First Midlands

[sonic2009]

Is the commercial extension to Tewkesbury a replacement of Swanbrook Transport's 361 Upton - Tewkesbury, which actually continues on to Gloucester as service 351? Maybe the 351 will only run as far as Tewkesbury from Gloucester?

I believe the 351/361 are both supported by Worcestershire County Council and Gloucestershire County Council.

 

[winston270twm]

And with all these new services possibly, could some of the WOOSH buses transfer to First? They do have quite a few buses that would be going spare.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I think personally that the 007 should go to First or Diamond, Central who currently run the service, must have a lot of dead mileage to run between their depot & Halesowen.

I think Diamond could win the 007 back, it wouldn't surprise me if Diamond have bid for a package of KR routes some of which are currently operated by Whittle's plus some of the Droitwich/Redditch & Worcester services currently operated by Woosh

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I think Diamond could win the 007 back, it wouldn't surprise me if Diamond have bid for a package of KR routes some of which are currently operated by Whittle's plus some of the Droitwich/Redditch & Worcester services currently operated by Woosh

You'd wonder if FMR would be keen to get the Droitwich locals though Diamond are better positioned for Bromsgrove and Kiddie.

Interesting that they're heading back to Tewkesbury. Always saddened me that I never travelled on the 372 (though at least I did the full 192 from Brum to Hereford). Nothing better than Clee Hill on a Leopard!

 

[anthony263]

Believe me First are certainly not going to let diamond get any contracts in Worcester without a fight and dont forget LMS travel and Astons are also after more work.

 

[winston270twm]

Believe me First are certainly not going to let diamond get any contracts in Worcester without a fight and dont forget LMS travel and Astons are also after more work.

First certainly took fright at Diamond's arrival the last time in Worcester, do First still control/manage Crowngate bus station?

 

[bussnapperwm]

I think Diamond could win the 007 back, it wouldn't surprise me if Diamond have bid for a package of KR routes some of which are currently operated by Whittle's plus some of the Droitwich/Redditch & Worcester services currently operated by Woosh

There's only 3 operators on that corridor I think would be welcomed, Central Buses, Hansons or NXWM. Both Diamond (Twice) and Midland (having took over Midland Rider...although MR did put the Lynx on one day!) have ran it.

Apparently there was resentment when Diamond withdrew the Halesowen to Merry Hill bit originally and then came off it...especially as Ludlows apparently built it up (remind you of another ex Ludlows Route that got cut and chopped...which got revived in 2012...) (Hansons having took the Hales-Merry Hill bit over - with Arriva taking the contract on in Oct12 on a 5 year contract)

 

[anthony263]

Yes crowngate is still controlled by First.

Got to be honest I think Worcester needs a newer larger bus station now considering how congested crowngate is. This congestion is causing issues especially with services 31c/32 which can get blocked in.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Yes crowngate is still controlled by First.

Got to be honest I think Worcester needs a newer larger bus station now considering how congested crowngate is. This congestion is causing issues especially with services 31c/32 which can get blocked in.

Sadly, that's so often the case. Buses don't make money for retailers/developers so they end up in sub-optimal locations or in sites that are too small.

Perhaps see some of the local services moved out of the bus station if it gets too tight?

BTW, when do the Upton services change (August?)

 

[winston270twm]

There's only 3 operators on that corridor I think would be welcomed, Central Buses, Hansons or NXWM. Both Diamond (Twice) and Midland (having took over Midland Rider...although MR did put the Lynx on one day!) have ran it.

Apparently there was resentment when Diamond withdrew the Halesowen to Merry Hill bit originally and then came off it...especially as Ludlows apparently built it up (remind you of another ex Ludlows Route that got cut and chopped...which got revived in 2012...) (Hansons having took the Hales-Merry Hill bit over - with Arriva taking the contract on in Oct12 on a 5 year contract)

In the current climate, it will more than likely come down to who submits the cheapest bid.

Diamond have withdrawn the following ex Ludlows routes 004, 006, 007, 230

There was resentment to Diamond when they started competing with Hanson's on the 226, that seems to have subsided and they now carry decent loads.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Yes crowngate is still controlled by First.

Got to be honest I think Worcester needs a newer larger bus station now considering how congested crowngate is. This congestion is causing issues especially with services 31c/32 which can get blocked in.

It could also with moving further away from the river, as flooding appears to be becoming more frequent, are there many sites within close proximity to the City Centre that could accommodate a new bus station?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Sadly, that's so often the case. Buses don't make money for retailers/developers so they end up in sub-optimal locations or in sites that are too small.

Perhaps see some of the local services moved out of the bus station if it gets too tight?

BTW, when do the Upton services change (August?)

I believe the WCC service changes are scheduled to change during September

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

In the current climate, it will more than likely come down to who submits the cheapest bid.

Diamond have withdrawn the following ex Ludlows routes 004, 006, 007, 230

There was resentment to Diamond when they started competing with Hanson's on the 226, that seems to have subsided and they now carry decent loads.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


It could also with moving further away from the river, as flooding appears to be becoming more frequent, are there many sites within close proximity to the City Centre that could accommodate a new bus station?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


I believe the WCC service changes are scheduled to change during September

Doh! It was mentioned earlier in the thread that it was Sep.

I doubt you'll see a new bus station any time soon. Only with a large retail development would you see funding available to finance something like that, as is happening in Gloucester.

 

[Class172]

This may cause some problems:

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/11264721.Park_and_ride_to_be_scrapped/?ref=var_0

PARK and rides in Worcester are being completely scrapped - and bus services across the county axed or downgraded in a shock cull.

After months of deliberation, Worcestershire County Council is about to finalise controversial public transport cuts.

It includes:

- Both of Worcester's park and ride sites at Perdiswell and Sixways will be shut down in September

- 13 bus services will be scrapped, at least five will charge increased fares and only 17 of the 97 under review will remain exactly the same as now

- 52 bus routes will provide either 'similar' or downgraded services, with less frequent pick-ups for many of them

A new report, which is due to be debated by the Conservative cabinet today, spells out how £1.6 million will be saved by the move.

It follows a massive public consultation which more than 8,500 people responded to, an unprecedented tally for the council, pleading for bus services to avoid the chop.

 

[winston270twm]

This may cause some problems:

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/11264721.Park_and_ride_to_be_scrapped/?ref=var_0

Breakdown of changes agreed at today's WCC meeting:

http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/cm...ised services plans post Cabinet (June 9).pdf

 

[bussnapperwm]

Looking at all the lists and comparing them to the VOSA registrations, Hansons really look the only operator who is unaffected all in all.

 

[anthony263]

Well I now have the ok to give you some more information:

30 City Centre - Dines Green
35 City Centre - Blackpole - City Centre

Both the routes listed above are to have an enhanced evening service mon-sat . Most likely a 30 minutely interval until 2330.

Both these routes will become 100% commercially operated.



31/31b Henwick Park - University - City Centre - Ronkswood - Royal Hospital.

This services is to be retained along with a frequent evening service until around 2315.
Sunday service may still be operated although not confirmed.

31A/31C City centre - Ronkswood - Royal Hospital - Lypard Tesco - SHire Business Park - Warndon - Perdiswell - Barbourne - City Centre Circular.

Services reduced to hourly frequency each way with evening services after 1900 and on sundays withdrawn. Remaining service commercially operated.

32 St Peters - City Centre - Obersley Road

Evening services after 1900 withdrawn.


33A/34A City Centre - Tunnel Hill - Wardon - Lypard Tesco - Tolladine Road - City Centre

Evening service after 1900 withdrawn

No news on what is happening with sundays services 32B to Norton via St Peters or on service 33B to Wardon as these are commercially operated.

144/144A Worcester - Droitwich - Bromsgrove - Catshill/Birmingham.

One bus per hour on route 144A is to be extended beyond Catshill to Halesowen.

362/364 Worcester - Upton On Severn - Great Malvern

New commercial services replacing the current routes as well as services 42/43 between Upton and Malvern Link. Route terminates @ Link Top in Great Malvern. Both services operate every 2 hours although there will be some extras on route 362 from Worcester to Baynal replacing the peak hour extensions to service 32.

Evening service one route 364 retained. Heard suggestion of sunday service on route 364

363 Worcester - Hanley Swan - Tewkesbury

( possible route adjustment to continuine serving Upton town centre)

2 hourly service the same as todays 363 although this may be increased to hourly. Like teh 362/364 this route will be operated commercially.

42 Fruitlands - Great Malvern - Malvern Link Retail Park

New local service replacing services 42/43 basically following thesame route as todays service 43F. This service is still out to tender so who will oeprate it remains to be seen.

 

[Class172]

144/144A Worcester - Droitwich - Bromsgrove - Catshill/Birmingham.

One bus per hour on route 144A is to be extended beyond Catshill to Halesowen.

Is this the rumoured expansion of First's operations into the Black Country (if you can count Halesowen as Black Country)?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Well I now have the ok to give you some more information:

30 City Centre - Dines Green
35 City Centre - Blackpole - City Centre

Both the routes listed above are to have an enhanced evening service mon-sat . Most likely a 30 minutely interval until 2330.

Both these routes will become 100% commercially operated.



31/31b Henwick Park - University - City Centre - Ronkswood - Royal Hospital.

This services is to be retained along with a frequent evening service until around 2315.
Sunday service may still be operated although not confirmed.

31A/31C City centre - Ronkswood - Royal Hospital - Lypard Tesco - SHire Business Park - Warndon - Perdiswell - Barbourne - City Centre Circular.

Services reduced to hourly frequency each way with evening services after 1900 and on sundays withdrawn. Remaining service commercially operated.

32 St Peters - City Centre - Obersley Road

Evening services after 1900 withdrawn.


33A/34A City Centre - Tunnel Hill - Wardon - Lypard Tesco - Tolladine Road - City Centre

Evening service after 1900 withdrawn

No news on what is happening with sundays services 32B to Norton via St Peters or on service 33B to Wardon as these are commercially operated.

144/144A Worcester - Droitwich - Bromsgrove - Catshill/Birmingham.

One bus per hour on route 144A is to be extended beyond Catshill to Halesowen.

362/364 Worcester - Upton On Severn - Great Malvern

New commercial services replacing the current routes as well as services 42/43 between Upton and Malvern Link. Route terminates @ Link Top in Great Malvern. Both services operate every 2 hours although there will be some extras on route 362 from Worcester to Baynal replacing the peak hour extensions to service 32.

Evening service one route 364 retained. Heard suggestion of sunday service on route 364

363 Worcester - Hanley Swan - Tewkesbury

( possible route adjustment to continuine serving Upton town centre)

2 hourly service the same as todays 363 although this may be increased to hourly. Like teh 362/364 this route will be operated commercially.

42 Fruitlands - Great Malvern - Malvern Link Retail Park

New local service replacing services 42/43 basically following thesame route as todays service 43F. This service is still out to tender so who will oeprate it remains to be seen.

What's the impact on the PVR? Any changes?

Also, anything on the horizon for Hereford?

 

[bussnapperwm]

Is this the rumoured expansion of First's operations into the Black Country (if you can count Halesowen as Black Country)?

And odds on them not accepting nbus for the 4 NWM stops out of/into Halesowen?

 

[anthony263]

Sadly I cannot say anything as I dont know what is planned for Hereford.

As for PVR all that is still being looked at and nothing has been said.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Sadly I cannot say anything as I dont know what is planned for Hereford.

As for PVR all that is still being looked at and nothing has been said.

I'm sure you'll tell us when you can

 

[anthony263]

Certainly there is much going on but a lot of stuff has to wait untill we see the results of all the tendering that is going on at the moment which I would suspect should be known by the end of July.

The full list of service changes I suspect will be available online by the beggining of August if it is like what happens in south wales.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Certainly there is much going on but a lot of stuff has to wait untill we see the results of all the tendering that is going on at the moment which I would suspect should be known by the end of July.

The full list of service changes I suspect will be available online by the beggining of August if it is like what happens in south wales.

Look forward to seeing what eventually happens and how the fleet develops

 

[anthony263]

Certainly the Dines Green and Blackpole services will benefit from a lot of changes.

Heard today that some of the timetables should be available online from the end of June.
Some drivers including myself have made a list of suggestiosn to improve services especially on sundays.

One suggestion I had was to run the 44's to Malvern Belmont hourly on sundays and to have a clockface hourly service on service 144 between Worcester and Birmingham from 7am to 7pm on sundays with perhaps a later service at 2005 to Bromsgrove

 

[anthony263]

Sorry for the lack of updates but lack of internet has not helped me the past few days.

Anyway found out today that the 144 Worcester - Birmingham srvice is due to get a couple of changes come september with the current late night services which operate friday and saturdays only now being operated 6 days a week.

At least 1 bus per hour on service 144A will be extended beyond Catshill to Halesowen replacing the current Central buses service. This will meen that Green Lane is likely to only be served by 1 bus per hour although there is a stagecoach minibus running a service via that road as well.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Sorry for the lack of updates but lack of internet has not helped me the past few days.

Anyway found out today that the 144 Worcester - Birmingham srvice is due to get a couple of changes come september with the current late night services which operate friday and saturdays only now being operated 6 days a week.

At least 1 bus per hour on service 144A will be extended beyond Catshill to Halesowen replacing the current Central buses service. This will meen that Green Lane is likely to only be served by 1 bus per hour although there is a stagecoach minibus running a service via that road as well.

Interesting to see these changes plus the tender wins for Hereford depot. Thanks for the update

 

[Jeni]

Anyway found out today that the 144 Worcester - Birmingham srvice is due to get a couple of changes come september with the current late night services which operate friday and saturdays only now being operated 6 days a week.

This can't come soon enough! It was always a mistake axing them in the first place. Long live the 23:20! (I presume the timings will be the same?).

21:45 was always far too early for the last 144 to run back from Birmingham, even if it is midweek.

At least 1 bus per hour on service 144A will be extended beyond Catshill to Halesowen replacing the current Central buses service. This will meen that Green Lane is likely to only be served by 1 bus per hour although there is a stagecoach minibus running a service via that road as well.

It'll be a shame to see the 007 go, though purely from a sentimental point of view! I remember the days where the route used to be run by Ludlows Leyland Nationals, which used get rammed with everyone going to Merry Hill.

Birmingham Coach (now Diamond) tried to compete on the route by running 5 mins ahead of the Ludlows journeys, but they underestimated the customer loyalty towards Ludlows, getting caught out a few times telling passengers (wrongly) that the Ludlows bus behind had broken down.

Though with at least 1 bus per hour being extended, that's a frequency increase on the current situation, which the residents of Romsley will love! Please tell me that they won't be numbered 144 (or even 144A), the two routes to Birmingham and Halesowen will be far too different to justify having the same number. 147/148/149 numbers are available locally and could be used?

Just for reference, the bus running round Green Lane (90/322) is an MRD Travel service, they just happen to use an old Stagecoach bus that they've never got round to repainting!

 

[bussnapperwm]

This can't come soon enough! It was always a mistake axing them in the first place. Long live the 23:20! (I presume the timings will be the same?).

21:45 was always far too early for the last 144 to run back from Birmingham, even if it is midweek.



It'll be a shame to see the 007 go, though purely from a sentimental point of view! I remember the days where the route used to be run by Ludlows Leyland Nationals, which used get rammed with everyone going to Merry Hill.

Birmingham Coach (now Diamond) tried to compete on the route by running 5 mins ahead of the Ludlows journeys, but they underestimated the customer loyalty towards Ludlows, getting caught out a few times telling passengers (wrongly) that the Ludlows bus behind had broken down.

Though with at least 1 bus per hour being extended, that's a frequency increase on the current situation, which the residents of Romsley will love! Please tell me that they won't be numbered 144 (or even 144A), the two routes to Birmingham and Halesowen will be far too different to justify having the same number. 147/148/149 numbers are available locally and could be used?

Just for reference, the bus running round Green Lane (90/322) is an MRD Travel service, they just happen to use an old Stagecoach bus that they've never got round to repainting!

Ironically MRD also used it on the X7? merry hill to Bromsgrove twice a week and X95 Merry Hill to Franche...although their LDV van did the Bromsgrove once!

 

[anthony263]

I have heard the route to Halesowen will be numbered 147. The route will be the same as it is now on the 144a as far as Catshill post office. I can see some confusion especially with people travelling into Webbs etc.

Frequency wise I do think the increased frequency will be quite popular.

We are still awaiting news on who is to operate Kidderminster - Worcester services 294/303 etc post september

 

[winston270twm]

I have heard the route to Halesowen will be numbered 147. The route will be the same as it is now on the 144a as far as Catshill post office. I can see some confusion especially with people travelling into Webbs etc.

Frequency wise I do think the increased frequency will be quite popular.

We are still awaiting news on who is to operate Kidderminster - Worcester services 294/303 etc post september

Regarding WCC tenders, I understand there was an e-aution held yesterday, I assume the above two route may have been included?

 

[anthony263]

There has been talk about the results of these E-tenders among us drivers today although I wont be saying to much until more info is available.

 

[winston270twm]

There has been talk about the results of these E-tenders among us drivers today although I wont be saying to much until more info is available.

Anthony / all FYI:

Courtesy of Tony Hunter / WMBus Forum:

Results of the WCC tenders so far are:

Redditch – Alvechurch- Bromsgrove 182 , 183 -Johnsons
Bromsgrove – The Stokes - Droitwich 141 - WMSNT
Bromsgrove - Barnt Green - Cofton Hackett - Longbridge Rail Station 145 - WMSNT
Malvern Town Service 42, S42 - LMS Travel
Redditch Town Services 53, 65, RE17 - Redditch Dial a Ride
Bradley Green – New End - Ridgeway Middle School – Tudor Grange Academy (Redditch) S70 - Diamond
Wychbold – Bromsgrove – St Bedes Middle School 180 - Diamond
Redditch – Greenlands and Redditch School services 64, S57, S69, S91 - Diamond
Webheath – Tudor Grange Academy S94 - Diamond
Redditch - Matchborough West - Matchborough East - Winyates Green (Circular) 62 - Diamond
Areley Kings- Stourport- Bewdley – Hagley RC School 892 - Diamond
Redditch - Inkberrow - Worcester 350 - Johnsons
Worcester Area Services 21, 24, 356, 423 - LMS Travel
Droitwich Area Services 17, 18, 19A, 19C, 20, 133, 354, 355, B1 - Diamond
Droitwich Town Services 17, 18, 19A, 19C, 20 - Diamond
Droitwich - Kidderminster / Redditch 133 , 354 - Diamond
Droitwich - Fernhill Heath - Worcester 355 - no bids received
Droitwich - Bishop Perowne School B1 - LMS Travel
Pershore PlumLine 566 - LMS Travel
Village Hopper 564, 565 - Astons

PD1079638/3 - DAVID JOHN ROBIN WHEELER T/A CLEARWAY OF CATSHILL, 54 MEADOW ROAD, CATSHILL, BROMSGROVE, B61 0JL
Registration Accepted
Starting Point: Clearway Bus Depot, Catshill
Finish Point: St Augustines School, Redditch
Via: Bromsgrove, St. Bedes
Service Number: 181
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 03-SEP-2014
Other Details: School Days Only - One outward journey and one return journey.