Rush Hour Overcrowding - Washwood Heath Road

[Sh4318]

Even at peak times, the X20 carried few passengers due to its limited-stop nature, so its loss has had no major impact in my opinion.

The 5 now carries the passengers who would have previously caught the 2 as far as Showell Green Lane, while the rerouting of the 2 has eased the overcrowding of the 3 for passengers heading for Stoney Lane. (Apart from when the unfortunate single deck appears on those routes)

A number of double decks continue to be used on the 4, 4A and 6, however it does get frustrating to see rammed full single-decks on those routes closely followed by half-empty double-decks.

In a perfect world, with buses running as scheduled and no traffic delays, the timetabling arrangements probably work for the Stratford Road corridor, but it only needs a few minutes delay for everything to go off-kilter, which sees passengers boarding the first bus that turns up in the city centre, even if they are only going as far as Sparkbrook. I will gladly fight my way onto a rammed 2 or 3, because I know the bus will be almost empty after a few more stops; I don't see why I should give up and wait for the next one just because I'm travelling further along the route.

I thought as much, I just tried to add more weight to my argument ;D.

Would you say the 6 is allocated a suitable amount of deckers? I see the route everyday, and rarely see deckers

[Jack]

I'm glad the Birchfield Road has been picked up here, since the 52/52A went back to the 952, the 33 and 51 constantly are full. The 51 (heading towards city) is usually half full before it even gets to Birchfield Road. No frequency increase that left the routes to be full all time.

[Bus1237]

A number of double decks continue to be used on the 4, 4A and 6, however it does get frustrating to see rammed full single-decks on those routes closely followed by half-empty double-decks.

The 4 is really struggling between Solihull and Acocks Green, and I've regularly been on buses at 6:00 PM where there is no room to get on, and people have to wait for 30 minutes for the next bus. And then I see a double decker going towards Solihull nearly empty...

[monkeyjoe]

Beginning to sound like these reviews are really driving up profits at least

[2206]

Beginning to sound like these reviews are really driving up profits at least

Some places have certainly benefited from improved services and frequencies, others not so much.
A few examples:
Bromford - now have regular double deckers fast to the City Centre, on the X12, which always seems well used, ontop of that there's also the X70.
Chelmsley to Solihull via Airport - Has seen a big frequency increase, from every 30 (i'm sure the 966 was every 30 minutes) to every 20 minutes over the 966.
Birmingham Uni/QE to Birmingham City Centre - It has been said by some that theses services are unreliable which would cause problems at the outlying areas of the routes (Eg Woodgate), but in terms of the frequency over the past 6 years, this section of the route between Birmingham City Centre and the QE has gone from a every 20 (?) minute 636 using B6LE (midi buses), to now where when i'm in the City Centre there is an X20/X21/X22 every few minutes and the X20/X22 are now platinum E400 MMC (double deckers).
Coventry Road - X1/X2 - There are many more fast buses along the Coventry Road now, than if you were to go back 10 years.
80/A - Now operates at double the frequency it used to a few years ago.

[Trident 4194]

Some places have benefitted certainly benefited from improved services and frequencies, others not so much.
A few examples:
Bromford - now have regular double deckers fast to the City Centre, on the X12, which always seems well used, ontop of that there's also the X70.
Chelmsley to Solihull via Airport - Has seen a big frequency increase, from every 30 (i'm sure the 966 was every 30 minutes) to every 20 minutes over the 966.
Birmingham Uni/QE to Birmingham - It has been said by some that theses services are unreliable which would cause problems at the outlying areas of the routes (Eg Woodgate), but in terms of the frequency over the past 6 years, this section of the route between Birmingham and the QE it has gone from a every 20 (?) minute 636 using B6LE (midi buses), to now where when i'm in the City Centre there is an X20/X21/X22 every few minutes and the X20/X22 are now platinum E400 MMC (double deckers).
Coventry Road - X1/X2 - There are many more fast buses along the Coventry Road now, than if you were to go back 10 years.
80/A - Now operates at double the frequency it used to a few years ago.

Focusing on only the positives I see. 99 used to be every 20 minutes now 19 is every 30 mins. 48 had no frequency upgrade to compensate this.

[j789]

Focusing on only the positives I see. 99 used to be every 20 minutes now 19 is every 30 mins. 48 had no frequency upgrade to compensate this.

Extending the 48 increased the former 84 frequency between the QE and Hawkesley so they get double the buses there all day. However, the 48 does now seem on track to cover every part of the West Midlands the route is so long! An extension from Northfield to London is probably on the cards!

I agree with the 99 though, whilst the 19 goes further outbound than the 99 did to Dudley, I think NXWM missed a trick not running it to Merry Hill instead as would have replaced the 004 too.

[PB2938]

Positive for Walsall - Birmingham limited stop

Service 951 cut down to peak time only in 2005.

Service X51 started September 2007 just basic 20 minutes frequency daytime. 951 still running peaks.

Saturday service introduced in 2008 and running peaks replacing 951.

Service X51 now running every 10 minutes with early evening journeys and a Sunday service.

Despite being an increased 8 minutes peak time frequency this route can get severely overcrowded.

[CBBUser]

For the Washwood Heath Road i'd like to see:

55 - as current route, every 10mins
93 - Birmingham to Chelmsley Wood via Kingshurst (as 94 to Morrison's, then Chester Road, Kingshurst Estate, Cooks Lane and Chelmsley Road), every 10 mins
94 - as current route, every 10 mins

I'd also add 70, Birmingham to Castle Bromwich Morrisons (as 94 to Drews Lane, then as X70 to Parkfield Estate, Water Orton Road, green Lane, hurst lane North to Morrisons) every 30 mins.

In turn I would accelerate X70 by operating along Bromford Road (currently unserved, between Bromford and Hunters Moon) and directly along Water Orton Road (avoiding Parkfield Estate) to Water Orton.

[Steve3229vp]

For the Washwood Heath Road i'd like to see:

55 - as current route, every 10mins
93 - Birmingham to Chelmsley Wood via Kingshurst (as 94 to Morrison's, then Chester Road, Kingshurst Estate, Cooks Lane and Chelmsley Road), every 10 mins
94 - as current route, every 10 mins

I'd also add 70, Birmingham to Castle Bromwich Morrisons (as 94 to Drews Lane, then as X70 to Parkfield Estate, Water Orton Road, green Lane, hurst lane North to Morrisons) every 30 mins.

In turn I would accelerate X70 by operating along Bromford Road (currently unserved, between Bromford and Hunters Moon) and directly along Water Orton Road (avoiding Parkfield Estate) to Water Orton.

So you would increase the PVR for routes 55, X70 and 94 from around 30 buses to your new 55, 70, X70, 93 and 94 which would be a PVR of around 37. That's an increase of around 20%! , a big increase in running costs, wages, fuel etc and you would need an increase in passengers of over 20% to make it viable. Not realistic is it ?

[2206]

So you would increase the PVR for routes 55, X70 and 94 from around 30 buses to your new 55, 70, X70, 93 and 94 which would be a PVR of around 37. That's an increase of around 20%! , a big increase in running costs, wages, fuel etc and you would need an increase in passengers of over 20% to make it viable. Not realistic is it ?

The 70 service - I can't see there being enough passengers along Drews Lane and Parkfield Estate to make such a service viable, the rest of the route would be covered by other services - along the Washwood Heath Road - the Washwood Heath Road services and in Bromford the X12.
There's a reason NX took the 72 of Drew Lane, that is that it was underused, without replacing it and there are alternative services at each end of Drew Lane - 55/94 and X12/X70.

[monkeyjoe]

For the Washwood Heath Road i'd like to see:

55 - as current route, every 10mins
93 - Birmingham to Chelmsley Wood via Kingshurst (as 94 to Morrison's, then Chester Road, Kingshurst Estate, Cooks Lane and Chelmsley Road), every 10 mins
94 - as current route, every 10 mins

I'd also add 70, Birmingham to Castle Bromwich Morrisons (as 94 to Drews Lane, then as X70 to Parkfield Estate, Water Orton Road, green Lane, hurst lane North to Morrisons) every 30 mins.

In turn I would accelerate X70 by operating along Bromford Road (currently unserved, between Bromford and Hunters Moon) and directly along Water Orton Road (avoiding Parkfield Estate) to Water Orton.

I do remember them trying to 93a which went to c wood, did most of that missing out Cooks lane, didn't last long from memory.

[Gareth]

I do remember them trying to 93a which went to c wood, did most of that missing out Cooks lane, didn't last long from memory.

I can't ever remember a 93A. Maybe a 94A or the later incarnation of the 95? (I think the previous 95 and also the 90A that replaced it went only as far as Castle Bromwich)

[monkeyjoe]

I can't ever remember a 93A. Maybe a 94A or the later incarnation of the 95? (I think the previous 95 and also the 90A that replaced it went only as far as Castle Bromwich)

There was definitely a 93 a , like I say didn't last long. It was the area when you had central twm spin off also doing a 25 from erdington to  cwood via shard end and even the Walsall 377 going to cwood before the 25 . Very hazy but remember bits and pieces from the 90s

[BusDriverBosh]

Similar problems elsewhere... 52 replaced by 952 with no improvement to frequency of 33 or 51.

98 replaced by X20 leaving the 63 to try to cope between Selly Oak and Longbridge.

it's horrible, but it's not as bad as before the x20 came in. During Rush hour, maximum you get is all seats taken. Very rarely you get a standing load.