If you had the chance to modify or add any service, what would you do?

[Rachvince53]

Also on the journey towards Coventry there used to be a bear left slip off the A45 which may have been restricted to buses providing direct access to Birmingham Road, Allesley Village, saving the need of continuing down to Parkhill junction and coming back up Rye Hill.

The access road was for buses only, although I'm sure others sneaked through at times.  Altogether with the previously mentioned right turns on to the A45 the 900 was a much faster journey than the current X1. It also ran every 15 minutes between Birmingham and Coventry.

[Steve3229vp]

The access road was for buses only, although I'm sure others sneaked through at times.  Altogether with the previously mentioned right turns on to the A45 the 900 was a much faster journey than the current X1. It also ran every 15 minutes between Birmingham and Coventry.

900 every 15 minutes between Birmingham and Coventry ?
The 900 only ran every 15 minutes all the way to Coventry on Saturdays in 1989/1990, otherwise is was every 20 minutes most of the time or every 15 minutes to Airport/NEC and every 30 minutes to Coventry. 
Monday to Fridays peak-hours ran every 15 minutes to Coventry when it was 900 and X1

[Rachvince53]

900 every 15 minutes between Birmingham and Coventry ?
The 900 only ran every 15 minutes all the way to Coventry on Saturdays in 1989/1990, otherwise is was every 20 minutes most of the time or every 15 minutes to Airport/NEC and every 30 minutes to Coventry.
Monday to Fridays peak-hours ran every 15 minutes to Coventry when it was 900 and X1

I was a regular user of the 900 and used it in the week when it was still every 15 minutes.  It dropped frequency in the week as part of a shake-up of services in 1988 which also saw the Birmingham - Hasbury section replaced by a 19.

[Steve3229vp]

I was a regular user of the 900 and used it in the week when it was still every 15 minutes.  It dropped frequency in the week as part of a shake-up of services in 1988 which also saw the Birmingham - Hasbury section replaced by a 19.

The 900 was every 30 minutes when it ran from Hasbury to Coventry, In 1988 when the Hasbury section was replaced by the 19 the 900 was increased to every 20 minutes, the only other times it was every 15 minutes was on Saturdays in 1989/1990 and in peaks on Monday to Friday in recent years. It definitely was not every 15 minutes any other time.

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[woody38]

934/5/6/7 is honestly quite confusing, but that's because I wasn't aware of the 9XX system from days past. but even now in 2023 that whole set of routes is confusing. nxwm were right when they said 2 digit numbers were easily rememberable.

What confusing about them should have been around when all the bus services where 3 digits my routes where the 500/01/10

[Mike K]

What confusing about them should have been around when all the bus services where 3 digits my routes where the 500/01/10

Whilst not confusing as such, the 934/5/6/7, along with the 907 and 997, are anomalies with the trend to re-numbering most of the limited stop (and not so limited stop) services to X service numbers. With the concerted push towards standardisation and 'simplification' across the board, it's strange that stragglers like the 126, 529 and the 9xx number remain.

(FWIW, I liked the old numbering series)

[ellspurs]

The 900 was every 30 minutes when it ran from Hasbury to Coventry, In 1988 when the Hasbury section was replaced by the 19 the 900 was increased to every 20 minutes, the only other times it was every 15 minutes was on Saturdays in 1989/1990 and in peaks on Monday to Friday in recent years. It definitely was not every 15 minutes any other time.

Yeah, when I was catching it in Sheldon in the late 90s early 2000s it was every 20 minutes Mon-Fri. Always the rush to try and get the one that went through Meriden at 0920 as the first one past 0930 would fill up with concession pass holders.

[Rachvince53]

What confusing about them should have been around when all the bus services where 3 digits my routes where the 500/01/10

Or my local routes which were 550, 551, 553, 554, 555, 556 and 584 (although the latter was a Midland Red West rather than WMT).  

[Wumpty]

What confusing about them should have been around when all the bus services where 3 digits my routes where the 500/01/10

Or my local routes which were 550, 551, 553, 554, 555, 556 and 584 (although the latter was a Midland Red West rather than WMT). 

One of the challenges TWM faced with 3-digit system is space on the flip dot/LED blinds. With conventional 4-track roller blinds, they numbers were always the same size regardless.

With flip dot/LED, you're space constrained meaning that the numbers would be squashed to accommodate the destination wording - add that with a 4-digit number, e.g. 501E, then you're even more constrained, and from a distance, harder to read.

Change, like everything else, is always hard to accept at first, though I do much prefer the old 3xx 4xx 5xx system myself, from a purely nostalgic perspective.

[sonic84]

One of the challenges TWM faced with 3-digit system is space on the flip dot/LED blinds. With conventional 4-track roller blinds, they numbers were always the same size regardless.

With flip dot/LED, you're space constrained meaning that the numbers would be squashed to accommodate the destination wording - add that with a 4-digit number, e.g. 501E, then you're even more constrained, and from a distance, harder to read.

Change, like everything else, is always hard to accept at first, though I do much prefer the old 3xx 4xx 5xx system myself, from a purely nostalgic perspective.

Honestly the system worked just fine.

There is too much duplication of numbers across the network and whilst someone is unlike to confuse the Birmingham 4 with a Wolverhampton 4, at one point there was a 46 in Great Barr that was different to the 46 in Perry Barr.

A lot of services are still 3 digit but just have letters instead of numbers.  

[Tony]

Honestly the system worked just fine.

There is too much duplication of numbers across the network and whilst someone is unlike to confuse the Birmingham 4 with a Wolverhampton 4, at one point there was a 46 in Great Barr that was different to the 46 in Perry Barr.

A lot of services are still 3 digit but just have letters instead of numbers. 

But very few four digit ones which if you read Wumpty's comment was the big problem

[Stu]

Honestly the system worked just fine.

There is too much duplication of numbers across the network and whilst someone is unlike to confuse the Birmingham 4 with a Wolverhampton 4, at one point there was a 46 in Great Barr that was different to the 46 in Perry Barr.

A lot of services are still 3 digit but just have letters instead of numbers. 

The current system works just fine too.

Duplication of route numbers isn't an issue. The network has been broken down into more local areas, and thus for people in those areas the numbering system is easier to understand.

Interestingly in Wolverhampton there are two different services numbered 9, the Arriva one to Bridgnorth and the NX one to Walsall, yet you never hear about anyone getting confused by the two.

[Tony]

I think everyone got on the correct bus without complaint

[Justin Tyme]

I think everyone got on the correct bus without complaint

I like it!

Back in 2018 NXWM X20 Birmingham - Cofton Hackett started one week before Johnsons X20 Birmingham - Stratford ceased, and they both called outwards at the same stop in Moor Street Queensway.  On my final ride on the Johnsons service there were a few cases of "wrong X20".

Maybe 115 passengers were more observant?

[Westy]

As per my comment elsewhere, divert the Walsall Community Transport 25 up the full length of Goscote Lane & Livingston Road, enabling a closer driver change to the depot, Wolverhampton Road to the Mouse Hill junction, reverse of its existing route of Allens Lane(?), left up Norton Road, up to the traffic lights & turn left onto Vicarage Road & turn right further up that route to rejoin the existing route. (Probably need a extra bus?)

Alternatively, where do most of the Ryders Hayes passengers travel to? Could the 23 be diverted via Ryders Hayes into Pelsall itself then up Highfield Road to rejoin normal route? (The sharp turn by the shops might be a problem?)

(Come to think of it, the 25 would have to pop out of a side street into Highfield Road itself, if it missed out the Pelsall Wood section(Shortlands Lane), which is another dodgy turn ISTR as well!)

Anyone familiar with Pelsall got any ideas?