Black Country Service Changes – 15th April and 22nd April

National Express West Midlands are making some changes to services in the Black Country area this month, details from their website are reproduced below.

I understand the changes to the 54 service are being made as an alternative to withdrawing the service completely, due to a reduction in funding from the i54 business park and a need to make it more commercially viable. These changes, as well as the associated changes to the 3 and 4, will be in place for the next 12 months.

Also interesting to see the 52 and 52A services being withdrawn and replaced with what is essentially the ‘old’ 952 service that these originally replaced.

Passengers travelling regularly between Walsall and Birmingham will hopefully welcome the increase in frequency on the popular X51 limited-stop service at busy peak times.

Sunday 15th April

Services 3 / 4 – Fordhouses – Castlecroft / i54 – Spring Hill

On the 3 and 4, the times of evening and Sunday buses have been changed to fit shift times at the i54 business park.
Buses will run half an hour later than now.
On Sundays, all journeys on the 4 have been extended from Whitburn Close to the i54 site.

Service 54 – Stafford – Wolverhampton

Times have been changed on the 54. In Stafford, buses will no longer serve Gaol Square and will run along Chell Road in both directions. The new terminus will be on Chell Road, opposite Sainsbury’s.
Off peak journeys will no longer serve Pendeford Business Park and will be renumbered 54A.
Fares will change. The maximum adult single fare on the 54 & 54A (valid for most journeys in Staffordshire) will now be £3.50.
The standard Daysaver will no longer be valid between i54 and Stafford.
A new Daysaver Plus will be introduced which will be valid on all National Express West Midlands services, including on the 54 & 54A between i54 and Stafford. This will be priced at £5 for adults and £3.50 for children.
The standard Group Daysaver will remain valid throughout the routes.

Sunday 22nd April

Services 3 & 4 –

Evening and Sunday times will change on the 3 and 4
Buses on the 4 will now run to and from the i54 at improved times in the evening to cater for i54 shift start and finishing times, arriving at the i54 site before on the hour and departing after on the hour.
There will be a 22:09 departure from the i54 (Moog) for workers finishing shifts at 22:00, which will replace the current 22:10 journey on the 54.
Sunday daytime journeys will now extend to serve the i54 site.

Services 8 & 89 –

The 89 will change to run directly along Wolverhampton Road between Pelsall and Bloxwich on all journeys and will no longer serve Trevor Road, Highfield Road North or Wood Lane.
The 8 will be extended from Pelsall Fingerpost to Shortlands Lane and will change to serve Trevor Road, Highfield Road North and Wood Lane on all journeys in place of the 89.
Highfield Road will no longer be served by the 8 – buses will run along Norton Road and Wolverhampton Road in both directions.
The timetable will change from 22nd April.

Services 10 & 10A –

There will be minor changes to the times of buses on Saturdays.

Service 33 –

The timetable will change from 22nd April but buses will continue to run up to every 10 minutes.
The 33 and 51 will be combined to provide a very frequent service between Birmingham, Aston and Perry Barr.

Services 52 & 52A –

Will be replaced by new service 952.
The 952 will not serve every bus stop between Perry Barr and Birmingham to provide quicker journeys between Perry Beeches, Walsall Road and Birmingham.
The route in Perry Beeches will change.
From Birmingham, all buses will run along Beeches Road, Thornbridge Avenue and Hassop Road.
Towards Birmingham, buses will run along Hassop Road, Thornbridge Avenue, Beeches Road, Turnberry Road and Booths Farm Road.
Buses will run up to every 20 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes and every 60 minutes evenings and Sundays.

Service 886 –

Will be replaced by an extension of service X51.
One morning journey on schooldays on the X51 will extend beyond Birmingham to King Edward’s School and one afternoon journey on the X51 will commence at King Edward’s.

Service 997 –

An additional school day only journey will run between Great Barr School and Birmingham in the afternoon peak.
There are no other changes to the timetable.

Service X51 –

Frequency increased at peak times to up to every 7 minutes in response to customer requests.
Earlier morning journeys will run on weekdays – at 05:50 from Walsall to Birmingham and 06:30 from Birmingham to Walsall.