Loss of patronage

[monkeyjoe]

I'm bored, I am just wondering which of the main Birmingham Corridors do people think have lost the most patronage over the years. I would think that a lot of the East Brum corridors have, but I have nothing to base it on apart from loading observations.

[Bob]

The 951/2/3 group to cannock.  ( todays  x51). Used to be rammed metrobuses to n from cannock and Hednesford.  Somewhere along the line, probably due to the train service,  it dwindled and died a long slow death.  That said the routes ran alongside the train service for 10yrs plus so it must have been a gradual decline

[Westy]

The 951/2/3 group to cannock.  ( todays  x51). Used to be rammed metrobuses to n from cannock and Hednesford.  Somewhere along the line, probably due to the train service,  it dwindled and died a long slow death.  That said the routes ran alongside the train service for 10yrs plus so it must have been a gradual decline

How reliable is the train service these days?

[Tony]

The 951/2/3 group to cannock.  ( todays  x51). Used to be rammed metrobuses to n from cannock and Hednesford.  Somewhere along the line, probably due to the train service,  it dwindled and died a long slow death.  That said the routes ran alongside the train service for 10yrs plus so it must have been a gradual decline

How reliable is the train service these days?

Pretty good at the moment, it hasn't let me down for a couple of months.

The 951s slow death was probably caused by the way the train service was built up. Initially it was an hourly two car heritage DMU just between Walsall & Hednesford on track that hadn't been maintained properly for years and had a lot of 20mph speed restriction on, slowly building up to the overcrowded 30min peak frequency we have now. Hopefully, in three years time when the electrification is finished it will improve even more.

[Westy]

The 951/2/3 group to cannock.  ( todays  x51). Used to be rammed metrobuses to n from cannock and Hednesford.  Somewhere along the line, probably due to the train service,  it dwindled and died a long slow death.  That said the routes ran alongside the train service for 10yrs plus so it must have been a gradual decline

How reliable is the train service these days?

Pretty good at the moment, it hasn't let me down for a couple of months.

The 951s slow death was probably caused by the way the train service was built up. Initially it was an hourly two car heritage DMU just between Walsall & Hednesford on track that hadn't been maintained properly for years and had a lot of 20mph speed restriction on, slowly building up to the overcrowded 30min peak frequency we have now. Hopefully, in three years time when the electrification is finished it will improve even more.

What didn't help in my opinion was when they were constructing the Toll Road, that they cut the service citing the delays caused.

[Bob]

That and the fact that even in the current pre electrified state the bus could never compete with it on speed. The 951s used to be a very lucrative service even the 301 before it. Between cannock pye green road and Hednesford wmt had it all sewn up prior to the pye green circular minibuses :-(. If only theyd kept some of the monopoly stuff they had in the area arriva would have had to pull their socks up and wouldn't have been able to be half as crap as they have been

[Westy]

That and the fact that even in the current pre electrified state the bus could never compete with it on speed. The 951s used to be a very lucrative service even the 301 before it. Between cannock pye green road and Hednesford wmt had it all sewn up prior to the pye green circular minibuses :-(. If only theyd kept some of the monopoly stuff they had in the area arriva would have had to pull their socks up and wouldn't have been able to be half as crap as they have been

Remember the days when the 301 used to carry onto Dudley from Walsall.  ( Too young to remember the 65/265/865! Interesting that the modern number 1 uses the Bloxwich Road like the old 865,  according to my old timetables! )

[Westy]

It's a shame how certain routes evening & Sunday service have dwindled to the point where National Express no longer operate the service (Walsall 70 evening's now Arriva) or there's no service at all (Somerfield Road in Bloxwich, old 351 7 days a week,  now a combination of Nx X51 peaks & Arriva 2/2a)

[:D]

I would agree with the OP. East brum corridors patronage have fallen but probably not much when compared to other places in brum.

Few years ago, I used 57, 57a, 60 and 900 during peaks and those bus are nearly always full and standing, especially the ones go through Small Heath. Nowadays seats are still available even in the peaks.

[Mike K]

The number 10 (would it be stretching it to call that the Augustus Road corridor?). Every 15 mins and with a half hourly evening and Sunday service in the early 90s but a peak only WMSNT route now.

Decimated by high car usage along the affluent areas of the route, and the re-routing of the then 103 at the Quinton end of the route.

[Sh4318]

The number 10 (would it be stretching it to call that the Augustus Road corridor?). Every 15 mins and with a half hourly evening and Sunday service in the early 90s but a peak only WMSNT route now.

Decimated by high car usage along the affluent areas of the route, and the re-routing of the then 103 at the Quinton end of the route.

Yeah, the 103 destroyed the 10, the attempts to save it with the 102 and 110 just didn't work unfortunately

[Liverpool Street]

Always thought the Bristol Road had a loss of patronage when Corp St closed.. used to have standing loads coming in around the clock, but now it's more of a trickle. Can't beat a bit of BR, mind.

[trident4370]

I'd have to say I agree with LS about the BR. I think a few have switched to the train where possible just for the convenience, tbh I don't blame them either.

[Liverpool Street]

I'd have to say I agree with LS about the BR. I think a few have switched to the train where possible just for the convenience, tbh I don't blame them either.

Nope, nor do I. The scumbags don't help the BR if I'm honest. Although, Pershore Road is getting pretty bad now. Music, feet on seats, fags and traffic.

[trident4370]

I must admit I avoid Pershore Road buses where possible at all costs!