Re: "along the Salt Road" !
Posted: 10:01 Thursday 9th January 2020
I remember this option or similar being talked about a lot a few years back when Bromsgrove Station had it's big upgrade work. I've no idea why it never went ahead.
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Re: "along the Salt Road" !
Posted: 12:46 Thursday 9th January 2020
Maybe First were worried people would transfer onto the train (presumably faster into town, thus not travel with them into B'ham. However since they've cut that part of the route it would seem very logical!
Re: "along the Salt Road" !
Posted: 13:59 Thursday 9th January 2020
It may be because of the services already using the Bromsgrove Railway station stop;
Diamond 42, hourly each way between Redditch and Kidderminster.
Diamond 43, hourly each way between Bromsgrove Hospital and Redditch.
Diamond 145/145A, every hour between Rubery/Longbridge and Wychbold or Droitwich.
Kevs 147, to and from Halesowen nominally two hourly four times per day.
Kevs 318, to and from Stourbridge nominally two hourly four times per day.
The station has a substantial car park which seems to be well used now; not surprising as there is a twenty minute frequency service to and from New Street since completion of electrification, plus hourly train in both directions between New Street, Worcester, Malvern and Hereford.
Whenever I have used the 144/144A recently around lunchtime it has always seemed busy between Bromsgrove and Worcester picking up and dropping off en route, with near full seated load on the approaches to Worcester. Is this the norm throughout the day, and why is this not repeated on the Catshill to Birmingham section?
Diamond 42, hourly each way between Redditch and Kidderminster.
Diamond 43, hourly each way between Bromsgrove Hospital and Redditch.
Diamond 145/145A, every hour between Rubery/Longbridge and Wychbold or Droitwich.
Kevs 147, to and from Halesowen nominally two hourly four times per day.
Kevs 318, to and from Stourbridge nominally two hourly four times per day.
The station has a substantial car park which seems to be well used now; not surprising as there is a twenty minute frequency service to and from New Street since completion of electrification, plus hourly train in both directions between New Street, Worcester, Malvern and Hereford.
Whenever I have used the 144/144A recently around lunchtime it has always seemed busy between Bromsgrove and Worcester picking up and dropping off en route, with near full seated load on the approaches to Worcester. Is this the norm throughout the day, and why is this not repeated on the Catshill to Birmingham section?
Re: "along the Salt Road" !
Posted: 19:26 Thursday 9th January 2020
Whilst waiting for my wife near a local hairdresser in Aston Fields near to the railway station, I often see the buses going to and from the station and am pleasantly surprised by their frequency. However, I have to say that many are very lightly loaded and for quite a few, the deviation is unnecessary as there are no passengers for them either to drop or collect. I'm not sure how long some will survive although I tend not to see it at peak times when I assume they would be busier.TimBrown wrote: ↑13:59 Thursday 9th January 2020It may be because of the services already using the Bromsgrove Railway station stop;
Diamond 42, hourly each way between Redditch and Kidderminster.
Diamond 43, hourly each way between Bromsgrove Hospital and Redditch.
Diamond 145/145A, every hour between Rubery/Longbridge and Wychbold or Droitwich.
Kevs 147, to and from Halesowen nominally two hourly four times per day.
Kevs 318, to and from Stourbridge nominally two hourly four times per day.
The station has a substantial car park which seems to be well used now; not surprising as there is a twenty minute frequency service to and from New Street since completion of electrification, plus hourly train in both directions between New Street, Worcester, Malvern and Hereford.
Whenever I have used the 144/144A recently around lunchtime it has always seemed busy between Bromsgrove and Worcester picking up and dropping off en route, with near full seated load on the approaches to Worcester. Is this the norm throughout the day, and why is this not repeated on the Catshill to Birmingham section?
I agree with Tim about the car park which is now pretty full. In fact, early in December I had an appointment at lunchtime in Brum and decided I would go by train. However the car park was completely full (except for half a dozen disabled spaces) so I couldn't park there and as I didn't have time to investigate the 144 as an alternative had to drive into Birmingham where it cost me £11 to park!
Re: "along the Salt Road" !
Posted: 13:12 Monday 13th January 2020
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-b ... m-51088499
Further opportunities for enterprising bus operators in the Bromsgrove / Rubery / Longbridge area ???
Further opportunities for enterprising bus operators in the Bromsgrove / Rubery / Longbridge area ???
Re: "along the Salt Road" !
Posted: 08:54 Tuesday 14th January 2020
Perhaps First should reconsider the planned reduction of 144 to hourly from Bromsgrove to Birmingham in the light of proposed 'car free' central Birmingham zone and attempts at getting commuters back on to public transport. How about a 15 minute 144 / 144A frequency throughout between Worcester and Birmingham?DD12 wrote: ↑13:12 Monday 13th January 2020https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-b ... m-51088499
Further opportunities for enterprising bus operators in the Bromsgrove / Rubery / Longbridge area ???
Re: "along the Salt Road" !
Posted: 18:28 Wednesday 22nd January 2020
The figures 30 that denote the current frequency between Bromsgrove and Birmingham have been removed from some Salt Road vehicles.
Re: "along the Salt Road" !
Posted: 18:35 Wednesday 22nd January 2020
Oh , and new timetables for the north and south departures in Bromsgrove bus station , interestingly , the bus to Brum does not run every hour , sometimes it is over an hour gap and sometimes it is less than an hour ? ! ? I know absolutely zero about scheduling and composing time tables but would it not have been possible for the hourly bus to depart at the same minutes past every hour ?? 
Re: "along the Salt Road" !
Posted: 21:14 Wednesday 22nd January 2020
I too noticed that the M-F departure times from Brum vary throughout the day, - which is disappointing, but (without rechecking) I believe the time needed for the round trip from Worcester also varies throughout the day, and don't bus operators have to be able to book their desired time slots at central B'ham bus stops ??ANDREW wrote: ↑18:35 Wednesday 22nd January 2020Oh , and new timetables for the north and south departures in Bromsgrove bus station , interestingly , the bus to Brum does not run every hour , sometimes it is over an hour gap and sometimes it is less than an hour ? ! ? I know absolutely zero about scheduling and composing time tables but would it not have been possible for the hourly bus to depart at the same minutes past every hour ??
Re: "along the Salt Road" !
Posted: 21:34 Wednesday 22nd January 2020
It looks like they have done what they can to stay as close to hourly as possible, whilst keeping a consistent headway from Worcester to Bromsgrove (except at school time) and allowing for what must be very different running times around Birmingham during the peak compared to off peak. You're not going to get anything better from a low frequency bus operated from the other end of the route!