Dudley Network Review

[Westy]

An old lady was moaning at the bus stop say the 15 towards merry hill from Kingswinford had be reduced to every 30 mins and I said said the number has just changed not the times to the reply I got "it's on this timetable leaving every 25 past and 55 to". I replied "dear it departs as normal every 10, 25, 40 and 55 per hour...."

To which she said "I haven't got my glasses on so I can not read the timetable"

You wonder why you bother sometimes.

Same with the people who dont bother reading the traffic notices!

[Sh4318]

The Snow Hill line is up the creek today, so I decided to try out the X7.

6778 turned up and I was surprisingly very impressed, cutting out the Dudley Road and Cape Hill makes the journey so much more enjoyable, not only are you not stopping every single stop to let people off, but the traffic is usually better on Cranford Street - when there aren't any temporary traffic lights anyway so you fly from City Hospital to Coopers Lane.

Took me less than 30 minutes from town to home, which would never be achievable on the 80/A, 87 or 89, not even at night times.

I was a little worried regarding the low patronage, only me and one other person boarded at Colmore Row.

Fingers crossed, I'm hoping the X7 turns out to be a success - like the X1/X2 & X51 - because a Sunday service would be a welcome addition. Hopefully not an ambitious error like the X1 (Wolverhampton - Merry Hill), X61 & 19 were

Oh yeah, and the bus wasn't bad either

[Dom]

The Snow Hill line is up the creek today, so I decided to try out the X7. 6778 turned up and I was surprisingly very impressed, cutting out the Dudley Road and Cape Hill makes the journey so much more enjoyable, not only are you not stopping every single stop to let people off, but the traffic is usually better on Cranford Street - when there aren't any temporary traffic lights anyway so you fly from City Hospital to Coopers Lane.

Took me less than 30 minutes from town to home, which would never be achievable on the 80/A, 87 or 89, not even at night times.

I was a little worried regarding the low patronage, only me and one other person boarded at Colmore Row. Fingers crossed, I'm hoping the X7 turns out to be a success - like the X1/X2 & X51 - because a Sunday service would be a welcome addition. Hopefully not an ambitious error like the X1 (Wolverhampton - Merry Hill), X61 & 19 were

I think the lack of promotion about the X7 is whats killing it at the moment because I agree, it has potential to be a very successful route. If the stops are published a bit more, for example on the stop timetables, then that may lead to better footfall.

[karl724223]

Same happened with the X10 when that started very poor promotion of the route

[Kevin]

Rode up and down the X7 between Brum and Oldbury a few times over this past week. I have to say I love it!
Yeah in rush hour it gets slow, but so does every route. The one inbound journey the Smethwick bypass was closed but still using the High Street only made 5 mins difference
Give it time I'm sure it will pick up, branding will help

Side note, hospital works and eventual opening will likely screw it up

[JoNi]

An old lady was moaning at the bus stop say the 15 towards merry hill from Kingswinford had be reduced to every 30 mins and I said said the number has just changed not the times to the reply I got "it's on this timetable leaving every 25 past and 55 to". I replied "dear it departs as normal every 10, 25, 40 and 55 per hour...."

To which she said "I haven't got my glasses on so I can not read the timetable"

She is unlikely to be the only intending customer with poor eyesight in an ageing population. Sounds like a need for bigger font and clearer communication of headways needed!

[karl724223]

Still loads of bus stops around with the old bus numbers on them and I mean loads
Totally forgot West Midlands

[Smethwickian]

Kevin remarks that resumption of work on the Midland Metropolitan Hospital might impact the X7. All construction traffic should enter and leave via the gates off Grove Street by Grove Lane McDonalds. What has affected Cranford Street has been mainly utilities work for both the hospital and new housing on the opposite side of the road, as well as the awkward accesses for anything larger than a white van to existing light industrial and motor businesses in Cranford Street and the top half of Heath Street. Inconsiderate parking along the bottom end of Heath Street, near Lidl and the health centre, also causes a pinch-point.
If the X7 survives until the MM Hospital opens, it might in fact benefit from adding one stop on Cranford Street, between the new housing on one side and a rear access to the hospital on the other.
Other comments about lack of promotion for the route have some merit, as stopping places are not listed on timetables at stops so people tend to assume 'it's not for me'.

[2206]

Quite a few stops along the Warwick Road in the Greet/Tyesley area still have 37 on the flags  (and haven't been changed to show 4):
Warwick Road (Stratford Road) towards Solihull.
Warwick Road (Shakespeare Street) towards the City Centre.
Warwick Road (Manor Farm Road) towards Solihull
Warwick Road (Boscombe Road) towards Solihull
All the same sort of bus stop - The poles with the RTI screen on them.
The Digbeth Coach Station flag (towards Carr's Lane/Moor Street) still has X20 on the flag and hasn't been changed to show X50.

[Sh4318]

I wonder if the 9 branding will now be updated, perhaps to incorporate the 126

Quite a few stops along the Warwick Road in the Greet/Tyesley area still have 37 on the flags  (and haven't been changed to show 4):
Warwick Road (Stratford Road) towards Solihull.
Warwick Road (Shakespeare Street) towards the City Centre.
Warwick Road (Manor Farm Road) towards Solihull
Warwick Road (Boscombe Road) towards Solihull
All the same sort of bus stop - The poles with the RTI screen on them.
The Digbeth Coach Station flag (towards Carr's Lane/Moor Street) still has X20 on the flag and hasn't been changed to show X50.

Not really sure what relevance this has to the Dudley Network Review

[2206]

I wonder if the 9 branding will now be updated, perhaps to incorporate the 126

Not really sure what relevance this has to the Dudley Network Review

Should have checked what thread I was posting in, sorry.
Should have posted it here - http://wmbusphotos.com/forum/index.php?topic=4048.90

[Kevin]

A few weeks in and being out of work I've had the chance to roam the new network a while. One thing I will pick up on is the loss of connection from Sandwell and Dudley Station to Dudley. I remember the predecessor to the 121 (688? I forget) was marketed as having that link from the rail station but over the years I hadn't really seen that many people use it for that purpose. Yes Oldbury isn't all that far away but it seems just too far to warrant walking to the 87/12/12A/X7.

Presumably the lack of custom for that particular link meant it didn't warrant replacing but it seems a shame the station is called "Sandwell and Dudley" without really having a link to the latter

[danny]

Too add to Kevin's feedback, was there not a stage where the 87 actually went to the station. Sure I've seen a photo of a Leyland Lynx on the forecort of the station in west midlands travel days. Obviously you couldn't do It now as the layout of the station wouldn't allow for buses to enter.

[Stu]

Too add to Kevin's feedback, was there not a stage where the 87 actually went to the station. Sure I've seen a photo of a Leyland Lynx on the forecort of the station in west midlands travel days. Obviously you couldn't do It now as the layout of the station wouldn't allow for buses to enter.

Don't ask me when because it was a long time ago, but yes I do remember the 87 being routed up and down Bromford Road to directly serve Sandwell & Dudley station. I don't think it lasted long though, as it took quite a bit of time; I suppose with the increased frequency of the 4/404 it made more sense for passengers to use that and change in Oldbury or West Bromwich.

[Steve3229vp]

The 87 was re-routed via Sandwell and Dudley Railway station in mid-1986 (in the PTE era), I'm not sure when it was removed from there but it was likely around the early 1990's