Predictions for 2022

[karl724223]

A new Walsall bus in Walsall corporation livery

[2206]

I'm going to predict something that might not happen in 2022 but could in the future with WMB {West Midlands Bus}

16: Hamstead - Birmingham extended to West Bromwich and possible joint timetable with Diamond.

4/4M/4H: Walsall - West Bromwich - Blackheath/Merry Hill/Hayley Green - possible joint timetable with Diamond with one operator for Merry Hill and one for Hayley Green

Diamond Bus 401 Walsall  - Yew Tree renumbered 45 and extended to West Bromwich

45 Walsall to West Bromwich joint timetable with diamond.

The 110 intergrated with the Sutton services X3/X4/X5 would make sense, the E400 on there would probably be suitable for a joint timetable. The Diamond 16 ones perhaps less so as they are a lot smaller.
And in Solihull 5 could use Homer Rd instead of Princes Way possibly.

Could do for WN but not sure if AG are able to have those E400s

AG could have the 48XX, only the 5 and 58/32 they can't do I think. Or they could go on the 94/95/65/67 and the rest of the 44XX Gemini transfer to AG.
And also a few platinum vehicles from the X2 might be freed up to be used elsewhere to, when the sprint route is introduced if the Hydrogen buses are used instead.

[Steveminor]

I predict a larte cut in the UK bus network around April 2022

[Stu]

The Sprint route won't be ready or up and running before the start of the Commonwealth Games.

Even if it is, despite all the 'bus priority measures' in place, it will be unreliable due to people choosing to drive to the games venues.

One or two smaller operators will either go out of business, or be 'acquiired' by another operator.

Fares in the West Midlands may not be increasing in January, but they will have to later in the year, if passenger numbers do not continue to recover.

On a positive note, if the price of fuel continues to increase, more motorists may find themselves forced out of their cars and onto public transport in order to save money.

[markcf83]

I make it about 53  42XX/43XX Left in service
Coventry 44XX could go if  the electric buses come next year for Coventry

Yes,that looks about right.

[Solo1]

The Sprint route won't be ready or up and running before the start of the Commonwealth Games.

I thought the whole idea of sprint was for the games so what's the hold up.with it as they have large parts of Perry Barr coned of & no work been done

[j789]

If there is a delay to Sprint past the Commonwealth games, this could quite possibly positively impact the wider long term transport network in the West Midlands. As has been seen at previous games, large numbers of spare buses will be required and the finance for this is coming from a completely different source to usual transport spending.

Therefore, the more buses required, the more local operators can benefit from this extra money by providing those vehicles. Even more so in times of reduced passenger numbers, the 2022 games could possibly have an impact on reducing overall service cuts because the finance gained from the games will offset some of those losses. This may well give companies a bit of extra breathing space into 2023 when hopefully passenger numbers will increase once more.

[karl724223]

Bustimes will start working again

[BBS]

AG could have the 48XX, only the 5 and 58/32 they can't do I think. Or they could go on the 94/95/65/67 and the rest of the 44XX Gemini transfer to AG.
And also a few platinum vehicles from the X2 might be freed up to be used elsewhere to, when the sprint route is introduced if the Hydrogen buses are used instead.

I mean AG never had 48** type E400's only ALX400's and E400MMC/200MMC. i mean they did have the alloy wheeled ones too but still they could use them on 72/73, 1/41 and 46 if it dosent go.

[2206]

I mean AG never had 48** type E400's only ALX400's and E400MMC/200MMC. i mean they did have the alloy wheeled ones too but still they could use them on 72/73, 1/41 and 46 if it dosent go.

On the 11 and 4 to.

[Raedwald]

A new batch of hydrogen single-deckers will be ordered for the Inner Circle and other single decker routes in Brum, which would allow for some early Omnilinks to be withdrawn

More routes will go Platinum; most likely the PN126 and the WB74, maybe also the WN79 and the PB33

A new DRT scheme will pop up, then when the funding runs out, be quietly cut

The trams will suffer from cracked axles and the service will be suspended yet again

Diamond will purchase new Streetdecks for the Midlands, for use primarily on their 16s and 50s

[2206]

A new batch of hydrogen single-deckers will be ordered for the Inner Circle and other single decker routes in Brum, which would allow for some early Omnilinks to be withdrawn

More routes will go Platinum; most likely the PN126 and the WB74, maybe also the WN79 and the PB33

A new DRT scheme will pop up, then when the funding runs out, be quietly cut

The trams will suffer from cracked axles and the service will be suspended yet again

Diamond will purchase new Streetdecks for the Midlands, for use primarily on their 16s and 50s

The first probably won't happen in 2022 or for several years afterwards. The Omnilinks are euro 6 and can't see any need for more single decks on top of them. New hydrogen/electric double deckers might be more likely perhaps.
More routes going platinum also probably depends on where new vehicles end up to, likely Coventry in 2022 I think its been said.

[the trainbasher]

The NX Stagecoach merger goes through.

Some consolidation amongst some of the independents and smaller groups will happen

Abellio will launch in Manchester as a new operator for the new franchised network.

Warrington will sell out to one of the groups.

Some of the WM tendered routes will get converted to DRT, starting in Coventry, to see if that will help reduce costs.

The WN7/8 will move back to PN, with Wollaston and Norton getting a dedicated circular and the 7/8 interworking. The 82 will go half hourly and interwork with the 4 to i54

The revision to the 242 will be more popular than the current version, but it will still be low passenger numbers

[BBS]

A new batch of hydrogen single-deckers will be ordered for the Inner Circle and other single decker routes in Brum, which would allow for some early Omnilinks to be withdrawn

More routes will go Platinum; most likely the PN126 and the WB74, maybe also the WN79 and the PB33

A new DRT scheme will pop up, then when the funding runs out, be quietly cut

The trams will suffer from cracked axles and the service will be suspended yet again

Diamond will purchase new Streetdecks for the Midlands, for use primarily on their 16s and 50s

Making the PB33 platinum but not the AG 4/4A

[BusMan Greg]

More cuts to the Chaserider network if future plans don't work out

Another Arriva garage will shut