A number of changes are to be made to National Express West Midlands bus services in the Dudley & Sandwell area from Sunday 2nd September 2018. The changes have come about following a consultation that took place earlier this year, and provide an update to the local network that reflects the changing travelling patterns of passengers.
Following an extensive public consultation, we will be making a number of changes to bus routes in the Dudley and Sandwell area from 2nd September 2018.
This will include minor changes, such as timetable improvements, to help our services run more reliably. There are also some bigger changes to cater for new and emerging travel needs, to help us overcome increasing traffic congestion and slower traffic speeds around busier areas.
New express services and new links will be introduced, with our Platinum buses able to serve more areas, including Blackheath, Oldbury and Smethwick.
Many route numbers will change to create a new Dudley and Sandwell network, helping to create a new local identity for Dudley’s buses.
Full details and new timetables can be found at the National Express West Midlands website, and a summary of the changes can be found below:
Renumbered services
Service 13 (Walsall to Dudley) becomes the 11A
Service 120 (Birmingham to Dudley) becomes the 12
Service 128 (Birmingham to Oldbury) becomes the 13
Service 205 (Dudley to Kingswinford) becomes the 5
Service 222 (Dudley to Merry Hill) becomes the 2
Service 243 (Dudley to Merry Hill) becomes the 18
Service 244 (Dudley to QE Hospital) becomes the 19
Service 246 (Dudley to Stourbridge) becomes the 6
Services 255 and 255A (Wolverhampton to Stourbridge) become the 15 and 15A respectively
Service 256 (Dudley to Stourbridge) becomes the 16
Service 257 (Dudley to Stourbridge) becomes the 17
Service 276 (Dudley to Wollaston) becomes the 7
Service X96 (Wrens Nest to Wollaston Farm) becomes the 8
Amended services
Service 126 (Birmingham to Wolverhampton) is curtailed to run between Birmingham and Dudley only. The Dudley to Wolverhampton section is covered by the introduction of new services X7 and X8, see below.
Diamond’s service 24 (Foxyards Estate to Merry Hill) is amended to cover the withdrawn 129 service between Blackheath and Merry Hill.
Service X10 (Birmingham to Merry Hill) is extended and will continue from Merry Hill to Gornal Wood, via Brierley Hill and Russells Hall Hospital, restoring a link lost when service 297 was withdrawn.
New services
New service 2A (Dudley to Merry Hill) follows the same route as the new 2 service (renumbered from 222) but will serve Dudley Road and Wallows Road following requests from passengers.
New services 3 (West Bromwich to Merry Hill) and 3A (West Bromwich to Blackheath) replace withdrawn 120A and 289 services.
New service 12A (Birmingham to Dudley) replaces parts of withdrawn services 120A and 121.
New service 13A (Birmingham to Blackheath) replaces part of the withdrawn 127 service.
New service 13B (Birmingham to Blackheath) replaces part of the withdrawn 129 service between Birmingham and Blackheath. Diamond will also amend their 24 service to cover withdrawn parts between Blackheath and Merry Hill.
New service 14 (Dudley to Halesowen) replaces parts of the withdrawn 127 and 241 services. It will continue to serve Mincing Lane and Bell End following customer feedback.
New Platinum service X7 (Wolverhampton to Birmingham) replaces the withdrawn part of the 126 route between Wolverhampton and Dudley, and will continue towards Birmingham limited stop via Oldbury, Smethwick and City Hospital.
New Platinum service X8 (Wolverhampton to Birmingham) replaces the withdrawn part of the 126 route between Wolverhampton and Dudley, and then continues limited stop towards Birmingham replacing the withdrawn 140 service.
Timetable changes
There will also be some minor timetable changes to services 4H, 9 , 27, 27A, and 82.
Withdrawn services (see above for replacements)
Service 120A (Birmingham to Blackheath)
Service 121 (West Bromwich to Dudley)
Service 127 (Birmingham to Dudley)
Service 129 (Birmingham to Merry Hill)
Service 140 (Birmingham to Dudley)
Service 241 (Dudley to Halesowen)
Service 289 (West Bromwich to Merry Hill)
For full details, route maps and new timetables, please see the NX West Midlands website. Timetables are also available on the Network West Midlands and Traveline websites.
A PDF booklet detailing the changes can also be downloaded here.
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