NX West Midlands and NX Coventry have now made available new timetables which will come into effect from Wednesday 25th March.
As previously detailed here, service levels are being reduced due to lower levels of traffic on the roads, as well as a marked decrease in bus patronage.
I haven’t been able to review every single new timetable, but the general feel is that many services are being reduced to Sunday daytime levels, though as previously promised by NX Bus, no services are being taken off, and some more-frequent services will have levels closer to a Saturday level of service.
But this is not an overall ‘Sunday service’ – early morning weekday services will continue to operate, and of course so will less-frequent services that typically do not operate on Sundays.
Some passengers still need to use the bus to get to work, and they will still be able to do so, but it may be the case that your regular bus journey runs at a different time.
If the timetable changes mean that you would arrive at work at a different time, please consult with your employer to see if they can change your working hours; these are difficult times for all, and I’m pretty sure most reasonable employers will be accomodating.
Please be sure to review the new timetable for your service (if it has changed), and if you are able to, please make anyone you know who uses the same service aware of these changes, as it will not be possible to update all printed information at bus stops due to the changing nature of this current situation we all face.
Diamond Buses will be operating Saturday levels of service during weekdays from Wednesday 25th March until further notice, with some services operating to ‘special timetables’.
Arriva West Midlands reduced service levels from today (Monday 23rd March):
- Service 1 (Walsall) – No service
- Service 2 (Walsall) – 30 min freq
- Service 3/3a – No service
- Service 9 – Saturday service
- Service 70 – 60 min freq
- Service 74/8/9 (Coventry) – Saturday service
- Service 110 – 30 min freq
Other operators that will be reducing service levels from Wednesday 25th March:
- Johnsons Excelbus
- Landflight
Other operators that have reduced service levels today (Monday 23rd March):
- Travel DeCourcey
- RK Travel
Stagecoach Midlands will be reducing service levels from Monday 30th March.
This is an ongoing situation that we all face, for the latest information on the status of the bus network in the West Midlands area, Network West Midlands have added a special ‘Network Overview’ page to their website, which will be regularly updated as information changes, and also includes details of changes to rail and tram services.
It remains to be said that I hope everyone stays safe and takes any necessary precautions. If you don’t need to travel, please avoid doing so!
If you really do need to travel, then prepare yourself and be aware of timetable and service changes. And please show some respect and consideration to drivers and fellow passengers.
