First Bus - Wyvern

[j789]

If the data is available for NX to look at then I'm sure if they thought it was viable they'd be on the case.

Perhaps there may be some advantage in running a service through to Bromsgrove station?

Clearly NX are not averse to expanding 'cross-county' as we've seen with the X51 to Cannock and X3 to Lichfield.

But then again it could be argued that if the demand was there, then First wouldn't be curtailing their 144.

I think the issue with being unviable is predominantly down to the lack of other First services in the West Midlands area. Previously when First had Redditch and Kidderminster garages, the 143 and 146 also ran to Birmingham giving at least some additional options for passengers. With those routes gone, the day ticket available on the 144 was pretty much restricted to only the one route.

The number of passengers I regularly had who moaned about having to purchase a First day ticket and then a NXWM daysaver as well for onward journeys was significant. It was a regular occurrence for passengers alighting in Selly Oak going to the QE hospital for example (or catching the 11a/c routes). The QE is used by a significant number of Bromsgrove residents and certainly put people off using the 144, even paying the high hospital car park fees is cheaper than a £6 144 return plus £4 NXWM daysaver on top to get to the hospital.

When the A38 Selly Oak bypass opened, the 144 should have been rerouted down it to serve the QE (this was before the x62/98/x20 NXWM services provided a link). This would have been popular and was suggested by a number of drivers to management at the time. Sadly, the idea wasn't adopted though.

I still believe the opportunity is there for NXWM to make the route to Bromsgrove work though as the above examples would instantly benefit from such a move.

[markcf83]

This decision to pull the 144 out of Birmingham is bonkers.

[2206]

This decision to pull the 144 out of Birmingham is bonkers.

So you think operators should continue to have to run unviable services comercially such as this and others such as the Erdington 96, etc?

I can't imagine it will be subsidised to run all the way into the City Centre either, whilst the 63 and also 61 serve the Bristol Road well.

[markcf83]

I can't imagine it will be subsidised to run all the way into the City Centre either, whilst the 63 and also 61 serve the Bristol Road well.

They could, at least, have run it into say Longbridge or Northfield for connections into Birmingham.

[2206]

They could, at least, have run it into say Longbridge or Northfield for connections into Birmingham.

Yes they could have, but its not surprising they haven't when it would cost an extra bus, so probably makes more commercial sense to terminate at Catshill. As stu said it takes about an hour to Catshill, then another hour to Birmingham.

[B61 ANDREW]

 I am not too sure that if Rubery was the end point how easy it would be for the bus to "turn" so maybe "Austin's" traffic island at Longbridge or even the bus turn outside Longbridge rail station ??  The powers that be could then claim the route to be part of an integrated transport system !  Also , electric trains to Bromsgrove can often be stopped short at Longbridge so then passengers could use the bus connection to travel to Bromsgrove.

[2206]

I am not too sure that if Rubery was the end point how easy it would be for the bus to "turn"

It is possible for the bus to turn there, could turn at the traffic island by Morrisons in Rubery.
The 49 turns at Great Park.

[SO6597]

There isn't really a natural turning point at Rubery. Back in the early 1990s, MRW introduced short evening and Sunday journeys on the 143 (demand for the corridor was falling as far back as then). The service used a loop via Whetty Lane, Leach Heath Lane, Leach Green Lane and then onto New Road heading back towards Bromsgrove.

They were operated by Mercedes minibuses so much easier to use those roads than now.

I'm not surprised that the Bham section of the route is going, the service seems to have been withering for some years now and isn't heavily used.

[2206]

https://www.firstbus.co.uk/worcestershire/news-and-service-updates/planned-changes/changes-services-sunday-1-may-2022
31/31A and 37 also withdrawn, Discussions are in place with Worcestershire County Council regarding daytime service on 31/31A and 37.

37 could that be combined with Diamond 303?

[j789]

https://bromsgrovestandard.co.uk/news/anger-and-frustration-over-144-not-going-to-brum-in-this-weeks-bumper-bromsgrove-and-droitwich-letters-page-37586/?fbclid=IwAR2jHUULOsaHpYG3CuKxWpu_SJdBZcUYIw00HLni5Ni1bq_xhaViUZQYyA4

The above letters page from a local newspaper gives a snap shot of the ill feeling the 144 cut has created across the area. This paper doesn't have the scope of the Birmingham mail area but I think the number of letters shows how much this cut will affect people as I do not ever recall seeing so many letters in one go concerning a West Midlands bus cut previously in any other newspaper.

NXWM could get some very healthy positivity towards its reputation by extending the 63 to Bromsgrove.

The potential passengers are there if the 'right' company provides a reliable service.

[fleetline6477]

A commercial service for Kev's??

[D10]

Even if NX were to extend the 63, at the moment with such a shortage of drivers including at Birmingham Central garage, I don't see that is any way that an extension of the 63 could be reliable I'm afraid.

[Stu]

https://bromsgrovestandard.co.uk/news/anger-and-frustration-over-144-not-going-to-brum-in-this-weeks-bumper-bromsgrove-and-droitwich-letters-page-37586/?fbclid=IwAR2jHUULOsaHpYG3CuKxWpu_SJdBZcUYIw00HLni5Ni1bq_xhaViUZQYyA4

The above letters page from a local newspaper gives a snap shot of the ill feeling the 144 cut has created across the area. This paper doesn't have the scope of the Birmingham mail area but I think the number of letters shows how much this cut will affect people as I do not ever recall seeing so many letters in one go concerning a West Midlands bus cut previously in any other newspaper.

NXWM could get some very healthy positivity towards its reputation by extending the 63 to Bromsgrove.

The potential passengers are there if the 'right' company provides a reliable service.

Birmingham Northfield MP Gary Sambrook and local Conservative prospective councillors have also been getting involved with this (signs there are local elections coming up!)

The thing is though that we've seen this all before - bus company decides to axe a service due to lack of use, then suddenly hundreds of people sign petitions calling for the service to be continued.

If the service is as well used as all these people claim, then why would First be withdrawing it due to lack of patronage?

Something doesn't add up.

[j789]

Birmingham Northfield MP Gary Sambrook and local Conservative prospective councillors have also been getting involved with this (signs there are local elections coming up!)

The thing is though that we've seen this all before - bus company decides to axe a service due to lack of use, then suddenly hundreds of people sign petitions calling for the service to be continued.

If the service is as well used as all these people claim, then why would First be withdrawing it due to lack of patronage?

Something doesn't add up.

It wouldn't be the first time a bus company has tried to call the local authority's bluff by saying a service will be cut in order to get increased funding for it.

I believe the West Midlands part of the route was never funded as well as the Worcestershire part and I think what may be happening is that the company is hoping that Worcestershire will fund the route from Catshill to Rubery at least. 

As has been said previously, the sensible thing would be to terminate at Rubery or Longbridge for transfer onto a 63 for onward travel. However, that is one extra bus on a 30 min frequency to what running only to Catshill would be.

 It isn't beyond the realms of possibility that First want that extra bus funded by the local authority in order to run to Rubery. That way it costs them no more than the current plan to terminate at Catshill.

I can see the local authority providing this funding if no other company is willing to takeover the route.

[2206]

The Worcestershire part of the service is also busier I think, it has a greater frequency and I have seen it referred to that "its been like 2 different services for some time.
Also getting signatures down on paper isn't going to cover the cost of running the service, maybe if all these people used it, it wouldn't be cut.
https://twitter.com/Professor1036/status/1512887561525551106

The current timetable also showed the 144 would run every 20 minutes Worcester to Catshill. If they keep that timetable, there's no way it would run every 30 minutes to Rubery. The 144A will become the 144.