Bromsgrove to Birmingham

[telstarbox]

A 108-year-old bus service linking Bromsgrove and Birmingham is to be axed because so many people are now working from home, a transport boss has said.

The 144 service, which has run between Worcester, Bromsgrove and Birmingham since 1914, is being cut back at the end of April. The service will now run just between Worcester and Bromsgrove, which is 13 miles outside Birmingham.

Bus firm blames WFH for axing century-old service to Birmingham

Dismayed commuters who rely on service linking Bromsgrove and Birmingham say move is premature

www.theguardian.com

I'm sure WFH is a factor but surprising that the article doesn't mentino the recently electrified railway to Bromsgrove ?

 

[Dai Corner]

Roger French has written an article about it too

Birmingham loses the Salt Road connection

Thursday 21st April 2022 The bus route between Birmingham, Bromsgrove, Droitwich Spa, Worcester and Great Malvern was first introduced by Midland Red in 1914 and although extended to Malvern Wells …

busandtrainuser.com

I lived in Bromsgrove as a young boy in the 1960s and remember being taken on the 144.

 

[geoffk]

Long interurban routes such as the 144 seem to be a British peculiarity. In much of Europe they would terminate at a suburban rail or metro station for passengers to complete their journey by train, with a through ticket of course. When I lived in Worcester I used the 144 a couple of times to get to Edgbaston cricket ground but admit that I didn't use buses a lot from leaving the bus industry in 1975 to getting my ENCTS pass in 2007.

 

[Steddenm]

Seems that National Express West Midlands are to take over part of the route from Bromsgrove to Longbridge with connections to other NXWM services there into Birmingham.

 

[danielcanning]

Seems that National Express West Midlands are to take over part of the route from Bromsgrove to Longbridge with connections to other NXWM services there into Birmingham.

I wonder if there is demand for an express bus route between Bromsgrove and Birmingham, there are buses every 30 minutes between Birmingham and Lichfield for example…

 

[WM Bus]

I wonder if there is demand for an express bus route between Bromsgrove and Birmingham, there are buses every 30 minutes between Birmingham and Lichfield for example…

The Birmingham to Lichfield was an extension of the 902/X3 from its orriginal Hill Hook terminus.

In regards to Bromsgrove maybe an extension to the BC 63 could have worked though?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I wonder if there is demand for an express bus route between Bromsgrove and Birmingham, there are buses every 30 minutes between Birmingham and Lichfield for example…

Not really or else the 144 wouldn't be getting pulled. The X3 is not much more than an extension of a Birmingham to Sutton route to Lichfield. It's not an end to end express

 

[RELL6L]

Seems that National Express West Midlands are to take over part of the route from Bromsgrove to Longbridge with connections to other NXWM services there into Birmingham.

Indeed, NXWM's website says a service is to be introduced next week operating every 70-80 minutes (one bus in steam) with a view to integrating it into the Network later, at which point it could presumably work as an hourly route.

New 144A service

From Tuesday 3rd May 2022

nxbus.co.uk

According to Worcestershire County Council it is being funded by them for 6 months (and also they say it is hourly - it is not). Whether there is the demand is anyone's guess, especially given that there are alternatives - 145/A and 202.

Bus travel between Bromsgrove and Birmingham to continue for 6 months | Worcestershire County Council

Bus travel between Bromsgrove and Birmingham to continue for 6 months - Passengers of the popular 144 route will be able to continue their journey into Birmingham, after the County Council reached an agreement with bus operator National Express West Midlands.

www.worcestershire.gov.uk

I wonder if there is demand for an express bus route between Bromsgrove and Birmingham, there are buses every 30 minutes between Birmingham and Lichfield for example…

Very unlikely I would think - there's a good train service and not really a good road option to compete with it. Once upon a time there was great demand from Birmingham in a South Westerly direction, but that was many years ago!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Indeed, NXWM's website says a service is to be introduced next week operating every 70-80 minutes (one bus in steam) with a view to integrating it into the Network later, at which point it could presumably work as an hourly route. Whether there is the demand is anyone's guess.

Very unlikely I would think - there's a good train service and not really a good road option to compete with it. Once upon a time there was great demand from Birmingham in a South Westerly direction, but that was many years ago!

The best that perhaps could be hoped for is some sort of southward projection of a 63 or 61 to establish a clockface timetable.

However, you're right about the train service. It's that which has been improved and decimated the bus service.

 

[horizonflame]

I used the 11:25 144A service on Tuesday 24th May from Longbridge Station to Bromsgrove Bus Station. I was on the only passenger from the first stop but we picked up passengers steadily along the way with around 10 onboard through to Bromsgrove, with various joining and leaving throughout the service.

I caught the 14:25 back which again had around 10 people from Bromsgrove at the start of the journey. Interestingly there was a 144 to Catshill around 5-10 minutes before my bus where a healthy number of people boarded, and it made me wonder why First cut back the 144 to Catshill and not Bromsgrove? Although the 144A is irregular at 70 minutes intervals, the 144 still going to Catshill could abstract some revenue that otherwise adds to the business case of NXWM's 144A service. For NXWM customers the £4 daysaver including Bromsgrove is an attractive price, but I guess expensive to travel across county lines.

My 11:25 service appeared to come from Yardley Wood Bus Garage as a new bus which suggests the driver change include taking a bus to/from the bus garage. Interestingly the £3 'Outer Birmingham' daysaver has been quietly scrapped, which I had intended to ask whether it was valid to Bromsgrove!