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

[s94]

I'm confused at how the 217 is late so often. I caught it today departed at 15:52 according to my phone, hardly anyone got on or off, and travelled between 20-25 mph and arrived in halesowen at 16:15. Have the primos gone from 240 as only seen e200 yesterday and today

Primo seen today on 240.

Odd youur journey on the 217 saw barely anyone get on and off. Some of the loadings I have seen recently are some of the best I have seen imo. Sure its never busy like a proper main route might get but not bad for the type of service it is. Must have been around 10 people on one service I saw the other day and that was sometime between 3-5pm I think.

[Trident 4194]

I'm confused at how the 217 is late so often. I caught it today departed at 15:52 according to my phone, hardly anyone got on or off, and travelled between 20-25 mph and arrived in halesowen at 16:15. Have the primos gone from 240 as only seen e200 yesterday and today

Primo seen today on 240.

Odd youur journey on the 217 saw barely anyone get on and off. Some of the loadings I have seen recently are some of the best I have seen imo. Sure its never busy like a proper main route might get but not bad for the type of service it is. Must have been around 10 people on one service I saw the other day and that was sometime between 3-5pm I think.

Where does the 240 terminate now cradley station is not usuable ?

[Stuharris 6360]

I'm confused at how the 217 is late so often. I caught it today departed at 15:52 according to my phone, hardly anyone got on or off, and travelled between 20-25 mph and arrived in halesowen at 16:15. Have the primos gone from 240 as only seen e200 yesterday and today

Primo seen today on 240.

Odd youur journey on the 217 saw barely anyone get on and off. Some of the loadings I have seen recently are some of the best I have seen imo. Sure its never busy like a proper main route might get but not bad for the type of service it is. Must have been around 10 people on one service I saw the other day and that was sometime between 3-5pm I think.

Where does the 240 terminate now cradley station is not usuable ?

From what i have seen, anywhere they fancy!

[Trident 4194]

There is now signs for 13 going down towards halesowen by huntingtree towards Halesowen

[Mike K]

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.

It would be quite easy to mix a 2 up with a 002, which also terminates at Merry Hill though.

Renumbering routes hasn't made things simpler, it's made it more confusing.

[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.

It would be quite easy to mix a 2 up with a 002, which also terminates at Merry Hill though.

Renumbering routes hasn't made things simpler, it's made it more confusing.

I can see both the 002 and 004 getting renumbered in the future.

Do many people get confused between the 4M and 004 then?  ;)

[Mike K]

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.

It would be quite easy to mix a 2 up with a 002, which also terminates at Merry Hill though.

Renumbering routes hasn't made things simpler, it's made it more confusing.

I can see both the 002 and 004 getting renumbered in the future.

Do many people get confused between the 4M and 004 then?  ;)

Slightly different with the M suffix there but I have certainly heard people around Harborne and Quinton saying they've caught the 4 to Merry Hill. I still think two similarly numbered routes differentiated only by leading zeros is confusing when there are enough numbers available to have something completely different.

[Stuharris 6360]

R.I.P 240

[the trainbasher]

I must say what a bad show with the lack of info both Arriva and igo have given. I mean the diversion of the 298/299 was only publicised yesterday on bus so what chance do the public have?

[s94]

Nothing on the Arriva website either!

Arriva never seem interested in the services at this end. Never gets the attention on the website like its North Midlands routes.

[Stuharris 6360]

My friend who lives in Barrs Road has had a leaflet through the door!

[Kevin]

Nothing on the Arriva website either!

In itself, not surprising. To be honest it would be seem weird if Arriva actually did put stuff like that on their website (cue Bob...)

[Trident 4194]

Timetable for 13 and 17, on network West Midlands website

[the trainbasher]

Anyone want to put money on at least one driver getting lost on Monday?

[Trident 4194]

Timetable for 13 and 17, on network West Midlands website

12 & 14 too surprisingly....

I can't find 14