Following a review of services operated under contract to TfWM, some bus services will be withdrawn or replaced from Sunday 5th January, while others will have a change of operator.
Services are affected after Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which subsidises services that do not make money, reviewed contracts with operators across the region.
But TfWM insisted most people would see “no or very small change” and that some of the areas impacted could see service frequency increased to “better meet local demand”.
Most of the changes will come into force from 5 January, while negotiations over further changes continue with grants to shield operators from rising costs due to expire in March.
“Dozens of bus routes to be scrapped or changed” – BBC News, 26th November 2024
It is worth pointing out at this stage that as per the above, in the grand scheme of things, this is just a very small number of services that are being changed, and these are those that are already little used which is why they can only exist with financial support from TfWM. I have unfortunately seen comments left on other media articles already where some people mistakenly believe that bus services are somehow being ‘decimated’, which is materially incorrect!
First of all, I start with a reminder about ticket price changes.
Ticket price changes
From Wednesday 1st January 2025, as a result of the Government’s single fare cap rising to £3.00, the cost of a single bus journey in the West Midlands will revert to £2.90.
There are currently no plans to increase the prices of any other tickets/fares in the West Midlands region.
Service and timetable changes
From Sunday 5th January 2025, following the end of the Christmas holiday period, most services will revert to pre-Christmas timetables, while a number of services will have new revised timetables implemented.
There will be changes to services operated under contract to TfWM, mainly in the Dudley, Wednesbury and Solihull areas, as well as some other changes of note, which are detailed below.
Dudley area changes
3 – West Bromwich to Merry Hill
Evening and Sunday journeys will be operated by Carolean Coaches with no change to timetables. NX West Midlands will continue to provide Monday to Saturday daytime services.
14 – Foxyards Estate to Halesowen, via Dudley
14A – Dudley to Merry Hill, via Blackheath
24 – Dudley to Merry Hill, via Blackheath
These services will be withdrawn by NX West Midlands due to no longer being commercially viable. They will be replaced by the following new services operated by Diamond Bus under contract to TfWM.
14 – Dudley to Blackheath via Tividale Hall: every 60 minutes, Monday to Saturday daytime
14A – Dudley to Halesowen via Tividale Hall and Blackheath: every 60 minutes, Monday to Saturday evenings and Sunday all day.
24 – Merry Hill to Blackheath via Rowley Regis Hospital: every 60 minutes, Monday to Saturday daytime 24H – Merry Hill to Halesowen via Cradley Heath: every 60 minutes, Monday to Saturday daytime
214 – Foxyards Estate to Dudley: every 60 minutes, Monday to Saturday daytime
215 – Dudley to Warrens Hall via Kates Hill: every 60 minutes, Monday to Saturday daytime
74A – Dudley to West Bromwich, via Kates Hill
This service will be altered due to being at risk of withdrawal due to low passenger numbers. It will continue to be operated by Diamond Bus but the route is revised to run between Horseley Heath and West Bromwich via Great Bridge.
224 – Sedgley to Bilston
New operator will be Carolean Coaches, no change to route or timetable.
Wednesbury & Bilston area changes
23 – Portobello to Wednesbury, via Bilston
This service is withdrawn and replaced with new 23 and 23A services operating between Wednesbury and Willenhall, new operator will be Carolean Coaches. Replaces part of the withdrawn 80 service.
30 – Stone Cross to West Bromwich, via Albion
A review of the 30 service showed that it was at risk of being withdrawn due to low passenger numbers. The service will now operate to Wednesbury instead of Stone Cross. This will create new links aimed at attracting additional passengers, such as from Harvills Hawthorn to Wednesbury. Service will continue to be operated by Diamond Bus.
41 – West Bromwich to Friar Park, via Stone Cross
41A – West Bromwich to Wednesbury, via Hall End
Minor route changes will be made to the 41A so that it has a longer section of route in common with the 41. This will give more residents a half-hourly rather than hourly bus service to West Bromwich. New operator of these services will be Carolean Coaches.
65 – Darlaston to Woods Estate, via Wednesbury
New operator will be Diamond Bus, no change to route or timetable.
80 – Moxley to Bilston, via Lower Bradley
Due to low passenger usage, this service will be withdrawn. A review of this service showed poor usage across much of the route and was not viable to continue given the cost of operation. Key sections of the 80 will now be covered by the revised service 23/23A to ensure that residents remain within reasonable walking distance of a bus service.
224 – Sedgley to Bilston
New operator will be Carolean Coaches, no change to route or timetable.
Coventry & Solihull area changes
2 / 2A – Coventry to Cannon Park / Westwood Business Park
88 / 88A – Solihull to Balsall Common
These services will be withdrawn and mostly replaced by new 188 service operated by Stagecoach.
A1 – Solihull to Damsonwood circular
A2 – Solihull to Buryfield Road circular
Services renumbered to 601 and 602 respectively, new operator will be Landflight, no change to route or timetable.
A3 – Solihull to Knowle, via Dorridge
Service withdrawn, replaced by new A6 and 188 services.
A4 – Solihull to Inkford Brook
A5 – Solihull to Cheswick Green
Services withdrawn and replaced by new 664 and 665 circular services.
A6 – Solihull to Dorridge, via Knowle
New service operated by Landflight. Replaces 88 service between Solihull and Knowle, and A3 between Knowle and Dorridge.
A7 / A8 – South Solihull circulars
Revised timetable and route change in Blythe Valley to improve punctuality.
A12 – Solihull to Acocks Green, via Olton
A15 – Solihull to Shirley Station, via Acocks Green
Services withdrawn and mostly replaced by new 630 service.
188 – Solihull to Coventry, via Balsall Common
New service operated by Stagecoach. Replaces A3 service between Solihull and Knowle, 88 service between Knowle and Balsall Common, then extends to Coventry via Torrington Avenue and Earlsdon to mostly replace the 2 / 2A services.
601 – Solihull to Damsonwood circular
602 – Solihull to Buryfield Road circular
Renumbered from A1 and A2 respectively, new operator will be Landflight, no change to route or timetable.
630 – Solihull to Robin Hood Island, via Olton and Acocks Green
New service operated by Landflight, mostly replacing withdrawn A12 and A15 services with improved 30min daytime frequency.
664 / 665 – Solihull to Wythall circulars, via Dickens Heath, Hollywood and Maypole
New services operated by Landflight, replacing the A4 and A5 services. Shared line of route between Solihull and Dickens Heath via Sharmans Cross and Shirley, then runs as a circular service via Majors Green, Maypole, Hollywood, Wythall and Tidbury Green. These will run every 60 minutes each direction, providing two buses per hour overall in the daytime from Monday to Saturday, with an hourly Solihull to Dickens Heath only service on Sundays. Cheswick Green will continue to be served by the A7 and A8 circulars.
Other changes
22 – Bearwood to Oldbury
New operator will be NX West Midlands, no change to route or timetable.
50A – Birmingham to Redditch
New service introduced by Diamond Bus running at peak times only Monday to Saturday.
54 – West Bromwich to Worlds End, via Cape Hill, Warley & Brandhall
New operator will be Diamond Bus, no change to route or timetable.
54 – Perry Barr to Hamstead
Route will be revised and extends to Scott Arms, Great Barr.
61 – West Bromwich to Great Barr, via Handsworth
Route is revised to operate between West Bromwich and Perry Barr. Scott Arms, Halfords Lane, Dartmouth Road and Kenrick Way no longer served.
61 – Wolverhampton to Goldthorn Park
New operator will be Diamond Bus, no change to route or timetable.
96 – Kingstanding to Birmingham Airport
Evening and Sunday journeys will be operated by NX West Midlands, minor timetable changes but no change to route.
145 – Rubery to Droitwich, via Bromsgrove
145A – Rubery to Wychbold, via Bromsgrove
Due to low patronage on some sections of these routes, a revised 145 service will now operate between Longbridge Rail Station & Stoke Prior via Bromsgrove only. 145A will be withdrawn and Rubery, Wychbold & Droitwich will no longer be served by the 145.
637 – Walsall to Manor Hospital
New operator will be Diamond Bus, no change to route or timetable.
More details of the changes to TfWM contracted services can be found on the Upcoming Service changes page on the TfWM website.
Timetables from 5th January will be available to view and download from the TfWM website once they become available.
wpDiscuz