National Express West Midlands Christmas 2015 service levels

[Trident 4609]

Full Christmas service provisions available here now with link to all the timetables and first/last boxing day services.
http://www.networkwestmidlands.com/bankholiday/bankholiday.aspx

Boxing Day/New Years Day timetables now on the NX website
http://nxbus.co.uk/west-midlands/information/boxing-day-timetables

I've noticed New Years Day has the same level of service as Boxing Day (Only main corridors operating till late) as opposed to full Sunday service.

Also, in the WN area, there is no late night Boxing day service on the 2 (Bushbury Hill-Warstones) unlike previous years where it was considered a 'main route'. This years services at WN with a full Sunday service on Boxing Day/New Years Day are the 1,59,79,126 and 529.

[wembley86]

Why is there at Saturday service from 21st  - 24th December and 29th - 31st December 2015.     

Does National Express Buses think that all work places still shut up shop for the Christmas period and no-one will be going to work during this period.   Where I work we close at 2pm on the Christmas eve.

Surely what we do for work as changed from industrial kind of work where there would be a 2-3 week closure in December in the 1950's- late 70's to a more commerical based work where close on Christmas Eve and re-open after boxing day.

[Dom]

Bloody stupid IMO! So if someone's service is reduced on a NORMAL WEEKDAY what would NX do? Cover the extra £ for the Taxi! Losing out on money, so it doesn't help either NX or the passenger.

Just wondering if 81/05 will be a B7RLE this week due to it being saturday service & if it will be pink RB's or green?

[karl724223]

Might be orange

[Ashley 60171]

Might be orange

With a tinsel border perhaps

[Trident 4609]

Bloody stupid IMO! So if someone's service is reduced on a NORMAL WEEKDAY what would NX do? Cover the extra £ for the Taxi! Losing out on money, so it doesn't help either NX or the passenger.

Just wondering if 81/05 will be a B7RLE this week due to it being saturday service & if it will be pink RB's or green?

Some routes may have special running boards due to having a 'revised' Saturday service.

Some services will just operate to their normal Satuday timetables and running boards. Yes @WN Saturday allocations will apply.

[Westy]

And a quick reminder for the Cannock passengers using the X51.

2 of the AM journeys are running from Cannock while the Saturday service is on, but there's nothing running back to Cannock in the evening!

Whose bright idea was that then?

(I'm still debating whether to use the AM journeys in case they accidently don't run. Might go with my sister round to Bloxwich Road to be safe!)

[AndrewLee]

Can't understand why there's a big stink about running Saturday service. It's a revised service, extra a.m journeys for example.

[Dom]

Can't understand why there's a big stink about running Saturday service. It's a revised service, extra a.m journeys for example.

@AndrewLee Only on some services!

[s94]

To me, Saturday service means for most routes, almost the same weekday service anyway, just slightly less at peaks. Really not the end of the world for most.

[Mike K]

To me, Saturday service means for most routes, almost the same weekday service anyway, just slightly less at peaks. Really not the end of the world for most.

Agreed, and peak time loadings between Monday and the 31st December will be light. It makes commercial sense and I really can't see that many people would be adversely affected, particularly as there are some exceptions to the Saturday service rule.

[don]

Agreed, and peak time loadings between Monday and the 31st December will be light. It makes commercial sense and I really can't see that many people would be adversely affected, particularly as there are some exceptions to the Saturday service rule.

The lack of school kids at the peaks whist they are on holidays will no doubt make a big difference to loadings - it's very noticeable on the public transport I use - lack of adult workers associated with schools as well and who would accompany the younger children.

[Tony]

Agreed, and peak time loadings between Monday and the 31st December will be light. It makes commercial sense and I really can't see that many people would be adversely affected, particularly as there are some exceptions to the Saturday service rule.

The other big advantage is the running times are less on a Saturday, so journey times will be quicker. If a M-F timetable was run buses would be sat everywhere waiting time as there is far less traffic on the road in the morning peak

[John]

We may have Saturday running times, but this morning it was still a Mon-Fri load, even more with people that don't realise that it is a Saturday service. My second run into City around 8ish, I was full and standing as well as 20 minutes down

[JoNi]

Buses having less running time in the morning peak is as much to do with less traffic as "mummy" isn't taking kids to school in car, than actual bus loads. A Monday to Friday school holiday service is operating in Coventry, so I was surprised when you said a Saturday service is operation in Birmingham. Checking the NX website I eventually found it under Enjoy a BUSy Christmas and it was hyperlink inside that page even to get to it. And then inside that hyperlink the route lists have extra journeys to hyperlinks to Saturday timetables!
This is the 21st Century can't the special timetables be created after all there must be a schedule behind it.