Blackheath Bus Services

[richardjones210368]

Not the best build quality in my opinion. Fair bit of rattles - and no not just on Quinton road where the road is an atrocious state.
See a fair few breakdowns on them too, not sure if that's because how many there are though. Certainly can fly on roads - X8 drivers drive them very fast down the hagley road from my experience

The X8 drivers have to drive them fast on Hagley Rd they are always late that's why. Far from over 20 years the 140 dates back to the early part of the last century however I dont bother what number the service is from Blackheath to Birmingham my complaint is a regular quaulity service being replaced by an unreliable service that is abysmal if it wasnt so serious it would be laughable beyond contempt.

[BN]

The WN ones are utterly hopeless they remind me of the ex Hull Atlanteans we had on the 140 in.1976 that replaced the BMMO D9s along with the Hull.hulks the Plattys are the worst buses ever to operate on.the route on the 140(X8) even.more worse than a B6LE I can assure you

Yes they must be utterly hopeless, 34 out of 34 on the road most days. What terrible buses they are!! Shall I go into charging your phone, better legroom, brighter LED tubes, wifi. Need I go on? Awful buses.

[richardjones210368]

Yes they must be utterly hopeless, 34 out of 34 on the road most days. What terrible buses they are!! Shall I go into charging your phone, better legroom, brighter LED tubes, wifi. Need I go on? Awful buses.

Why anyone would want to charge their phone or be bothered about legroom or have to squint in the dark due to hideous LED on a local short journey bus from Blackheath to Birmingham is beyond me for a half hour journey they are the work of the devil and the sooner they axe the failure of X8 the better and get a normal stopping bus back on Hagley Rd to get these hideous wreaks off the road and restore proper buses fit for purpose on the 140 I doubt anyone who comments how good they are has to use the rotten buses day in day out like me again next year when they actually turn up. VILE BUSES VILE SERVICE.

[Mike K]

Why anyone would want to charge their phone or be bothered about legroom or have to squint in the dark due to hideous LED on a local short journey bus from Blackheath to Birmingham is beyond me for a half hour journey they are the work of the devil and the sooner they axe the failure of X8 the better and get a normal stopping bus back on Hagley Rd to get these hideous wreaks off the road and restore proper buses fit for purpose on the 140 I doubt anyone who comments how good they are has to use the rotten buses day in day out like me again next year when they actually turn up. VILE BUSES VILE SERVICE.

I use the 23 which is also Platinum every single weekday, twice a day. Anyway, let's agree to disagree and move on as we are fast descending into another X8 thread.

[richardjones210368]

I use the 23 which is also Platinum every single weekday, twice a day. Anyway, let's agree to disagree and move on as we are fast descending into another X8 thread.

I will agree with you the ones on the 23. I use the X22 regularly when coming from Brum to Balmoral Rd thankfully I can get a Diamond home mind you and persumb they are the same on the X22 as the 23 and have no complaints about your Platys nor the new ones on the 9, the ones on the X8 came of the 126 & are the most vile hulks ever created.

[BK63 YWP]

I will agree with you the ones on the 23. I use the X22 regularly when coming from Brum to Balmoral Rd thankfully I can get a Diamond home mind you and persumb they are the same on the X22 as the 23 and have no complaints about your Platys nor the new ones on the 9, the ones on the X8 came of the 126 & are the most vile hulks ever created.

The 16/66 batch are used by services 529/X8/X1/X2/X3/X4/X5/X14 so they all must be vile dirty, late running services....

Let's be frank you are sour that the 140 has gone (after 20 years) been replaced by up to every 20 mins service

The 15 I used is about to change again. It has been as long as I have lived and used it been renumbered, re-routed several times... 260/261 then 254/255 then 255/E then 15/A now coming January it's changing again with the mysterious 57 which will probably be the wall heath shortens and the 15 going the current 16 between kford and Spring Hill and then probably via Merry Hill (Wolverhampton) to Wolves (current 4) every change it's been reliable barring the roadworks etc.

Changing routes is adapting to new and coming needs. If they kept to the old routes then well the first effect would happen cuts and more cuts. The problem is people get so used to the old way that when changes occurs it's time to get the pitch forks out.

[2206]

The 16/66 batch are used by services 529/X8/X1/X2/X3/X4/X5/X14 so they all must be vile dirty, late running services....

23/24 and X20/X21/X22 as well see a number of 66 plates a daily, as well as the usual route banded ones.

[Stu]

Topic split off from Wolverhampton garage thread.

For complaining about services in Blackheath (also including the X8), please use the existing thread:
http://wmbusphotos.com/forum/index.php?topic=5586.0

[fleetline6477]

Known locally to my cousin who lives locally and uses them as Misery Motors he perceives them to be terrible operator and not a patch on the excellent service provided by Saregent Brothers. I know when I was at Midland Red West we ran the 435 and the Knighton 7s but they mainly ran about carrying fresh air and little else with terrible funding from.Shropshire County Council, Herefordshire CC was far better at procurement i remember when at MRW we treated Misery Motors like Ludlows of Halesowen as a joke operator to just laugh at. I seem to remember my cousin saying they had a bad crash with a lorry on the A49 a few years ago and he never feels safe on their buses.

I think it really unfair to call Ludlows of Halesowen a joke operator. Unlike many other operators they started their own routes rather than directly competing against TWM, one of which, the 002, is still operating, replaced National with low-floor modern vehicles in fleet livery, operated coach trips. They withstood a period when Birmingham Coach Company ran buses 5 minutes infront of every journey they operated.  ROTALA obviously considered them be a respectable and profitable operator otherwise they wouldn't have purchased them.  I consider them to be a highly respected operator. If you're calling Ludlows a joke how would you describe operators like Thandi, GRS, Sandwell Travel, Travel Express...?

[richardjones210368]

I think it really unfair to call Ludlows of Halesowen a joke operator. Unlike many other operators they started their own routes rather than directly competing against TWM, one of which, the 002, is still operating, replaced National with low-floor modern vehicles in fleet livery, operated coach trips. They withstood a period when Birmingham Coach Company ran buses 5 minutes infront of every journey they operated.  ROTALA obviously considered them be a respectable and profitable operator otherwise they wouldn't have purchased them.  I consider them to be a highly respected operator. If you're calling Ludlows a joke how would you describe operators like Thandi, GRS, Sandwell Travel, Travel Express...?

I am not going to make any further comment on Ludlows of Halesowen it is clear in the earlier posts I have made on the forum in the Blackheath & Halesowen forum why I consider Ludlows a "joke" in Blackheath the matter is closed.

[l.murphy123]

I think this guy is having a break down (pardon the pun)! Try living just over the border in South Staffs where buses in Cannock and Stafford stop running around 8pm and are none existent on Sundays due to council cut backs. You'd soon want to go back to your area.

[Lukeee]

Funny that I never have and I use it twice a week.I often see NXWM buses  cutting up cars at the island and sailing past the stop when NXWM Travelcard holders are waiting  luckly I always wait for the Diamond Bus 16 its far better than NXWM isnt it so who could blame me?

If the Diamond bus is better than the NX then why don't Diamond run it as often or as late as NX

[richardjones210368]

If the Diamond bus is better than the NX then why don't Diamond run it as often or as late as NX

Economies of scale sadly Lukeee & to be honest I think I have made enough of my personal feelings of Diamond Bus & The Birmingham Coach Company known. Everyone is well aware of them and those I hold of Ludlows, NXWM and the X8 & i  would rather move on to more important subjects on buses in the West Midlands if thats ok.

[richardjones210368]

I think this guy is having a break down (pardon the pun)! Try living just over the border in South Staffs where buses in Cannock and Stafford stop running around 8pm and are none existent on Sundays due to council cut backs. You'd soon want to go back to your area.

Sadly its not me having the breakdown its the X8 day in day out & whats the point in having a bus service that is so rubbish and not fit for purpose that it is so unusable leading to me getting the indirect 13A instead, that said I won't be using it again till the 7th January my moans about how dire the X8 are over for this year I think I have done them to death anyway and have reached the terminus. Who cares about the X8  I dont for now I am now on holiday so it will be nice now to sit back and enjoy the comments from other posters in the forum many of which from the posts they make have never set foot on a bus in years and are armchair bus users or car drivers let alone ever used the 140 and X8 5 days a week for over 20 years but thats it from me till 06:48 on 7/1/20; I wonder if that will be on time or even bother to turn up, we will have to wait to see?; until then lets us see what excuses and opinions come next on this thread. Mind you none of them are as funny as NXWMs on the route but keep trying..............

[Stuharris 6360]

Sadly its not me having the breakdown its the X8 day in day out & whats the point in having a bus service that is so rubbish and not fit for purpose that it is so unusable leading to me getting the indirect 13A instead, that said I won't be using it again till the 7th January my moans about how dire the X8 are over for this year I think I have done them to death anyway and have reached the terminus. Who cares about the X8  I dont for now I am now on holiday so it will be nice now to sit back and enjoy the comments from other posters in the forum many of which from the posts they make have never set foot on a bus in years and are armchair bus users or car drivers let alone ever used the 140 and X8 5 days a week for over 20 years but thats it from me till 06:48 on 7/1/20; I wonder if that will be on time or even bother to turn up, we will have to wait to see?; until then lets us see what excuses and opinions come next on this thread. Mind you none of them are as funny as NXWMs on the route but keep trying..............

You are saying that the X8 is rubbish, doesn't turn up and the buses are "vile", but that is just your opinion.

If the service is as bad as you say it is, which i very much doubt, then find another method of making your journey.

All you seem to have done since joining this forum is to moan and groan and make out you know better than everyone else. I come on here to read about what is going on in the transport world in the West Midlands, not to see someone moaning 24/7.