Platinum

[Squiz1971]

Again, they've known about the X12 for weeks. The equipment is already installed in the buses. It could have all been set up and preloaded in advance, just wouldn't have done anything until the driver sets the displays to the X12 route. (If, as I understand correctly how this works, it is linked to how the driver sets the Hanover display)

I can understand the delay to getting the X1 and X2 announcements updated, as its updating data for current routes. But I can't see any reason why the X12 couldn't have had working audio/visual announcements from the date of launch.

Ok mate I'm sorry I wasn't sure how the next stop announcements worked when a new route is set-up, so thank you for educating me. @Stu. I agree totally with what you're saying about NXWN knowing about the X12 for quite a while prior to the actual announcement of the new routes for the 4/6/17 changes. Hopefully this will be sorted out in the next few days to a week and the next stop announcements will be up and running complete with the new red branding which @Mike K has said in an earlier post.

[Kevin]

(from the AG thread to save veering a bit off topic)

....
Like with the X70, I like the idea of better serving passengers from outlying areas, by avoiding the parts of a route that slow down a journey through 'inner' areas. As long as there are still regular 'all-stops' services through these inner areas, such as Washwood Heath and Ward End for example, due to their proximity to the city centre, they're not missing out when it comes to journey time, compared to passengers at the outer ends of a route. The problem really though is a lack of main trunk roads from the city centre that buses could 'express' along.

As evident from the X61 and X10, express buses don't necessarily need bypass roads to work, but even then I can't really think of another route that could support an express service, beyond potentially the 50 (non stop Digbeth - Moseley?) or a "flexible" route to some point along the Stratford Road (Hall Green?). Something to Dudley perhaps?

[Stu]

(from the AG thread to save veering a bit off topic)

As evident from the X61 and X10, express buses don't necessarily need bypass roads to work, but even then I can't really think of another route that could support an express service, beyond potentially the 50 (non stop Digbeth - Moseley?) or a "flexible" route to some point along the Stratford Road (Hall Green?). Something to Dudley perhaps?

The difference with the X12 and X70 is that they use 'express' trunk roads as a 'launchpad' in order to get to outlying areas beyond the inner city.

If there were never any problems with the M6 (which there always are so this next bit will always remain a pipedream), you could potentially have an 'X74', which used Aston Expressway, M6 and M5 to get to West Bromwich, before continuing along the regular 74 route. Or potentially even after West Brom, use the Black Country New Road to Great Bridge. All this of course is hypothetical, and I don't know how many passengers would actually benefit from this, as large parts of the route would be missed out (while served by a 'regular' 74 service alongside it). Hope you get the theory though. But as I said at the start, due to constant congestion on the motorway, the idea is a non-starter. So there, I've made a suggestion, and rubbished it in the same post!  ;)

[Tony]

The difference with the X12 and X70 is that they use 'express' trunk roads as a 'launchpad' in order to get to outlying areas beyond the inner city.

If there were never any problems with the M6 (which there always are so this next bit will always remain a pipedream), you could potentially have an 'X74', which used Aston Expressway, M6 and M5 to get to West Bromwich, before continuing along the regular 74 route. Or potentially even after West Brom, use the Black Country New Road to Great Bridge. All this of course is hypothetical, and I don't know how many passengers would actually benefit from this, as large parts of the route would be missed out (while served by a 'regular' 74 service alongside it). Hope you get the theory though. But as I said at the start, due to constant congestion on the motorway, the idea is a non-starter. So there, I've made a suggestion, and rubbished it in the same post!  ;)

Those areas have a fast link into Birmingham in the Metro

[winston]

Those areas have a fast link into Birmingham in the Metro

But the Metro will no longer be anything to do with NX soon

[Tony]

But the Metro will no longer be anything to do with NX soon

But you'll not compete with the Metro on speed into Birmingham whichever route you take whoever's operating it.

[andy41]

But you'll not compete with the Metro on speed into Birmingham whichever route you take whoever's operating it.

No but you can on capacity, its forever completely wedged at peaks as the trams aren't big enough and people stand the whole trip.

[uniquicity]

More to do with frequency than size of trams. Should be every 4 mins in peak now.

[Stuharris 6360]

More to do with frequency than size of trams. Should be every 4 mins in peak now.

But whoever operates it, would they operate a 4 minute frequency and if they could, would it work and would they have enough trams.

[winston]

But you'll not compete with the Metro on speed into Birmingham whichever route you take whoever's operating it.

I agree that the Metro has the advantage over quicker journey times in to B'ham, those can't be matched by the bus, but using the Metro is quite a lot more expensive. Once the management contract moves from NX to TfWM, NX are no longer obliged not to compete with Metro for passenegrs to increase the number using their buses along the Soho Rd corridor.

If NX could offer a combination of both faster journey times & special promotional fares, that may be enough to attract some Metro passengers back on to the bus.

[Other Walsall Tony]

Would an 'X29' between Walsall and Wolverhampton, using the Black Country Route be a possibility?

Or are there other places where the BCRs could be used?

[winston]

Would an 'X29' between Walsall and Wolverhampton, using the Black Country Route be a possibility?

Or are there other places where the BCRs could be used?

Merry Hill - Dudley - Walsall via BCR

[B.C Driver]

Did I read the X12 changes drivers in town? If so wouldnt this route be more suited to BC?

[markcf83]

I used the X12 on Thursday when I was in Birmingham and the driver of the bus I travelled on changed over with a colleague at Solihull.

[Stuharris 6360]

I agree that the Metro has the advantage over quicker journey times in to B'ham, those can't be matched by the bus, but using the Metro is quite a lot more expensive. Once the management contract moves from NX to TfWM, NX are no longer obliged not to compete with Metro for passenegrs to increase the number using their buses along the Soho Rd corridor.

If NX could offer a combination of both faster journey times & special promotional fares, that may be enough to attract some Metro passengers back on to the bus.

I actually think the moving of the Metro from NX to TfWM is a bit of a kick in the teeth for NX.

Why didn't Centro run it from the beginning instead of letting NX have all the initial teething problems and then when it starts to show signs of being a success saying, right we will run it now.

If i were NX, when TfWM take over i would flood the route with extra buses and promotional fares, see how TfWM like it then.