966 Birmingham International-Wolverhampton

[Michael Bevan]

Hello. Today I'm doing the original 966 route from Birmingham Airport via the 966, 90*, 6 and the 529 before heading to Aston Manor. I'm just wondering, how long the route originally took to get from Airport to Wolverhampton?

[2206]

Hello. Today I'm doing the original 966 route from Birmingham Airport via the 966, 90*, 6 and the 529 before heading to Aston Manor. I'm just wondering, how long the route originally took to get from Airport to Wolverhampton?

It didn't go the same way as the 966 does today.

[Michael Bevan]

It didn't go the same way as the 966 does today.

Well I know that as today the 966 goes to Solihull.

[2206]

Well I know that as today the 966 goes to Solihull.

It didn't go past the Fort. It used to use another route between Erdington and Spitfire Island. But was rerouted in August 2010. After the 68 was withdrawn.
The section through Castle Bromwich is different to the original route. The orriginal route went down the Collector Road.

In 2009 it was rerouted between Castle Bromwich - The Farthings

[P419 EJW]

The old 966 did Wolverhampton - Walsall - Aldridge - Sutton Coldfield - Erdington - Chelmsley Wood - Birmingham International Airport. It used to take 1 hour and 35 minutes each way.

[2206]

The old 966 did Wolverhampton - Walsall - Aldridge - Sutton Coldfield - Erdington - Chelmsley Wood - Birmingham International Airport. It used to take 1 hour and 35 minutes each way.

Though it used to be a limited stop service

[P419 EJW]

Though it used to be a limited stop service

Yes, it was a Timesaver route.

[Kevin]

Old route is still possible now, if you wanted to do it exact
Perhaps 2 tiny bits where you have to walk round a corner from one bus stop to another

966 airport - Chester Road / Over Green Drive
71 Chester Road up to the 94
94 for like 3 stops to the stop before the old Clock Garage
71 again for I think 2 stops to just before Spitfire Island
28 2 stops? to Kingsbury Road
116 to the Outer Circle
11 up to Erdington
Then as per your original plan 90x - 6 - 529

[Tony]

Old route is still possible now, if you wanted to do it exact
Perhaps 2 tiny bits where you have to walk round a corner from one bus stop to another

966 airport - Chester Road / Over Green Drive
71 Chester Road up to the 94
94 for like 3 stops to the stop before the old Clock Garage
71 again for I think 2 stops to just before Spitfire Island
28 2 stops? to Kingsbury Road
116 to the Outer Circle
11 up to Erdington
Then as per your original plan 90x - 6 - 529

Still cannot do the original, because when it went to Wolverhampton it used the whole length of the collector Road

[Kevin]

Still cannot do the original, because when it went to Wolverhampton it used the whole length of the collector Road

Touchée, thought it did Chester Road

[Michael Bevan]

Still cannot do the original, because when it went to Wolverhampton it used the whole length of the collector Road

Ah ok. Well I've tried to stick close to the original by getting what I said above. It has taken me 2 hours and 57 minutes to do it!

[Squiz1971]

Touchée, thought it did Chester Road

Only did Newport/Bradford/Chester Road when it was re-routed away from the collector road as previously mentioned. I have done the old 966 to Chelmsley Wood via the Collector Road when it was still a 70MPH/NSL road before it was dropped to a 50MPH only road and have done Castle Brom to Walsall to see the Walsall lights at the Arboretum in the mid 90's in a Blue & Gold liveried Timesaver Metrobus those were the days

[2206]

Ah ok. Well I've tried to stick close to the original by getting what I said above. It has taken me 2 hours and 57 minutes to do it!

The Airport - Erdington part wouldn't have been like the original.

[Michael Bevan]

The Airport - Erdington part wouldn't have been like the original.

I know as it serves the Fort and goes through places which probably didn't exist in the 1980's.

[Tony]

I know as it serves the Fort and goes through places which probably didn't exist in the 1980's.

The current 966 route between Erdington and Chelmsley Wood is completely different to the original, not one bus stop the same!