Service Changes from 20th July

[s94]

@Stuharris 6360 I was wondering if the 243 could potentially be being altered to take in some of the current 297 route through Dudley Wood / Coppice Lane etc, but it would have to go all around the wrekin, I can't imagine the Mogul Lane section of the 243 is that busy.

There does now seem to be a hell of lot of buses all using Quarry Bank High St, and it is always this group of routes that get at least annual alterations

Absolutely. Surely with the amount going along the high street more buses are running emptier? Most don't get off at the high street but just want to go to merry hill. Whilst it's important the high street has a number of bus routes from different areas the number to and from Halesowen is ridiculous compared to other routes like the Saltwells. Surely they could be spears red somewhat to reach a wider amount of people whilst also improving reliability? The High street is regularly clogged up with traffic and is one more set of traffic lights to get through at the junction with the A4036 then would be Coppice Lane as it's only a straight across route to the boulevard.

[s94]

140/141/241 on one running board ie 141 to brum then 140 to dudley then 241 to merry hill or opposite
241 will go like 297 route but not station rd and will go saltwells not curry bonk

Ok that is interesting. So all could use double deckers? Is station road the one with the low bridge this allowing DD?

EDIT: Station road is the one with the low bridge so missing this out will mean Double Deckers for the route probably and hence the reasoning for missing this road out I would imagine.

[winston]

140/141/241 on one running board ie 141 to brum then 140 to dudley then 241 to merry hill or opposite
241 will go like 297 route but not station rd and will go saltwells not curry bonk
297 messy hell to gornal via tansey green rd not trading est
714 school service new service to pensnett ex wolves
127 extended to dudley from blackheath via 205 route
205 dudley kingswinford only via trading estate

Thanks Karl,

Will the 141 now becomes single deck, or the 140 & 241 become double deck as seen over the past week?

How is the 205 going to serve Pensnett trading estate? Still go all the way through it?

What's the route change on the 243?

[Stuharris 6360]

140/141/241 on one running board ie 141 to brum then 140 to dudley then 241 to merry hill or opposite
241 will go like 297 route but not station rd and will go saltwells not curry bonk
297 messy hell to gornal via tansey green rd not trading est
714 school service new service to pensnett ex wolves
127 extended to dudley from blackheath via 205 route
205 dudley kingswinford only via trading estate

Cue the residents of Wallheath (who never catch a bus) starting to complain again.

[the trainbasher]

So we'll see 2 different 205's then and 2 different 297's!

[karl724223]

140/141/241 on one running board ie 141 to brum then 140 to dudley then 241 to merry hill or opposite
241 will go like 297 route but not station rd and will go saltwells not curry bonk
297 messy hell to gornal via tansey green rd not trading est
714 school service new service to pensnett ex wolves
127 extended to dudley from blackheath via 205 route
205 dudley kingswinford only via trading estate

Thanks Karl,

Will the 141 now becomes single deck, or the 140 & 241 become double deck as seen over the past week?

How is the 205 going to serve Pensnett trading estate? Still go all the way through it?

What's the route change on the 243?

deckers I'm told

[Stuharris 6360]

140/141/241 on one running board ie 141 to brum then 140 to dudley then 241 to merry hill or opposite
241 will go like 297 route but not station rd and will go saltwells not curry bonk
297 messy hell to gornal via tansey green rd not trading est
714 school service new service to pensnett ex wolves
127 extended to dudley from blackheath via 205 route
205 dudley kingswinford only via trading estate

Thanks Karl,

Will the 141 now becomes single deck, or the 140 & 241 become double deck as seen over the past week?

How is the 205 going to serve Pensnett trading estate? Still go all the way through it?

What's the route change on the 243?

Would think that the 141 will be a decker.

I wonder whether these changes are anything to do with the amount of single deckers that PE use, obviously the Mercs are now on borrowed time & there replacements being Tridents and the limited amount of B7RLEs they have, are they making certain routes more decker friendly?

[winston]

140/141/241 on one running board ie 141 to brum then 140 to dudley then 241 to merry hill or opposite
241 will go like 297 route but not station rd and will go saltwells not curry bonk
297 messy hell to gornal via tansey green rd not trading est
714 school service new service to pensnett ex wolves
127 extended to dudley from blackheath via 205 route
205 dudley kingswinford only via trading estate

Thanks Karl,

Will the 141 now becomes single deck, or the 140 & 241 become double deck as seen over the past week?

How is the 205 going to serve Pensnett trading estate? Still go all the way through it?

What's the route change on the 243?

Would think that the 141 will be a decker.

I wonder whether these changes are anything to do with the amount of single deckers that PE use, obviously the Mercs are now on borrowed time & there replacements being Tridents and the limited amount of B7RLEs they have, are they making certain routes more decker friendly?

It seems that way, I would have thought that PN may now be down for further Trident cascades, they may have to be borrowed off the 276 initially, until sufficient new vehicles arrive releasing Tridents for casade.

[Sh4318]

Still no Merry Hill service via Brickhouse Farm is disappointing. The curtailing of the 297 means there is no direct service between Halesowen/Old Hill/Cradley Heath and Russell's Hall Hospital/Pensnett. The 127 extension is a bit out of the blue, but I can see it being beneficial. As I stated earlier, the large amount of changes don't surprise me at all. Most of them sound good, with a few odd ones in there, in my opinion.

[Stuharris 6360]

Do i take it that the 297 will no longer go to Stickley?

[wilmotm (Matt Wilmot)]

140/141/241 all interworking! Two Birmingham routes, two Merry Hill routes, two Dudley routes! Might as well forget whatever the timetable says on those! One traffic hold up and a bus could miss out a whole trip on a route! Going to be a nightmare!

Glad I've got my car insurance sorted I can tell you!

And as for the 205 and 297 they just can't help themselves messing about with them, changed annually it seems, the old dears haven't got a chance if even the bus community can't keep up

[Sh4318]

On a positive note, I'm glad to see the 53 is unchanged

[Gareth]

As a semi regular user of the 8c inner circle, I hope the timetable changes don't affect the late night services too much as it can be very handy for work. Interesting that the Saltley Gate Inn is still the starting/end point of the route 25 years after demolition!

[sonic84]

With the 127 extending back to Dudley via the 205 route and the changes made to the 89 last year, they may as well bring back the original 88/128/129 routes with the 88 following 205 route up to Dudley like it did years back.

I fail to see the logic in curtailing the 297 to Merry Hill, and the 241 picking up that section.  For anyone needing to get to Merry Hill along the existing 241 route, it is quicker to change in Blackheath.  Would it not be better off to just run a 141E between Halesowen & Merry Hill during the daytime?

[the trainbasher]

With the 127 extending back to Dudley via the 205 route and the changes made to the 89 last year, they may as well bring back the original 88/128/129 routes with the 88 following 205 route up to Dudley like it did years back.

I fail to see the logic in curtailing the 297 to Merry Hill, and the 241 picking up that section.  For anyone needing to get to Merry Hill along the existing 241 route, it is quicker to change in Blackheath.  Would it not be better off to just run a 141E between Halesowen & Merry Hill during the daytime?

Or even a 141A (for Saltwells?)