Service changes June 2025

[Sh4318]

Plus passengers will still have the 13 at the top end on Bristnall Hall Rd which goes the exact same way as the 48A from Bearwood up until that point and the 48 at the bottom on Hurst Rd for both Bearwood and West Bromwich, can't see much that is being lost really except that small section of Salop Rd.

As a local of both routes, the only occasions I used the 48A were if the 48 was late. The 48 is quicker and more direct to Bearwood, with the additional benefit of the direct service to Harborne and QE/Uni.

It does cut off a direct link between Londonderry/West Smethwick and Warley, that NX have been keen to hold onto (through the 129, 50A/C then 48). But the 54 is only a slightly longer walk, so it's not the end of the world.

I just hope the 48 frequency is increased to compensate, otherwise Hurst Road to West Bromwich - arguably the busiest part of the route will go half hourly from a bus every 15 minutes

The X20's registration doesn't mention Rednal/Cofton Hackett at all, so will there be something replacing that section?

I kinda feel for the people living in Cofton Hackett, they've gone from having a regular service into the city centre via the Pershore Road, to an express service connecting all major stops between Cofton Hackett & the city centre, to less frequent services only going as far as the university, hopefully whatever replaces the 20A works for the area

[Zander]

The 54 will still serve Salop Road. At least till Eva Road

There was rumours of maybe rerouting the 22 down Salop road but not sure if that is definitely happening

[BNH2004]

Looks like WN 15 is being cut and running between Wombounre and Merry Hill only and the 15A being withdrawn

https://www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk/search/find-registered-local-bus-services/details/632890/

Looks like a new 16A will be introduced

https://www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk/search/find-registered-local-bus-services/details/632996/

[SO6597]

I remember when the South Bham review took place back in 2018, there were multiple options put forward to serve Cofton Hackett as the new housing developments neared completion. They clearly haven't generated the kind of passenger potential that was hoped for.

Although hourly, the 20A operates from very early in the morning to very late at night so there must be some kind of demand there, it will be interesting to see if links are maintained.

[Rachvince53]

They might still be running an hourly Sunday service Wombourne to Merry Hill maybe.

This would replace the journeys on the 15A and give Brickbridge a hourly Sunday service. The 16 could be increased to 30 minutes from Wolves as far as Wombourne on Sundays with as suggested in another comment a 20 minute service during the rest of the week.

Service 15 would be operated by Pensnett.

[Stu]

Extend the 27 back to Cofton Hackett again?

A bit like the Harborne to Northfield section of the 29, which has now seen changes to the 27, 76 and 48 to try to cover it since its withdrawal, Rednal / Cofton Hackett are other areas that have struggled to find a settled service since the 2018 changes.

I kinda feel for the people living in Cofton Hackett, they've gone from having a regular service into the city centre via the Pershore Road, to an express service connecting all major stops between Cofton Hackett & the city centre, to less frequent services only going as far as the university, hopefully whatever replaces the 20A works for the area

I remember when the South Bham review took place back in 2018, there were multiple options put forward to serve Cofton Hackett as the new housing developments neared completion. They clearly haven't generated the kind of passenger potential that was hoped for.

Although hourly, the 20A operates from very early in the morning to very late at night so there must be some kind of demand there, it will be interesting to see if links are maintained.

The kind of people who live in places like Cofton Hackett are those who are more likely to own an expensive luxury car, and less inclined to travel by bus.

I've been there a few times over the years, mainly as a starting point to go for a walk up the Lickey Hills, so I've used the old 47, X20 and 20 routes.

On all occasions I've either been the only one boarding or alighting at Rednal Island or Parsonage Drive stops, or there's been maybe one or two other passengers.

NX Bus will have enough ticketing data to know if there is sufficient demand to justify the cost of providing a service to there, and presumably there isn't. As pointed out earlier, Cofton Hackett is also served by the 145 and 202 services, which do provide links to other bus services at Longbridge and Rubery, so it would be unlikely that TfWM or WCC would step in to fund a replacement service.

[4311]

Would a 16a not miss out wombourne like the 15a does now ?

[Westy]

The kind of people who live in places like Cofton Hackett are those who are more likely to own an expensive luxury car, and less inclined to travel by bus.

I've been there a few times over the years, mainly as a starting point to go for a walk up the Lickey Hills, so I've used the old 47, X20 and 20 routes.

On all occasions I've either been the only one boarding or alighting at Rednal Island or Parsonage Drive stops, or there's been maybe one or two other passengers.

NX Bus will have enough ticketing data to know if there is sufficient demand to justify the cost of providing a service to there, and presumably there isn't. As pointed out earlier, Cofton Hackett is also served by the 145 and 202 services, which do provide links to other bus services at Longbridge and Rubery, so it would be unlikely that TfWM or WCC would step in to fund a replacement service.

Is Cofton Hackett like The Wergs on the A41 out of Wolves, its still within the WM area, but there's basically b****r all housing past Tettenhall, where the NX buses turn onto Tettenhall Wood instead?

[j789]

Is Cofton Hackett like The Wergs on the A41 out of Wolves, its still within the WM area, but there's basically b****r all housing past Tettenhall, where the NX buses turn onto Tettenhall Wood instead?

There has been a lot of new building housing built on Cofton Hackett on part of the old Rover factory, including a fair amount of social housing. In theory, this should have meant a greater need for regular bus links.

However, I believe that due to the proximity of Longbridge railway station and the high cross city line frequency , being a walkable distance, most people living there would use the train for commuting over the bus. Certainly, the old 47 route that terminated there would be no match for the train commute time wise and it also made sense to re-route it to Longbridge with the 45 when the new shopping centre opened there as that would be where more potential passengers would be. 

I still feel one of the 45/47 could be extended on a half hourly frequency around the Cofton Hackett loop and Rednal from its current terminus to provide better links as it is so close by but clearly NX don't think this would be viable.

[NXplatinum]

Hopefully these service improvements are worthwhile and will work well in the long term.

[Westy]

How long has NX been in Cofton Hackett, as I've heard of over the years of Longbridge. Rednal, Gannow etc, in fact I remember going years ago to a CB radio shop on the Bristol Road, I think on the section where the A38 turns right.

I only remember Cofton Hackett being mentioned in recent years, when NX started refering to it as a destination.

I don't even remember seeing Cofton Hackett on the old WMPTE route maps, but it must have been there?

[SO6597]

How long has NX been in Cofton Hackett, as I've heard of over the years of Longbridge. Rednal, Gannow etc, in fact I remember going years ago to a CB radio shop on the Bristol Road, I think on the section where the A38 turns right.

I only remember Cofton Hackett being mentioned in recent years, when NX started refering to it as a destination.

I don't even remember seeing Cofton Hackett on the old WMPTE route maps, but it must have been there?

The old WMT 44 and the 47 were the services that first served the area regularly in the mid 90s. WMT also operated the 145 for a time (a long established link prior to this).

There were occasional services such as the 62A and 45A that were there for the old factory too - these were mainly in the evenings.

Finally a couple of very short lived ones - a 945 to Barnt Green (1987) as part of the Timesaver network and a replacement of sorts for the aforementioned 145 and a 648 minibus service in the late 90s.

[Mike K]

I don't even remember seeing Cofton Hackett on the old WMPTE route maps, but it must have been there?

In PTE days the area was served by the old Midland Red 145, which ran from Birmingham to Bromsgrove, continuing from West Heath via Groveley Lane down to Rednal island. In the early 1980s it ran 7 days a week including evenings, hourly during Mon-Sat daytimes. 

It was also served by the short lived Timesaver 945 service in 1987/88.

[ellspurs]

The bit south of Groveley Lane (where the bus terminates) is part of Worcestershire. Google states that the boundary runs to the south of Cofton Park, and you can see they probably had their bins collected this month.

The new housing is closer to Longbridge so within the West Midlands area.

@Westy look at your old maps to see if the area had any service before? I looked at what you uploaded before but they were all Walsall-focused so the left side was cut off in most of the older ones?

[Westy]

The bit south of Groveley Lane (where the bus terminates) is part of Worcestershire. Google states that the boundary runs to the south of Cofton Park, and you can see they probably had their bins collected this month.

The new housing is closer to Longbridge so within the West Midlands area.

@Westy look at your old maps to see if the area had any service before? I looked at what you uploaded before but they were all Walsall-focused so the left side was cut off in most of the older ones?

I'll have to dig them out, as I've put them away somewhere, but I can do late 70's to late 80's, as the ones I found before didn't have the south of the area on & 1990's onward, I didn't keep Birmingham ones!