I understand that there are going to be a number of service changes taking place from Sunday August 29th 2021, across Birmingham, the Black Country and Coventry, as well as services reverting to pre-summer holiday timetables.
While no details have yet been officially announced, eagle-eyed enthusiasts at the WM Buses In Photos forum have already spotted a number of bus service registration changes at the DVSA website.
There are some services which are reported to be showing as having their registration ‘cancelled’, as well as some new services which have been registered.
It seems that the days of consulting with passengers prior to wholesale changes taking place are now gone, as unless I somehow missed it, I do not recall seeing any consultation taking place that passengers could participate in and give comments and feedback.
Two changes that have been confirmed so far are for Claribel’s 36 and 604.
Service 36 – Sparkhill to Heartlands Hospital
36 no longer serves Formans Road and Stratford Road, instead operates along Battery Way to Warwick Road, then extends along Golden Hillock Road to Small Heath station.
Service 604 – Mere Green to Kingstanding
Warren Farm is withdrawn with buses starting from Kingstanding circle.
Halton Road & Braemar Road are removed with buses now serving Melrose Avenue and Monmouth Drive.
Buses extended from Mere Green to Hillhook, Bishops Way via Lichfield Road.
We have looked at longstanding feedback regarding some areas that have been left without buses for some years & now thanks in part to NX changes we are able to finally make changes to give those people their buses back, especially Bishops Way who were petitioning against the X4 changes that left the estate without a bus forcing the residents to the main road, or Monmouth Drive who lost the 66 quite some time ago & currently have a long walk to Halton Road or Braemar Road to catch our 604.
With the changes to these long standing services, Claribels working in Partnership with TfWM are very excited about creating new links & returning bus services to people who have in our opinion been cut off from bus services for far too long.
Steve Minor, Claribel Coaches
We are particularly excited to return the Claribels brand to Hillhook after an absence of over 25 years (previously serving the area with the evening & sunday 602 & 603 services)
Some other service changes that have been noted already:
NEW service 41 – Acocks Green to QE Hospital
This partly replaces the current 1A service which will be withdrawn. In conjunction with the change to Claribel’s 36 service, the 41 will operate via Spring Road and Olton Boluevard West, then via Formans Road, replacing that part of the 36, before presumably operating via Stratford Road and Springfield Road, to rejoin the current 1A route from College Road.
NEW service 46 – QE Hospital to Northfield
This new service replaces part of the current 48 service which is to be altered. The 46 will operate along the current 48 route via Kings Norton, Hawkesley and West Heath. The 48 will follow a new route from QE Hospital to Northfield (currently unknown!), before continuing to Weoley Castle.
NEW service 20 – QE Hospital to Cofton Hackett
The 20 will partially replace the X20 service which will be withdrawn.
NEW service 95 – Birmingham to Chelmsley Wood
Service 55 is renumbered 95, with a possible route change in Shard End.
NEW service X13 – Birmingham to Chelmsley Wood
Service X70 is renumbered as X13
Service 12 / 12A – Birmingham to Dudley
Route revised in Edgbaston, buses will operate along City Road and Portland Road, before joining Hagley Road.
Service 27 – Maypole to Longbridge
Extends from Longbridge station to terminate in Cofton Hackett.
Service 80A – Birmingham to West Bromwich
Renumbered as 80
Service X529 – Walsall to Wolverhampton
Service withdrawn
There are probably more, so apologies if I missed any, but we are all going to have to wait until these are officially announced before we know more regarding timetables and route changes. And hopefully the announcement won’t be left until a week before these changes come into effect!
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