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

[Tony]

That's the fun of the thread I guess.

I would really love to see just a small indication of which NX routes are profitable/unprofitable (and by what margin). I know there's the high frequency routes that would obviously be the most profitable (50, 74, etc). However, it would be interesting to see some form of statistics.

Well for obvious reasons you never will unless you get a job at NX or TfWM

[ellspurs]

The train fare between Birmingham and Coventry is listed at £5.50 one way, £9 return for travel today on the West Midlands Railway website with a journey time of 20-25 minutes. Offpeak return is £6.90.

The coach fare between Birmingham and Coventry is listed at £5.20 one way, no return ticket for travel today, with a journey length of 50-55 minutes.

We all know the bus pricing and times.

The bus isn't viable for long distance journeys, as Tony has mentioned above. People just need to choose the method of transport that works for them best.

[Ronnoc]

That's a shame, would've been quite interesting though.

[BlackCountryBusSpotter]

I'd like to see Diamond or NX run a express from Birmingham to Wolverhampton.

There is a reason that doesn't exist as Tony mentioned the Tram and Train, the Avanti services are Express. Depending on your route it wouldn't be viable as the X8 covers the old 126 route to a degree and the 79 could never compete again sadly. The only area the 79 could is Moxley and Darlaston but most people get the bus to Walsall or Wednesbury and get the Tram, Train and or X51. Sadly Wolverhampton to Birmingham is well covered. And with the Trams now having the issues fixed there isn't scope to try and tempt them away

[Jay71]

There is a reason that doesn't exist as Tony mentioned the Tram and Train, the Avanti services are Express. Depending on your route it wouldn't be viable as the X8 covers the old 126 route to a degree and the 79 could never compete again sadly. The only area the 79 could is Moxley and Darlaston but most people get the bus to Walsall or Wednesbury and get the Tram, Train and or X51. Sadly Wolverhampton to Birmingham is well covered. And with the Trams now having the issues fixed there isn't scope to try and tempt them away

You mentioned issues with the trams being fixed. I think that the service is vert unreliable.  It wasn't this bad when the service ran every 6/7 mins. But since it got reduced to every ten mins the service has gone downhill faster than a rollercoaster.  Don't get me started on the overcrowding. They're constantly having issues with the screens at stops ie 'the next tram will arrive in one min'. Four or five mins later the tram that was due in one min still hasn't arrived. 

[BlackCountryBusSpotter]

You mentioned issues with the trams being fixed. I think that the service is vert unreliable.  It wasn't this bad when the service ran every 6/7 mins. But since it got reduced to every ten mins the service has gone downhill faster than a rollercoaster.  Don't get me started on the overcrowding. They're constantly having issues with the screens at stops ie 'the next tram will arrive in one min'. Four or five mins later the tram that was due in one min still hasn't arrived.

It is probably down to Driver Shortages, In terms of Wolverhampton to Birmingham it is still quicker than any Express Bus or the 79 could ever be and I want the 79 to go back to Brum but I realise it isn't viable. 

[Jay71]

It is probably down to Driver Shortages, In terms of Wolverhampton to Birmingham it is still quicker than any Express Bus or the 79 could ever be and I want the 79 to go back to Brum but I realise it isn't viable.

According to the conductors its all down to penny pinching.  They have no intentions of bringing back the 6/7 min frequency. 

[Stu]

I doubt you'd have hardly any passengers. I bet from experience you could probably fill a 12m single decker (45 seater or so), if not a 10.3 meter platinum. Every time i go on the x1 it is packed and seriously needs more frequency.

Yes, the X1 gets packed but very few people do the full run to Coventry, not enough to fill a single decker running every 20 minutes.

I've travelled a fair few times myself on the X1, and from my own experiences and observations, it is busiest between Birmingham city centre and Sheldon.

Maybe a peak-time frequency increase for the X2 would help instead?

[Steve3229vp]

Yes, the X1 gets packed but very few people do the full run to Coventry, not enough to fill a single decker running every 20 minutes.

I've travelled a fair few times myself on the X1, and from my own experiences and observations, it is busiest between Birmingham city centre and Sheldon.

Maybe a peak-time frequency increase for the X2 would help instead?

I agree about increasing the X2 in peaks, if an extra X2 was placed 5 minutes before an X1 at the busiest times then the pressure for passengers going beyond Sheldon on an X1 would be reduced

[2206]

I agree about increasing the X2 in peaks, if an extra X2 was placed 5 minutes before an X1 at the busiest times then the pressure for passengers going beyond Sheldon on an X1 would be reduced

Wonder if a X2a to Cranes Park would work? Like the previously proposed 960 to Cranes Park back when the East Birmingham consultation happened?

[GoldenSquid]

In my opinion it'd make sense for X1 shorts (City-Airport) to come back over peak times. 

[Steve3229vp]

What doesn't help is that the seating capacity on electrics is 8 seats less than a platinum bus, so that's 24 seats less an hour, up to 32 in peaks.

[JosephR]

I would add a service say, X67 for numbers sake. Have it run on the Aston expressway and come down Tyburn road same as the X12/3. Have it run till holly lane and follow the 96 to the fort parkway. Then the 67 till manby road. Take a left then right onto Kingsbury road then terminate at Asda min worth.

[JosephR]

Bring back the 68A/C circular, under a new service number that isn't in use. Maybe 69A/C

[2206]

Bring back the 68A/C circular, under a new service number that isn't in use. Maybe 69A/C

Isn't most of the route covered by the 96, 71, 64 today? What new links would that create?