More direct route between Wolverhampton and Birmingham

[Alex]

Would there be any reason a more direct bus between Wolverhampton and Birmingham wouldn't work?

For Example, lets use the number 926, having the bus run non stop from Wolverhampton-Willenhall, pick up passengers in Willenhall, at the Dale, non stop from there to Walsall, then link up with the X51 Route to Perry Barr, and then non stop to Moor Street, running at a 15 minute frequency to Walsall and then 30 minutes to Wolverhampton.
Even if it is a bit of a daft idea, its not as bad as my friend's X26 express idea to Leicester via Wednesfield, New Invention, Cannock, Cheslyn Hay, Walsall, Birmingham, Airport/NEC, Coventry and Tamworth

[Stu]

Would there be any reason a more direct bus between Wolverhampton and Birmingham wouldn't work?

If you need to get from Wolverhampton to Birmingham quick, get the Metro (35mins) or the train (about 20mins).

The 126 bus takes about 90mins, would your proposed route actually be any quicker?

[notepanel]

Would there be any reason a more direct bus between Wolverhampton and Birmingham wouldn't work?

If you need to get from Wolverhampton to Birmingham quick, get the Metro (35mins) or the train (about 20mins).

The 126 bus takes about 90mins, would your proposed route actually be any quicker?

If you're travelling by bus, during off-peak daytime hours the 529 is timetabled to take 36 minutes between Wolverhampton & Walsall (compared to 44 minutes on the 39 or 47 minutes on the 40). The X51 is then timetabled to take 35 minutes from Walsall - Birmingham.

The 126 takes 92 minutes, so if you time your journey to co-incide with an X51, it will probably end up just over 10 minutes quicker than getting the 126.

The non-stop element on the 529 wouldn't actually save that much time, as it would still have to use the same route.

When compared to the train, is an improved journey time of 75 minutes going to take people off the train/metro that get there in half that time? The answer is probably not.

[Alex]

I thought that the 529 was only scheduled to take 26 minutes at peak, not counting traffic, and i wasn't actually suggesting it would link with the X51 at Walsall, just follow the same route

[Tony]

I thought that the 529 was only scheduled to take 26 minutes at peak, not counting traffic, and i wasn't actually suggesting it would link with the X51 at Walsall, just follow the same route

26 in the peak, no.....It can take that long to get to Willenhall

[andrew1991]

I thought that the 529 was only scheduled to take 26 minutes at peak, not counting traffic, and i wasn't actually suggesting it would link with the X51 at Walsall, just follow the same route

26 in the peak, no.....It can take that long to get to Willenhall

It took around 20mins for it to get from portobello island to wolverhampton bus station the other day when i was on it.

[Sh4318]

This proposed service would be competing against the train. Which is faster and is more frequent than an express service would ever be (9tph)

[Alex]

Sorry, misread the timetable i was using, it is about 40 minutes

[Bob]

How long did the 79 use to take?  And the 979

[Alex]

I think it took about the same as the 126

[P419 EJW]

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?

[Bob]

I remember them having DP lynxes branded up for the 979. Either that or 79 used to go past a demolished building possibly a school,  and all that was left of it was a urinal stuck to a wall. May of been on the brum end of the route :)

[Ashley]

Quite often a 40 can beat a 529 end to end, a more direct bus service from Wolverhampton  to Birmingham is an impossible one to create, the 126 is as direct as it gets bus wise, trains and trams much faster

[Alex]

i didn't even know there had been a 979, can anyone tell me when it finished, cause if it was before 2002, i probably wouldn't remember it

[Cheese]

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.