Revised services from 23 March 2020.

Subforum for Diamond Bus Limited of Tividale, Redditch and Kidderminster (formerly The Diamond Bus Company Limited, The Birmingham Omnibus Company Limited, Go West Midlands Limited, etc.
TimBrown
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Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Revised services from 23 March 2020.

Post by TimBrown » 12:24 Saturday 21st March 2020

Diamond in Worcestershire will be operating reduced services from Monday 23 March 2020 because of COVID19 virus. Worcester to Kidderminster 303 will run two hourly instead of hourly presumably using one bus instead of current two;

https://www.diamondbuses.com/worcester- ... e-updates/

Tom
Posts: 10
Joined: 21:34 Tuesday 5th July 2016

Re: Revised services from 23 March 2020.

Post by Tom » 02:14 Friday 27th March 2020

TimBrown wrote:
12:24 Saturday 21st March 2020
Diamond in Worcestershire will be operating reduced services from Monday 23 March 2020 because of COVID19 virus. Worcester to Kidderminster 303 will run two hourly instead of hourly presumably using one bus instead of current two;

https://www.diamondbuses.com/worcester- ... e-updates/
I'm just hoping that my local kiddy run services (251) don't get cut in the next reduction round as I'm hoping To return to work in a couple of weeks (local government official who doesn't drive) after being off long term sick.

If it does I guess it'll have to be Ola or three buses!

TimBrown
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Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: Revised services from 23 March 2020.

Post by TimBrown » 09:55 Sunday 29th March 2020

303 between Kidderminster and Worcester suspended altogether from Friday 27 March 2020 with heavy cuts to most Diamond services elsewhere in Worcestershire from Monday 30 March 2020, as per attached link;

https://www.diamondbuses.com/media/2276 ... 290320.pdf

No doubt more bad news to come as the week progresses. I feel the world is going to be a very different place when the Coronavirus pandemic is finally over - who would have thought 2019 would be the golden era of public transport!

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AdamH
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Re: Revised services from 23 March 2020.

Post by AdamH » 11:04 Sunday 29th March 2020

TimBrown wrote:
09:55 Sunday 29th March 2020
...who would have thought 2019 would be the golden era of public transport!
Steady on there! 🤣

JustinTyme
Posts: 121
Joined: 20:20 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Solihull

Re: Revised services from 23 March 2020.

Post by JustinTyme » 17:26 Sunday 29th March 2020

TimBrown wrote:
09:55 Sunday 29th March 2020
303 between Kidderminster and Worcester suspended altogether from Friday 27 March 2020 with heavy cuts to most Diamond services elsewhere in Worcestershire from Monday 30 March 2020 ...
I saw Simon Dunn reply to a post about this on Facebook on Friday saying that not one person used the 303 the previous day. No doubt that it why it has been suspended.

Inecvitably in an emergency, there are a few anomolies. While Diamond will be running a mainly Saturday service, Stagecoach Midlands will be running a Sunday service. This means that in Stratford-upon-Avon, the few journeys that Diamond run (on tender) on town service 15 to West Green Drive are now the only journeys on that service.

Not that I am criticising anyone. I realise that schedulers must be having a manic time at present - many operators have already changed their timetables at least twice on the past week. They have done a remarkable job. My best wishes to them and in fact everyone in the bus and coach industry.

TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: Revised services from 23 March 2020.

Post by TimBrown » 12:21 Monday 30th March 2020

JustinTyme wrote:
17:26 Sunday 29th March 2020
TimBrown wrote:
09:55 Sunday 29th March 2020
303 between Kidderminster and Worcester suspended altogether from Friday 27 March 2020 with heavy cuts to most Diamond services elsewhere in Worcestershire from Monday 30 March 2020 ...
I saw Simon Dunn reply to a post about this on Facebook on Friday saying that not one person used the 303 the previous day. No doubt that it why it has been suspended.

Inecvitably in an emergency, there are a few anomolies. While Diamond will be running a mainly Saturday service, Stagecoach Midlands will be running a Sunday service. This means that in Stratford-upon-Avon, the few journeys that Diamond run (on tender) on town service 15 to West Green Drive are now the only journeys on that service.

Not that I am criticising anyone. I realise that schedulers must be having a manic time at present - many operators have already changed their timetables at least twice on the past week. They have done a remarkable job. My best wishes to them and in fact everyone in the bus and coach industry.
I realise the situation is very fluid, volatile even, and I sympathise with the schedulers and senior management who have to make difficult decisions on the hoof, but suspension of the 303 means no direct bus service between Worcester and Kidderminster and leaves places like Ombersley, Hartlebury and many smaller villages without any form of public transport. Worcester travellers do have a circuitous option of using 144 to Bromsgrove and 42 from there to Kidderminster. If Coniston Coaches are maintaining their 294/6 service to Bewdley it may be possible to get a connection from there to Kidderminster. West Midlands Trains are still running a limited service between Great Malvern, Worcester, Kidderminster and Birmingham Snow Hill, for the moment.

I believe Ombersley, at least, has a Doctors' Surgery and active Pharmacy for those in need of medical attention and medication, but how will the car-less purchase their weekly food needs when nearest supermarkets are in Worcester or Kidderminster?
I highlight this because the same, or similar, situations must be duplicated throughout the country as cash strapped County Councils seem unable to keep a subsidised emergency core service alive for these communities.

Adam V
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Joined: 15:28 Saturday 16th July 2016

Re: Revised services from 23 March 2020.

Post by Adam V » 10:08 Saturday 4th April 2020

Diamond's Redditch garage have lost the Coventry local service 1 Walsgrave - Chapelfields from Monday 6th April to NXWM. Used it a few times, usually a Redditch solo plodding accross the city with next to nobody on it.

willr7
Posts: 527
Joined: 21:53 Friday 11th August 2017

Re: Revised services from 23 March 2020.

Post by willr7 » 21:53 Saturday 4th April 2020

Adam V wrote:
10:08 Saturday 4th April 2020
Diamond's Redditch garage have lost the Coventry local service 1 Walsgrave - Chapelfields from Monday 6th April to NXWM. Used it a few times, usually a Redditch solo plodding accross the city with next to nobody on it.
Also, the two 66 plate solo SRs that are based at Redditch for the Coventry 1 will be moving to Kidderminster to be used on the 292. :D

Adam V
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Joined: 15:28 Saturday 16th July 2016

Re: Revised services from 23 March 2020.

Post by Adam V » 23:19 Saturday 4th April 2020

Should be fun seeing (and hearing!) them chug up and over Clee Hill on the 292 😁

busrinks
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Joined: 23:09 Thursday 7th December 2017

Re: Revised services from 23 March 2020.

Post by busrinks » 10:53 Wednesday 20th May 2020

changes to diamond services the end of the month
https://www.diamondbuses.com/worcester- ... QwE8xpztwY

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