206]

I don't think it has been confirmed yet what route it is going to take. But going by other comments here about overcrowding on the 55 and 94, perhaps TfWM think there is a case to make this route a bit more viable if it can carry some of those passengers between city centre and Saltley at least, even if it only operates hourly.

If there is little to no demand between Saltley and Erdington, and much demand between Saltley and city centre, it makes sense to me to try this.

But of course it remains to be seen what the actual route will end up being.

Rerouting it away from Alum Rock Road hasn't improved it's rider numbers.

Surely it would take a few extra passengers if it took its old route along Alum Rock Road and College Road. The 14 gets busy and carries good loadings round there from what I've seen. Can't be many people that would use it on Adderley Road and Ash Road.

[Tony]

Surely it would take a few extra passengers if it took its old route along Alum Rock Road and College Road. The 14 gets busy and carries good loadings round there from what I've seen. Can't be many people that would use it on Adderley Road and Ash Road.

The idea of tendered routes isn't to compete with commercial ones

[2206]

The idea of tendered routes isn't to compete with commercial ones

That's what I initially thought, but surely that's what this new 53 will be doing though @Tony, competing with NXWM's commercial 55 and 94 in the Nechells area.
Surely it would make more sense to have it terminate at Saltley if that's the case, then if passengers want to go to the City Centre they can change to the 55 and 94, which operate every few minutes.
Or is this section of the route along Nechells Parkway going to be commercially operated.

[Stu]

The idea of tendered routes isn't to compete with commercial ones

Surely that's what this new 53 will be doing though @Tony, competing with NXWM's commercial 55 and 94 in the Nechells area.

I hardly think an hourly service is going to provide much competition to already established frequent services. I have already worked on the assumption that TfWM have specified this route change on the basis that this service might pick up a few more passengers than it already does by operating between city centre and Saltley, thus making it more worthwhile to subsidise if overall patronage can be increased.

To add to Tony's comment, the ultimate goal of tendered services is to grow them, so that as passenger numbers increase, they can become more commercially viable and thus not require subsidising. (That's my opinion anyway)

[Justin Tyme]

I hardly think an hourly service is going to provide much competition to already established frequent services. I have already worked on the assumption that TfWM have specified this route change on the basis that this service might pick up a few more passengers than it already does by operating between city centre and Saltley, thus making it more worthwhile to subsidise if overall patronage can be increased.

I agree.  I would add that it's always possible that TfWM have identified that at least some passengers nearer the Saltley end really want to travel through to 'town'.

[igogeneral]

Interesting to see what happens when the clean air zone is introduced next year !

[Jack D]

New flags are starting to pop up now as well as timetables