First Bus - Wyvern

[winston]

How's the 147 (Halesowen - Worcester) getting on?

Ok I think, not many people do the full route, unsurprisingly

It would be a shame if people on the Halesowen section aren't having a day out in Worcester to include a bit of Xmas shopping - has it been promoted?

I think quite a few people tried it when it was first introduced, but the novelty may have worn off a bit now.

[Ashley]

How's the 147 (Halesowen - Worcester) getting on?

Ok I think, not many people do the full route, unsurprisingly

It would be a shame if people on the Halesowen section aren't having a day out in Worcester to include a bit of Xmas shopping - has it been promoted?

There's a paper timetable in the information board at the stand in Halesowen bus station which also says it only goes to Bromsgrove where the 007 was ripped off and 147 written on with a biro. I'll use it for as long as it lasts

[j789]

The route will be worth persevering with as it only requires 1 extra vehicle to what was already used on the 144/a. It is mainly OAPs who use it but as with anything, if you give it a chance it can be successful. There is far too much focus in the bus industry on instant results rather than focusing on the long term and developing routes and this is a criticism of all companies. I know money must be made but if routes can be given enough time (6 months is not longer enough eg the X1) then they will build custom up.

One change I would make to the 147 is to reroute it through Catshill so it serves Fairfield as there are more people living there to use the bus. However, this may not go down too well with the 318 operator.

[111 Roughley]

The route will be worth persevering with as it only requires 1 extra vehicle to what was already used on the 144/a. It is mainly OAPs who use it but as with anything, if you give it a chance it can be successful. There is far too much focus in the bus industry on instant results rather than focusing on the long term and developing routes and this is a criticism of all companies. I know money must be made but if routes can be given enough time (6 months is not longer enough eg the X1) then they will build custom up.

One change I would make to the 147 is to reroute it through Catshill so it serves Fairfield as there are more people living there to use the bus. However, this may not go down too well with the 318 operator.

I think that's a very good idea about Fairfield. The point about developing routes is also the explanation why a much better service exists on some routes compared to others, yet they seem to have the same characteristics. The 318 was once half-hourly, yet it has dwindled to a subsidised two-hourly service. I know where I'd like the other 144a to go eventually.

[j789]

The route will be worth persevering with as it only requires 1 extra vehicle to what was already used on the 144/a. It is mainly OAPs who use it but as with anything, if you give it a chance it can be successful. There is far too much focus in the bus industry on instant results rather than focusing on the long term and developing routes and this is a criticism of all companies. I know money must be made but if routes can be given enough time (6 months is not longer enough eg the X1) then they will build custom up.

One change I would make to the 147 is to reroute it through Catshill so it serves Fairfield as there are more people living there to use the bus. However, this may not go down too well with the 318 operator.

I think that's a very good idea about Fairfield. The point about developing routes is also the explanation why a much better service exists on some routes compared to others, yet they seem to have the same characteristics. The 318 was once half-hourly, yet it has dwindled to a subsidised two-hourly service. I know where I'd like the other 144a to go eventually.

I think the long term plan would be to send it to Merry Hill but Midland Red/First has never seemed to like treading on WMT/nxwm toes in the West Mids so if it did happen it would probably run Halesowen to Merry Hill along one of the Centro subsidised routes. From my point of view as a driver, I think NXWM are missing a trick not setting up partnership routes with the other big groups around the Midlands - First/ Stagecoach and Arriva. This could lead to frequent long distance routes linking the major areas  - Brum/Coventry to Worcester/ Warwick/ Lichfield/ Tamworth/ Redditch/ Stratford/ Stafford/ Nuneaton/ Leicester etc. By working in partnership (eg from 2 garages 1 of each company), the driving regulation issues could be solved as no driver would have to do the full trip if more than 50km in total. It would certainly take some cooperation and teamwork but the West Mids and surrounding areas could develop a wide range of routes that could compete with the train between the areas, especially on price.

[111 Roughley]

The route will be worth persevering with as it only requires 1 extra vehicle to what was already used on the 144/a. It is mainly OAPs who use it but as with anything, if you give it a chance it can be successful. There is far too much focus in the bus industry on instant results rather than focusing on the long term and developing routes and this is a criticism of all companies. I know money must be made but if routes can be given enough time (6 months is not longer enough eg the X1) then they will build custom up.

One change I would make to the 147 is to reroute it through Catshill so it serves Fairfield as there are more people living there to use the bus. However, this may not go down too well with the 318 operator.

I think that's a very good idea about Fairfield. The point about developing routes is also the explanation why a much better service exists on some routes compared to others, yet they seem to have the same characteristics. The 318 was once half-hourly, yet it has dwindled to a subsidised two-hourly service. I know where I'd like the other 144a to go eventually.

I think the long term plan would be to send it to Merry Hill but Midland Red/First has never seemed to like treading on WMT/nxwm toes in the West Mids so if it did happen it would probably run Halesowen to Merry Hill along one of the Centro subsidised routes. From my point of view as a driver, I think NXWM are missing a trick not setting up partnership routes with the other big groups around the Midlands - First/ Stagecoach and Arriva. This could lead to frequent long distance routes linking the major areas  - Brum/Coventry to Worcester/ Warwick/ Lichfield/ Tamworth/ Redditch/ Stratford/ Stafford/ Nuneaton/ Leicester etc. By working in partnership (eg from 2 garages 1 of each company), the driving regulation issues could be solved as no driver would have to do the full trip if more than 50km in total. It would certainly take some cooperation and teamwork but the West Mids and surrounding areas could develop a wide range of routes that could compete with the train between the areas, especially on price.

Ever since the creation of WMPTE 40 years ago, the break-up of Midland Red, the privatisation of WMT as a single company, and huge public investment in railways, the cross-border bus routes have mostly dwindled/struggled. I agree that longer bus routes suffer (which means in some cases they don't exist or are poor) because companies don't cooperate, which I've always put down to worries about the competition authorities, or simply that companies wouldn't trust each other. Rail isn't the answer in many cases: there are no stations between Worcester and Tewkesbury -and its station is inconveniently located- which is also true of Bromsgrove Station. I shall be interested to see how the extension of the cross-city line with 3 trains an hour affects the 144. Not very much I hope. I was pleased to see First take the initiative with the 147 and the 363. Developing existing routes is important. I would like the 550 to continue to Evesham creating with the 551 a half-hourly service. It might do a circular of Evesham, like the 28 does, making it very convenient to travel to Worcester.

[the trainbasher]

If first were to ever extend the 147 to merry hill then surely a routing of Halesowen - Lye - Thorns Road into Merry Hill via the old Ludlows route may work?

[winston]

If first were to ever extend the 147 to merry hill then surely a routing of Halesowen - Lye - Thorns Road into Merry Hill via the old Ludlows route may work?

Which old Ludlow's route went that way?

[the trainbasher]

202/204 peaks then Hansons 004s

[Ashley]

32645 on the 144 today

EDIT

If of interest, the 2020 144 Worcester to Birmingham Monday to Friday comes off a 44 which was 67632 tonight

67656 on the 30 tonight, I thought it was meant to be Streetlites
Daytime 35's were E300's and a Centro today, much needed
I'm also pretty certain 47520 was on the 31
47516 on late 44's vice an enviro

[Trident 4194]

32645 on the 144 today

EDIT

If of interest, the 2020 144 Worcester to Birmingham Monday to Friday comes off a 44 which was 67632 tonight

67656 on the 30 tonight, I thought it was meant to be Streetlites
Daytime 35's were E300's and a Centro today, much needed
I'm also pretty certain 47520 was on the 31
47516 on late 44's vice an enviro

What bus is 32645?

The main site is there to answer all questions like that, just put 32645 in the search box and a photo will be there

[sonic84]

If first were to ever extend the 147 to merry hill then surely a routing of Halesowen - Lye - Thorns Road into Merry Hill via the old Ludlows route may work?

Which old Ludlow's route went that way?

I'd say the ideal route would be to link it with the 217 as the 007 used to run.

The route via lye was never popular which is why no one ever sticks with it and centro haven't tried to get it covered

[s94]

If first were to ever extend the 147 to merry hill then surely a routing of Halesowen - Lye - Thorns Road into Merry Hill via the old Ludlows route may work?

Which old Ludlow's route went that way?

I'd say the ideal route would be to link it with the 217 as the 007 used to run.

The route via lye was never popular which is why no one ever sticks with it and centro haven't tried to get it covered

Indeed the Lye section seems to cope fine with the 9 linking people to Birmingham and Stourbridge and the 276 doing Stourbridge and Merry Hill.

I agree, a 147 extension should follow the current 217/old 007 route imo.

[tank90]

One of the new Streetlites 47515 had an accident this morning on the 31A, the score was brick pillar 1 extended mirror arm 0.

[winston]

14:50 147 from Halesowen pulled onto stand F way too early causing the 17 due out at 14:45 to wait ages behind him sounding his horn before having to go around him and load at stand G

Halesowen bus station isn't big enough for the number of services serving it.