Previous east Birmingham network review

[Sh4318]

@Winston it would make sense to use this thread to mention all proposed service changes for nx rather than set up a new one each time.

@Steveminor I'm guessing that's the intention behind it, considering this topic is pinned

They wouldn't end up running close together if the 966 was withdrawn/chopped in half.
with the 76 replacing the Solihull - Chelmsley Wood section and the 38 replacing the Chelmsley Wood - Erdington section.

I wonder if they'll consider renumbering the 966 if this goes ahead

[B.C Driver]

Re: The East Bham changes, I would be surprised if they axe the 24 hour 97. It always seems busy when I see the 1am bus leaving town anyway, and heard there are regulars who use the later buses too.
Same with the 63. The 1am 45 and 51 always has a good few people waiting in City too.
It's about time this city had 24 hour bus routes or at least 1am buses.
The shock on peoples faces when they used to ask me what time the last bus was and I told them Midnight.
The taxi drivers must have loved the fact that they were the only way people could get home apart from walking.

[Liberator9]

I can't see any sense why you'd extend the 76 - already a long enough route that already in the peaks get caught out by the traffic round Selly Oak and down the Stratford Road, not to mention Kings Heath and Solihull. Previous experience is that cris-crossing routes in Solihull is a problem (the S2/S3 was a great example of why not to extend a perfectly simple route) and that the longer the route, the more danger that it can take only one RTC/issue on the route to wreck it at the complete opposite end. It'd also be a pain in logistics - depot in Yardley Wood, yet buses may have to run all the way to Chelmsley/Damsonwood potentially to take over a broken down bus, or to get into service. Great amount of dead mileage.

[2206]

I can't see any sense why you'd extend the 76 - already a long enough route that already in the peaks get caught out by the traffic round Selly Oak and down the Stratford Road, not to mention Kings Heath and Solihull. Previous experience is that cris-crossing routes in Solihull is a problem (the S2/S3 was a great example of why not to extend a perfectly simple route) and that the longer the route, the more danger that it can take only one RTC/issue on the route to wreck it at the complete opposite end. It'd also be a pain in logistics - depot in Yardley Wood, yet buses may have to run all the way to Chelmsley/Damsonwood potentially to take over a broken down bus, or to get into service. Great amount of dead mileage.

YW operate some 72E journeys between Chelmsley Wood and Solihull though don't they? @Liberator9

If that was a problem the 76 could possibly transfer to AG.

[Mike K]

The main issue as Liberator9 says is that the longer routes get, the more unreliable they get. The old 69 Weoley Castle to Heartlands Hospital route was eventually split (and in part replaced by the 76) presumably to improve reliability and because nobody uses such routes end to end. On the odd occasion I ever caught the 69 to Solihull, it completely emptied there and picked up a whole new passenger load for the next leg of the journey towards Sheldon and Heartlands.

[Steveminor]

Well from what I'm told reliability is the reason they feel the need to shorten the 966 into 2 routes so I can't see them extending the 76 as that would make the 76 just as long as the 966 is now.
Oh & YW only operate 1 return journey on the 72E

[Liverpool Street]

The 97 to the airport is going? Did it lose funding? Can't see the 24/7 97 going, even if they curtail it to the Wood.

[monkeyjoe]

Bring back a 994 call it the x94 and make it Platimum. Any credibility in this lol

[Steveminor]

If I recall there were so many variations of the 994 trying to make it work & in the end this made the journey so long you may aswell catch the 94 rendering the 994 useless so it was cancelled. So can't see it coming back.

[monkeyjoe]

I was taking the mick.

However if the heartland / Bromford land junction was sorted out i could see potential for an X type service to attract people out of cars that could either serve Castle Brom/Vale areas of even act as a park and ride for junction 5 at the fort.

[Steve3229vp]

I think you right about if the Heartland / Bromford Lane junction was sorted out it would have potential or how about a X94 from City to Chelmsley Wood Stopping a Millennium Point, Star City, The Fort Shopping Park, Chester Road/Spitfire Island, Lanchester Way, the all stops to Pine Square via Auckland Drive.

[monkeyjoe]

I am not sure what the spitfire junction is like at rush hour since all the new improvements have been in situ, but I am at a loss what can be done about the bromford lane junction. Who ever created that filter lane heading south at the island is ......  i dunno.

[monkeyjoe]

Anymore insights to any of these rumours yet??

[2206]

Anymore insights to any of these rumours yet??

As the 97A is being extended I don't think the Chelmsley to Airport section is likely to be withdrawn.
@monkeyjoe

[Dutsey]

As the 97A is being extended I don't think the Chelmsley to Airport section is likely to be withdrawn.
@monkeyjoe

When you say extended, where is it being extended to Solihull and covering the 966? Or running more frequently?