MidlandRed.net

Well, at least First acknowledge that the 144 change is a frequency reduction.

Unfortunate to see journey times different on almost every trip, even on Sundays. AI strikes again!

ANDREW wrote: ↑

12:20 Friday 14th March 2025

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 . . . . . . . . .

Some of the peak period services have also been given some extra minutes in both directions between Worcester and Bromsgrove which makes sense as the Faithful City has always been a nightmare to drive into and out of during peak period when the schools are in attendance. Add in a 40 MPH speed limit between Checketts Lane and Rose Bank, a 30 MPH limit throughout Fernhill Heath, a recently imposed 40 MPH limit from Fernhill Heath to Copcut Elm roundabout and it is small wonder time is lost with speed cameras, big brother satnav on the ticket machine and basically nowhere to make up time with a heavy right foot as we used to in the distant past!

Also over the years many additional light controlled pedestrian crossings and traffic lights have been installed along the A38. It looks something like this in the 14 miles between Worcester and Bromsgrove;

Farrier Street Pelican
BUTTS /FOREGATE STREET TRAFFIC LIGHTS
Foregate Street Station Pelican
CASTLE STREET TRAFFIC LIGHTS
'Alice Ottley' Pelican
Grammar School Pelican
St George's Square Pelican
Barbourne Brook Pelican
DROITWICH ROAD / OMBERSLEY ROAD TRAFFIC LIGHTS
St Stephens Church Pelican
Bilford Road Roundabout
CHECKETTS LANE TRAFFIC LIGHTS
'OLD PARK & RIDE SITE' TRAFFIC LIGHTS
HURST LANE FERNHILL HEATH TRAFFIC LIGHTS
Post Office Fernhill Heath Pelican
SWAN INN MARTIN HUSSUNGTREE TRAFFIC LIGHTS
COPCUT ELM TRAFFIC LIGHTS
Copcut Elm Roundabout
Oakland Avenue Droitwich Pelican
TAGWELL ROAD DROITWICH TRAFFIC LIGHTS
Saltway junction Roundabout
ST ANDREWS ROAD TRAFFIC LIGHTS
High Street Pelican
SALTWAY /HANBURY ROAD TRAFFIC LIGHTS
CHATEAU IMPNEY TRAFFIC LIGHTS
M5 Roundabouts
M5 JUNCTION TRAFFIC LIGHTS
CHEQUERS LANE WYCHBOLD TRAFFIC LIGHTS
Webbs Roundabout & internal site congestion
Bromsgrove Bypass Roundabout
Old 'Greyhound' Pelican
Charford Road Roundabout
Hanover Street Bromsgrove Pelican
Kidderminster Road Roundabout
BROMSGROVE BUS STATION EXIT TRAFFIC LIGHTS

(Sorry I am not conversant with the modern Bromsgrove to Catshill situation)

But any one, or all, of the above can cause delays of a couple of minutes and a lot more in some cases, so small wonder that some additional time needed for many journeys. Just a shame that the nominal 20 minute frequency has been lost.

ANDREW wrote: ↑

12:20 Friday 14th March 2025

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 . . . . . . . . .

I just hope this means that every journey can now be double deck operated now. I've already been on several trips on the current TT with single deckers and it's been a bit crowded

Tim

The 44 service has a similar problem - we used to get 19 minutes to get to Malvern Link Co-Op from Newport Street, but now this has been increased to between 23 and 24 minutes, however this includes going into Malvern Link retail park (Safeways, now Morrisons) extra sets of lights or crossings at Bransford Road junction, Malvern road by Pitmaston School, Powick village, Powick Hospital Lane, Worcester road, Malvern (by the household rubbish facility, and Spring Lane. Add to the fact that there is around 65% more traffic on the roads than when we were driving in the 1980s, is it any wonder that drivers are now supplied with lead boots in an effort to keep time. There needs to be a complete overhaul of the times, with a proper check on timings, not relying on the past..

Link to First's Service change announcement... https://www.firstbus.co.uk/worcestershi ... april-2025

From April, it appears to me that the main frequency / interval (Mon-Fri) of the 44, X50, and 144 will all be approx every 30 mins.
I've looked at arrival times (up until 14..20) at Crowngate and the intervals are similar.

Will this make it easier for a controller at Crowngate to "launch" a spare bus and driver onto one of those services when the intended bus and driver is running late or stuck somewhere ?
(That might include "stealing" a bus and driver from a different service, at Crowngate)

Does the introduction of AI scheduling very much help places like Worcester with iit's random, but frequent traffic chaos, but useful central bus station ?


The 44 and the X50 have been interworked for some time now, and I'm wondering if, from April, we will see (on bustimes.org) that the 144 will also be interworked with those two services ?

ALSO, I'm surprised that the 144 hasn't been divided in two, because of frequent delays along the route ( - with driver's eating and toilet facilities at Webbs or somewhere for the northern section).

How many of the 144's passengers boarding in Worcester and Fernhill Heath, travel north of Droitwich ?
- I have long felt that the DROITWICH to Worcester service needs to be a RELIABLE, 20 minute service, with a loop end or circle in Droitwich.

Can anyone support / build on the above opinions ??

Whenever I am in Bromsgrove, there appears to be a lot of folk boarding/departing the 144 to/from the south. Plus a few passengers staying on to go onwards towards/from Catshill.

Where they get on/off, who knows.

If there has been an impact, then it is within the section between Bromsgrove and Catshill, which has NXWM and Kev's (Plus Diamond to a certain degree) on the route. I have noticed this part of the route remains quieter for First since the curtailing of the 144 beyond Catshill.

Good to see the new FirstBus branding on the Park Street bus stops now the 22 timetables have been inserted. Quite surprised anyone still remembers those timetable cases to update them.

Tempts me to use it a bit more than the anaemic enviro 200 that I just missed!

I think they need to update their backing board!

Not "Midland Red" news but I see on the West Midlands Bus Forum that in June there will be an X20 service between Birmingham and Bromsgrove.