Express service suggestions

[l.murphy123]

I have been thinking about several routes that would benefit from an express service, one of which is the 4M. Walsall needs a faster and more direct service to Merry Hill shopping centre (X4M?) as it currently takes up to an hour and a half. I also think the 10A journey time could be shortened, it is advertised as 'fast and direct' on the leaflet but takes up to an hour compared to Diamond's 35 which is 40-50 minutes.

Does anybody else have suggestions for express services?

[DJ]

I have been thinking about several routes that would benefit from an express service, one of which is the 4M. Walsall needs a faster and more direct service to Merry Hill shopping centre (X4M?) as it currently takes up to an hour and a half. I also think the 10A journey time could be shortened, it is advertised as 'fast and direct' on the leaflet but takes up to an hour compared to Diamond's 35 which is 40-50 minutes.

Does anybody else have suggestions for express services?

Why does Walsall need a fast service to Merry Hill, when it already has plenty shops of it's own, as well as both express bus routes and a fast train into Birmingham?

[PB2938]

A fast limited stop version of 529 Wolverhampton Walsall  as X29

Operated in the past as Timesaver 966 from October 1986-May 1994.

[Westy]

Why does Walsall need a fast service to Merry Hill, when it already has plenty shops of it's own, as well as both express bus routes and a fast train into Birmingham?

You could run it as an X11 via Wednesbury & BCR / Great Bridge.

(Something similar ran as a 911 20 odd years ago!)

[Kevin]

I believe there'd be mileage in an express version of the 4, indeed perhaps making the 4M limited stop (potential Platinum even). Some sort of marketing regarding the links to rail hubs at Tame Bridge, Sandwell and Dudley and Cradley Heath (Rowley Regis perhaps, but a bit tenuous) wouldn't go amiss either

[Westy]

@2206

A question for you.

Do all your replies to me have to be a private message?

That last one you just sent me regarding this thread, I couldnt see anything particulary personal & private, so why it couldnt be posted publically, I dont know, unless I've missed something!

Apologies @Tony & @Winston , before you make my post disappear without explanation again!

@Westy - We don't need to provide an explanation when removing a post! They only get removed when comments are posted in threads where they shouldn't be, see the rules!
Likewise, the forum didn't need to be copied in on the above reply to 2206, a PM would have sufficed, Winston

[l.murphy123]

Why does Walsall need a fast service to Merry Hill, when it already has plenty shops of it's own, as well as both express bus routes and a fast train into Birmingham?

It's a well used shopping Centre and the 4M takes way too long

[l.murphy123]

You could run it as an X11 via Wednesbury & BCR / Great Bridge.

(Something similar ran as a 911 20 odd years ago!)

Exactly what you have suggested would be better, it currently serves about 3 bus stations! I always joke the amount of cemeteries it passes lay rest the passengers on the 4M that didn't survive the journey at various points lol.

Its not a case of just removing stops. The 10A for example follows the 10 route to Brownhills when that could be cut out.

[Tony]

Its not a case of just removing stops. The 10A for example follows the 10 route to Brownhills when that could be cut out.

So cut out one of the biggest passenger points. That's not going to make a service very viable

[l.murphy123]

So cut out one of the biggest passenger points. That's not going to make a service very viable

The 10 serves Brownhills they could increase the frequency if needed then the 10A could avoid Brownhills and go more directly to Burntwood and Lichfield. Or the 10A could do the latter less often, every hour or 2 perhaps.

[2206]

The 10 serves Brownhills they could increase the frequency if needed then the 10A could avoid Brownhills and go more directly to Burntwood and Lichfield. Or the 10A could do the latter less often, every hour or 2 perhaps.

But without enough passengers there wouldn't be a bus route at all?
X1, X2 and X51, etc work beacause there are pleanty of passengers travelling between those key locations, they make intermediate stops at busy locations as well.
Are there really enough through passengers on the 4M from Walsall to Merry Hill and once you take away any passengers making local journeys between intermediate stops would the service really be viable anymore?

[danny]

Something I'd like to know, as a total novice with no real experience of the transport industry other than committing daily for 27 years, so maybe someone with experience like Tony could answer, what criteria does a new route have to hit to get commissioned and what factors are looked at. I take for example the latest express route to hit the streets the X7, which as well as using a very established route (Wolverhampton to Portway) the takes its own course. How is the route decided, and how what time frame is given to see if it is a viable source of income or just a expense for the company???

[2206]

I take for example the latest express route to hit the streets the X7, which as well as using a very established route (Wolverhampton to Portway) the takes its own course.

The idea of the route after Portway Rd is to provide a fast/express version of the 87, I think, by skipping out Cape Hill. Though I've no idea how they decide which route to pick, etc (though i'd imagine they'd decide it from passenger numbers and information collected on where passengers are getting on or off, consultations with passengers, etc?) or how well its worked.

[Mike K]

The idea of the route after Portway Rd is to provide a fast/express version of the 87, I think, by skipping out Cape Hill. Though I've no idea how they decide which route to pick, etc, or how well its worked.

I can't say I pay it too much attention but passenger loadings on the X7 from Birmingham still look poor to me. A couple of weeks back at around 5.15ish, so height of the rush hour I saw an 87 and X7 leave Colmore Row together - the 87 was close to full, the X7 had a handful of passengers. I've yet to see one with a decent loading.

[Westy]

The 10 serves Brownhills they could increase the frequency if needed then the 10A could avoid Brownhills and go more directly to Burntwood and Lichfield. Or the 10A could do the latter less often, every hour or 2 perhaps.

There's no way, geographywise, you'd be able to miss out Brownhills completely & still serve Burntwood & Lichfield!

If you went up via Pelsall(Arriva / NX 3 route, but missing out Clayhanger!), you'd still skirt the top of the High Street!

You could go up The Parade, then turn right onto Watling Street, then rejoin route on next left.

(You could no longer use White Horse Road, like Lichfield buses used years ago, as that route was blocked off for the NRR years ago, now only being served by the Diamond 23!)