Improved services in 2025

[ANDREW]

Droitwich stuff is good to see - is this new, or taken over from someone else?

I believe that some of it is taken over from Astons Coaches and some from LMS, and the 22/22A appears to be taken over from "Kevs " (355).

That looks to be the case. When was the last time - if any - that Midland Red had the monopoly of Droitwich town services ?? I can remember back when Evertons ran green Atlanteans . . . . . .

[TimBrown]

Midland Red West used Nationals on several local Droitwich services around late 1984 early 1985 before the minibuses arrived in 1986. I remember driving a circular route alongside the railway west of Chawson to Westlands, or Boycott as it was originally known. It is so long ago that I don't recall all the services operated but there was one around Berry Hill, another went around Primsland on the East side of Droitwich plus the 353 ran to Crowle, then Tibberton to Droitwich. Didn't it also run all the way out to Earl's Common at some stage later after 1986 perhaps? A couple of school services ran from Droitwich Junior school and Droitwich High School to Fernhill Heath. Then of course there was a very regular 22 minibus service to Droitwich circa 1987 via Cornmeadow Road, Danes Green, Fernhill Heath and Chawson. A works service also operated to a company on Hampton Lovett Trading Estate whose name eludes me. I remember working a works service from Rackstraws on the Hartlebury Trading Estate to Warndon and Worcester with one of the Tiger Plaxton coaches and getting an earful for driving down the A449 at a goodly rate of knots! Have a vague recollection of a service or works contract passing through Cutnall Green as well, anyone remember where it went?.

[AdamH]

Towards the end of the NBC era and into the first year or so as a private company, Midland Red West services to and in Droitwich were numbered 153-157, with the 140 and 141 from the Bromsgrove side. These were run from Worcester using Leyland Nationals.

When the "Citibus" minibus network was expanded to Droitwich, a new network appeared with route numbers in the range 19 - 22. They were all still going strong when I started at Worcester depot in 1994, but were eventually killed off by First. Scraps of the old network survive now, but nowhere near as frequent as it was in the Midland Red West minibus days.

Example timetable from 1986...
https://midlandred.net/service/timetabl ... outeID=473

[bmmoboy]

It was the 352 which ran from Worcester to Earls Common, did it a few times on a Saturday afternoon after being directions(?) by Dougie Hyde, then went OOS to Droitwich to do some locals.

[DC54]

I believe that some of it is taken over from Astons Coaches and some from LMS, and the 22/22A appears to be taken over from "Kevs " (355).

That looks to be the case. When was the last time - if any - that Midland Red had the monopoly of Droitwich town services ?? I can remember back when Evertons ran green Atlanteans . . . . . .

Diamond are curtailing their 145/145A service from January as well. The 145 will only serve as far as Stoke Prior and the 145A will be withdrawn…

https://www.diamondbuses.com/media/5605 ... 050124.pdf

[ANDREW]

Will Worcester have enough vehicles to cover the new/extra services ?? Fleet strength has been 59 vehicles for a number of weeks now.

[DD12]

Will Worcester have enough vehicles to cover the new/extra services ?? Fleet strength has been 59 vehicles for a number of weeks now.

-- My guestimate is that we'll need about 4 extra buses !

[ANDREW]

-- My guestimate is that we'll need about 4 extra buses ![/quote]

First Cymru still have a large number of 13/14/15 plate E200's , the majority in Cymru Red livery which I think looks a decent paint scheme .

[marck]

Has anyone heard if we're getting any extra buses to cover the chamges?

[ANDREW]

Not an improvement by my reckoning. First are reducing the frequency of the 144 to two buses an hour - reportedly to increase reliability and timekeeping . . . . . . . . .