Services 213/214/217/240 in Old Hill and Cradley Heath

[Roy]

Centro have issued a press release today saying that the 213, 214, 217 and 240 services will be withdrawn from 25 January and replaced by 4 new services 12, 13, 14 and 17.

The No 12 will run from Merry Hill bus station to Blackheath via Dunns Bank, Colley Gate, and Old Hill.

The No 13 will operate from Merry Hill bus station to Halesowen via Dunns Bank, Fatherless Barn and Colley Gate. This provides new links to Halesowen for Fatherless Barn and Dunns Bank.

The No 14 will serve Brierley Hill High Street, Merry Hill bus station, Dunns Bank, Cradley Heath via Forge Lane, and Fatherless Barn via Banner Lane.

The No 17 will run from Merry Hill bus station to Halesowen via Coppice Lane, Cradley Heath High Street, Timbertree, Belle Vale and Huntingtree Road.

Each route will provide an hourly Monday to Saturday daytime service, while the No 13 will also operate Sunday daytimes.

The full press release is at http://www.centro.org.uk/about-us/news/2014/centro-introduces-improved-cradley-and-old-hill-area-bus-services/

[the trainbasher]

The No 12 will run from Merry Hill bus station to Blackheath via Dunns Bank, Colley Gate, and Old Hill.

Covers parts of the former Ludlows 230...

The No 13 will operate from Merry Hill bus station to Halesowen via Dunns Bank, Fatherless Barn and Colley Gate. This provides new links to Halesowen for Fatherless Barn and Dunns Bank.

Depends on which way it goes Halesowen to fatherless barn it'll cover parts of the former MH 210/211/212

The No 14 will serve Brierley Hill High Street, Merry Hill bus station, Dunns Bank, Cradley Heath via Forge Lane, and Fatherless Barn via Banner Lane.

So effectively the 213/214 combined?

The No 17 will run from Merry Hill bus station to Halesowen via Coppice Lane, Cradley Heath High Street, Timbertree, Belle Vale and Huntingtree Road.

Just a renunbered 217 then...

[Stuharris 6360]

Look at the service numbers, do i take it next year that Dudley services will be brought into line with the rest of the West Midlands with stupid one & two digit service numbers?

[Stuharris 6360]

Look at the service numbers, do i take it next year that Dudley services will be brought into line with the rest of the West Midlands with stupid one & two digit service numbers?

So the 240 is withdrawn ending a tradition of buses between Stourbridge & Cradley Heath that has gone back over numerous decades.

When i was young, the 240/1/2 all served Cradley Heath from Stourbridge and on Saturday there was a 15 minute frequency, mind you in those days there was only a 1/2 hour frequency on the trains! Will be sad to see it go, one final ride me thinks!

[the trainbasher]

Don't bother trying to board at Cradley station as they've been diverting them via Tesco!!

[Stuharris 6360]

Don't bother trying to board at Cradley station as they've been diverting them via Tesco!!

Always catch it in Graingers Lane!

[Stu]

Look at the service numbers, do i take it next year that Dudley services will be brought into line with the rest of the West Midlands with stupid one & two digit service numbers?

So the 240 is withdrawn ending a tradition of buses between Stourbridge & Cradley Heath that has gone back over numerous decades.

When i was young, the 240/1/2 all served Cradley Heath from Stourbridge and on Saturday there was a 15 minute frequency, mind you in those days there was only a 1/2 hour frequency on the trains! Will be sad to see it go, one final ride me thinks!

Someone else has mentioned this on my Facebook page, the big question though is do people use the 240 service between Stourbridge and Cradley Heath?

[Stuharris 6360]

Look at the service numbers, do i take it next year that Dudley services will be brought into line with the rest of the West Midlands with stupid one & two digit service numbers?

So the 240 is withdrawn ending a tradition of buses between Stourbridge & Cradley Heath that has gone back over numerous decades.

When i was young, the 240/1/2 all served Cradley Heath from Stourbridge and on Saturday there was a 15 minute frequency, mind you in those days there was only a 1/2 hour frequency on the trains! Will be sad to see it go, one final ride me thinks!

Someone else has mentioned this on my Facebook page, the big question though is do people use the 240 service between Stourbridge and Cradley Heath?

No Stu, most journies are virtually empty!

[Trident 4194]

Bring back the old 211

[2900]

when will these toe rags learn, sat in there comfy offices to leave shit alone if it eh broke don,t fix it, there was absolutely nothing wrong with old service numbers. It made perfect sense. All this nonsense of two digits easier to remember than three, honestly it makes my blood boil.

[Stuharris 6360]

when will these toe rags learn, sat in there comfy offices to leave shit alone if it eh broke don,t fix it, there was absolutely nothing wrong with old service numbers. It made perfect sense. All this nonsense of two digits easier to remember than three, honestly it makes my blood boil.

Here Here 2900, although i suspect if the intended Dudley get the network review this year, then we can say goodbye to all the remaining 200 series numbers. To me Centro have to much say in matters like this, surely if NE want to operate a bus between Walsall & Blackheath numbered 404 then it is up to them, not Centro!

[2900]

even though the west brom services were renumered a while ago i still couldnt tell you what goes where except for the 48 and 49. i gave up spent ages learning where the old services went including walsall and wolverhampton cant be bothered now.

[arrifirststage]

when will these toe rags learn, sat in there comfy offices to leave shit alone if it eh broke don,t fix it, there was absolutely nothing wrong with old service numbers. It made perfect sense. All this nonsense of two digits easier to remember than three, honestly it makes my blood boil.

Here Here 2900, although i suspect if the intended Dudley get the network review this year, then we can say goodbye to all the remaining 200 series numbers. To me Centro have to much say in matters like this, surely if NE want to operate a bus between Walsall & Blackheath numbered 404 then it is up to them, not Centro!

PR wonks at work again........in an ideal world these marketing nutters would be certified.
All part of the increasing trend to treat everyone as children,
I wonder if any of these goons ever spend more than £99 in a supermarket......bet they can read three digit numbers then.
Bah!    Humbug!

[s94]

Oh dear pointless renumbering occurring! Can only echo the above comments that if it isn't broke, don't fix it. The numbers will look out place a bit compared to most of the other routes in the area...for now at least before they inevitably change!

Interesting there is now yet another service to Halesowen being formed from Merry Hill.

As quoted from the Halesowen News: "Centro, the region's public transport co-ordinator, reorganised the routes following talks with local councillors." No public consultation needed then!

[Stu]

As has happened at previous reviews, bus services get revised and renumbered, there's always some bitching and moaning about being 'confused' by the new numbers. But then what happens is, that people get used to things, and people stop complaining.

There's plenty of scope to revise route numbers in the Dudley area, without clashing with other route numbers elsewhere. And I think it does give local areas their own identity still. For example, lets renumber the 222 as the 2. There's already a 1 service in Dudley, as the principal route going to Wolverhampton, so why not have a 2 as the principal route going to Merry Hill? You'd have to be pretty barmy to get that mixed up with the 2 from Birmingham to Maypole.

The network will have to change, in order to adapt to changes in passenger movements and needs; you can either embrace the changes and move boldly forward, or stay firmly rooted in the 20th Century with a network that just does not fit in with where people need to travel.