More direct route between Wolverhampton and Birmingham

[uniquicity]

Looking back on the 79 timetable made in 27th March 2005 (I miss Travel West Midlands timetables), the route used to take 89 minutes in the day time and 65 minutes in the evening. If I remember correctly, 979 was a timesaver route, I tried to find a timetable of 979 but it seems I can't find it but I would suspect it'd might take less than an hour?

I have a 979 timetable dated February 1999, the journey time from Wolves to Birmingham was 65 minutes.  All journeys from 0635 to the last full working at 1735 were timed as such.  Service went from Birmingham via Cape Hill, Blue Gates, West Brom bus station, Wednesbury, Moxley, Bilston to Wolves, limited stop.  I have a vague memory of doing the 979 all the way through from Wolves to Birmingham sometime in 1999 or 2000 on a B6LE.

It was withdrawn in late 1999 / 2000 I think. Replaced by the 80 between Wednesbury and Birmingham. Same route as the 979 but not limited stop. B6LEs originally then changed to Mercs in the May 2002 service changes.

The current 80 is nothing like the original.

[busfan2847]

Looking back on the 79 timetable made in 27th March 2005 (I miss Travel West Midlands timetables), the route used to take 89 minutes in the day time and 65 minutes in the evening. If I remember correctly, 979 was a timesaver route, I tried to find a timetable of 979 but it seems I can't find it but I would suspect it'd might take less than an hour?

I have a 979 timetable dated February 1999, the journey time from Wolves to Birmingham was 65 minutes.  All journeys from 0635 to the last full working at 1735 were timed as such.  Service went from Birmingham via Cape Hill, Blue Gates, West Brom bus station, Wednesbury, Moxley, Bilston to Wolves, limited stop.  I have a vague memory of doing the 979 all the way through from Wolves to Birmingham sometime in 1999 or 2000 on a B6LE.

It was withdrawn in late 1999 / 2000 I think. Replaced by the 80 between Wednesbury and Birmingham. Same route as the 979 but not limited stop. B6LEs originally then changed to Mercs in the May 2002 service changes.

The current 80 is nothing like the original.

The 979 was introduced at deregulation in October 1986. Originally was operated by dual purpose Metrobuses 2937-2940 & 2955. My first ride on the whole route was on 2938 on 15th Nov 1986. Never did carry heavy loads and the Metrobuses were replaced by dual purpose Lynx's 1261-1265 in 1990. Not sure I could have stood a B6LE for 65 minutes however!

[Alex]

Looking back on the 79 timetable made in 27th March 2005 (I miss Travel West Midlands timetables), the route used to take 89 minutes in the day time and 65 minutes in the evening. If I remember correctly, 979 was a timesaver route, I tried to find a timetable of 979 but it seems I can't find it but I would suspect it'd might take less than an hour?

I have a 979 timetable dated February 1999, the journey time from Wolves to Birmingham was 65 minutes.  All journeys from 0635 to the last full working at 1735 were timed as such.  Service went from Birmingham via Cape Hill, Blue Gates, West Brom bus station, Wednesbury, Moxley, Bilston to Wolves, limited stop.  I have a vague memory of doing the 979 all the way through from Wolves to Birmingham sometime in 1999 or 2000 on a B6LE.

It was withdrawn in late 1999 / 2000 I think. Replaced by the 80 between Wednesbury and Birmingham. Same route as the 979 but not limited stop. B6LEs originally then changed to Mercs in the May 2002 service changes.

The current 80 is nothing like the original.

The 979 was introduced at deregulation in October 1986. Originally was operated by dual purpose Metrobuses 2937-2940 & 2955. My first ride on the whole route was on 2938 on 15th Nov 1986. Never did carry heavy loads and the Metrobuses were replaced by dual purpose Lynx's 1261-1265 in 1990. Not sure I could have stood a B6LE for 65 minutes however!

Well, that answers that question, and being stuck on a B6LE for the duration of the 28 Willenhall-Wolverhampton is bad enough, on the best of days

[Kevin]

Looking back on the 79 timetable made in 27th March 2005 (I miss Travel West Midlands timetables), the route used to take 89 minutes in the day time and 65 minutes in the evening. If I remember correctly, 979 was a timesaver route, I tried to find a timetable of 979 but it seems I can't find it but I would suspect it'd might take less than an hour?

I have a 979 timetable dated February 1999, the journey time from Wolves to Birmingham was 65 minutes.  All journeys from 0635 to the last full working at 1735 were timed as such.  Service went from Birmingham via Cape Hill, Blue Gates, West Brom bus station, Wednesbury, Moxley, Bilston to Wolves, limited stop.  I have a vague memory of doing the 979 all the way through from Wolves to Birmingham sometime in 1999 or 2000 on a B6LE.

1987 timetable has an end to end time of 54 mins! I somehow doubt that'd be possible nowadays

[Liverpool Street]

I thought we'd all agreed City To City travel via buses fast doesn't actually work? After all, if your destination is that of the final one of the bus, then you'll chose a train or tram or coach or whatever over sitting on a bus for hours. It's like these idiots who catch the 636 from Brum to Halesowen and then moan at the driver for it taking over an hour to get there. Well excuse me, clot, there was a 9 you could've caught if you used your mind. Well I mean it's not for anyone to educate these people.

[Ashley]

I thought we'd all agreed City To City travel via buses fast doesn't actually work? After all, if your destination is that of the final one of the bus, then you'll chose a train or tram or coach or whatever over sitting on a bus for hours. It's like these idiots who catch the 636 from Brum to Halesowen and then moan at the driver for it taking over an hour to get there. Well excuse me, clot, there was a 9 you could've caught if you used your mind. Well I mean it's not for anyone to educate these people.

If I had a fiver for everytime I'd witnessed or listened to those sorts of people I would be able to leave the midlands lol

[Bob]

Spose thats one good thing about living in cannock,  its pretty close to loads of midlands towns. Dont think ( apart from the x51) theres any bus route that takes over an hour. Anyone know what the journey time on a 951/2 was end to end back in the late 80s? The ordinary walsall 301 was pretty quick

[Ashley]

Spose thats one good thing about living in cannock,  its pretty close to loads of midlands towns. Dont think ( apart from the x51) theres any bus route that takes over an hour. Anyone know what the journey time on a 951/2 was end to end back in the late 80s? The ordinary walsall 301 was pretty quick

Its not about long running time, its about thick people who catch one bus end to end when there are quicker routes. Living in Cannock you do have an advantage of not having lots of various length routes to the same place for example if you were going from Cannock to Stafford, you could use the 74 or 75 , they take the same amount of time roughly so you'd just get on either, there's no option of a route that does a loop of Baswich and Knightley en route

[Bob]

74 Is a little bit quicker isnt it? But usually horrendously busy. N yea the wolves routes take about same time.  Walsalls an exception tho with the 33 & 2/2A taking considerably longer than the 1. I don't get why the 2/2a are being given sapphire branding and upgrade.  The 1 yea definitely needs it but the 2 is a pretty quiet route that has competition en route from the train.  Would have thought the 1 & staffordswould have been a better choice to upgrade

[tc]

I thought we'd all agreed City To City travel via buses fast doesn't actually work? After all, if your destination is that of the final one of the bus, then you'll chose a train or tram or coach or whatever over sitting on a bus for hours. It's like these idiots who catch the 636 from Brum to Halesowen and then moan at the driver for it taking over an hour to get there. Well excuse me, clot, there was a 9 you could've caught if you used your mind. Well I mean it's not for anyone to educate these people.

City to City travel by bus can work and in the following cases buses offer quicker journey times than the equivalent journey by rail, some of which are on fairly long distance runs!

Sheffield to Mansfield - Stagecoach X17 (43 mins), Train (86 mins)
Bradford to Huddersfield - First X6 (37 mins), Train (45 mins)
York to Whitby - Transdev Coastliner 840 (142 mins), Train (162 mins)
Corby to Peterborough - Stagecoach X4 (52 mins), Train (108 mins)
Northampton to Wellingborough - Stagecoach X4 (35 mins), Train (108 mins)

The following offer very similar journey times to the equivalent rail journey:
Newcastle to Middlesborough - Go North East X9/X10 (80 mins), Train (78 mins)
Sheffield to Matlock - Stagecoach X17 (80 mins), Train (92 mins)
Coventry to Leicester - Travel DeCourcey X6 (75 mins), Train (68 mins)

[Alex]

Not sure, but i think the Stagecoach X2 Preston-Liverpool run might be close, and it sure as hell knocks the Preston-Southport bit of the journey out compared to by train

[Cheese]

Not sure, but i think the Stagecoach X2 Preston-Liverpool run might be close, and it sure as hell knocks the Preston-Southport bit of the journey out compared to by train

Preston to Liverpool is around 63-65 mins by train, around 2 hours or more on the 2X/X2. No comparison really.

[Dutsey]

After riding the 126 from Wolves to Birmingham, I am pretty sure there is an express route that could be made here maybe one stop between Wolves & Dudley, then a stop near the M5 island and then maybe one at Bearwood then into the city. I am pretty sure it can be done.

[4006]

My opinion is 'X' Routes of variations of current routes don't work and the little time saved is insignificant, I mean take the X51, passengers don't care which they get on x51 or 51 they get whichever turns up first.The time saving is relatively little and by the time you wait for an X51 you can be half way down the road on a normal 51. Wolves have tried varies x routes to Merry Hill (travelling on parts of current routes), none of them work..they just don't save enough time to be worth waiting for. Most of the 'X' routes that do work is when there is no alternative! It's all just a marketing device, because its called 'x' something, people think it is faster
SUCKERS!!!
LOL

[Kevin]

My opinion is 'X' Routes of variations of current routes don't work and the little time saved is insignificant, I mean take the X51, passengers don't care which they get on x51 or 51 they get whichever turns up first.The time saving is relatively little and by the time you wait for an X51 you can be half way down the road on a normal 51. Wolves have tried varies x routes to Merry Hill (travelling on parts of current routes), none of them work..they just don't save enough time to be worth waiting for. Most of the 'X' routes that do work is when there is no alternative! It's all just a marketing device, because its called 'x' something, people think it is faster
SUCKERS!!!
LOL

Wrong. People get the X51 to avoid stopping in Newtown and One Stop. The time it takes isn't as much of an issue. Same with the 902/4/5, it doesn't really shave that much time off the 115 journey really, they just have the advantage of guaranteed not stopping along that part of the route,  and not having to negotiate the roundabouts on the way.
An express service along the Hagley Road for example would work for the same reason,  it may get stuck in the same traffic but it won't stop at all the bus stops en route