X9

[Stuharris 6360]

How about a limited stop service between Stourbridge and Birmingham, don`t think its ever been tried.

Would travel normal route to Halesowen, then take the dual carriage way to Quinton (avoiding Spies lane & Manor Lane) and then normal line of route to Birmingham.

Stops could be

Lye Cross
Colley Gate
Halesowen Bus Station
Quinton (Toby Carvery)
Bearwood (Kings Head)
Ivy Bush
Broad Street
Great Charles Street
Colmore Row

Would be favoured by Stourbridge commuters as the price of train travel between Stourbridge & Birmingham is becoming really expensive!!!

[winston]

I've suggested that on here previously, taking the former 19 route down Quinton Expressway. You can have a combination of the existing 9 stopping service with an 9 limited stop/express service for passengers that use the full end to end route

[Stuharris 6360]

Sorry Winston, only just noticed you had already suggested it!!

It does make sense, many other areas have there own limited stop services into Birmingham, why not Stourbridge, Merry Hill & Dudley!!!

[John]

Not a bad idea about the X9, I was thinking along the same lines about an express Stourbridge service a while back. I don't know how long it takes from Birmingham to Stourbridge on the train, but an express service would cut the bus journey from an hour to around 40 minutes?

I know I'm going off topic a bit, but...
Another one I was thinking off was an express service from Birmingham to Wolverhampton (I think it has been discussed elsewhere on the forum). I know there is the metro for that, but it would be good to have an express bus as well for people that don't want to pay extra to use the Metro, maybe the 926.
Stoping at Bearwood, Dudley, Roseville and a few places in between. Whenever I have done the 126 from end to end, there are always a good few other people travelling the whole route, which takes around 90 Minutes, with traffic and stops. With most of the roads used by the 126 are dual carriageways, it might not get caught up in too much traffic.

[winston]

Sorry Winston, only just noticed you had already suggested it!!

It does make sense, many other areas have there own limited stop services into Birmingham, why not Stourbridge, Merry Hill & Dudley!!!

It's fine not a problem..... I see you've not long joined, you've got a fair bit to plough through.

I agree it has the potential to compete with rail or even encourage people to leave their cars at home and take the bus in to the City Centre if journey times can be cut

[richie]

It would work up until bearwood then get snarled up on the Hagley rd

[vinh1000]

Not a bad idea about the X9, I was thinking along the same lines about an express Stourbridge service a while back. I don't know how long it takes from Birmingham to Stourbridge on the train, but an express service would cut the bus journey from an hour to around 40 minutes?

I know I'm going off topic a bit, but...
Another one I was thinking off was an express service from Birmingham to Wolverhampton (I think it has been discussed elsewhere on the forum). I know there is the metro for that, but it would be good to have an express bus as well for people that don't want to pay extra to use the Metro, maybe the 926.
Stoping at Bearwood, Dudley, Roseville and a few places in between. Whenever I have done the 126 from end to end, there are always a good few other people travelling the whole route, which takes around 90 Minutes, with traffic and stops. With most of the roads used by the 126 are dual carriageways, it might not get caught up in too much traffic.

agree
train takes about 25-30 mins to Stourbridge Junction with another 3 for the hopper to town centre
126 takes ages as ive seen train is only 20 minutes (i think fare is £3.80 return) and metro is 36 mins (£4.80 single i believe)
A express bus would be useful
74/75 than 79 is not much quicker either :(

[winston]

It would work up until bearwood then get snarled up on the Hagley rd

It would also get stuck coming down Manor Way from the Motorway Island in the PM peak, but the standard 9's get suck in that as well.

I still think it has potential if it was limited to stopping at only the busier bus stops and provide faster journey's for end to end users throughtout the day, not just in the peaks to attract commuters

[Westy]

Back in early deregulation days, there was a 926 Dudley to Birmingham.

It didnt last long, along with the 901 Walsall to Lichfield to Roughley to Brum!

[John]

A express bus would be useful

It would be useful for the passengers, on both an express Birmingham to Stourbridge and Birmingham - Wolverhampton, but would they be able to make money for NXWM because they could not run the route making a loss. Most people using the 9 and the 126 would only use parts of the routes, with a small number using the whole route. Just look at the X31.

[winston]

Back in early deregulation days, there was a 926 Dudley to Birmingham.

It didnt last long, along with the 901 Walsall to Lichfield to Roughley to Brum!

The 900 & 966 the only original Timesaver routes that still remain today, abeit in a shortened versions

[danny]

I am a firm believer that an X9 and X26 has potential, only problems i can see is the quinton expressway links to the motorway, soo if their are delays their it could back up the expressway defying the object.
with the X26 their is the problem of the wolverhampton road/birmingham new road has no such express road equivilent, soo a bus would simply catch up with standard 126's in the same traffic conditions,
I am however all in fovour of express services, it is cheaper and works if the conditiond are right, the black country seems to have less to work with in terms of lack off expressways, bar the black country route.

[BU07 LGO]

I still think Soho Road should be bulldozed and turned into a dual carriageway, think how quickly you could get to West Brom on the 74/75 :D

[Discodave]

express services only work if the road inferstructure can take bus lanes and has the capacity I see a lot of other posts about express route but as pointed out there are many pinch points at peak times and the train is quicker (yes I know it costs more) the only sucessful express route which has a slow bus is the X51 but the A34 has Bus lanes and the room for them and not just a lane taken from other traffic and causing delays look at the 529 bus lanes on the A454 but as they take out a lane there is a queue from horsley fields up to the Yale Factory both ways and the 529 has to sit in the queue before actually getting to the bus lane aree with express buses too but if they were sucessful would they have been introduced already

[Tony]

I still think Soho Road should be bulldozed and turned into a dual carriageway, think how quickly you could get to West Brom on the 74/75 :D

That is why you have the tram!