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Service 419: Service History

Service 419 (1932–1936)

Operated by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited

During the early 1930s, Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) operated Service 419 between Hereford and Bartestree. Initially one return journey was operated on Wednesday mornings to supplement a Service 417 journey, as a Hereford Market Day service, but this had been withdrawn by 1935 and replaced by a single early-evening journey to Bartestree.

Service 419 was shown in timetable books as short-working variation to the Service 417 group of services that ran between Worcester, Ledbury, and Hereford. It was still shown as such in the 1938 timetable index, although no journeys were listed.

Service 419 (1946–1972)

Operated by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited

Shortly after the Second World War, Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) reused the route number 419 for a new short-working variation of Service 417. This version of Service 419 was a Ledbury market-day service running one return journey each Tuesday between Coddington Turn, Bosbury and Ledbury.

The Service 419 route was extended in the late 1940s (by October 1949) to start and finish at Cradley School, and from 1954 was operated using a vehicle from Malvern depot that arrived in Cradley each morning on a school service. This vehicle would operate between Cradley and Ledbury on Service 419 and short-working Service 417 journeys before returning to Malvern on the afternoon Cradley school journey.

Service 419 was withdrawn as part of a number of cuts made on Saturday 7^th October 1972, and replaced by diverting certain Service 417 journeys to run via Coddington Turn on Tuesdays.

Service 419 (1978–1980)

Operated by Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited

From c. March 1978 to Thursday 28^th August 1980, Service 419 was operated by Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited (MROC) between Bromyard, Tedstone Wafre and Clifton Upon Teme, as part of their Hereford area “Wandaward” MAP scheme. The service provided two return journeys on Thursdays only, for Market Day in Bromyard.

This service partly replaced Service 427, which had historically operated journeys over this route on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Service 419 (1980–1981)

Operated by Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited

A new Service 419 was introduced by Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited (MROC) on Saturday 30^th August 1980, as part of revisions to the Hereford area “Wandaward” MAP scheme. The route was a variation of Service 420 linking Worcester, Bromyard, and Hereford. The majority of the route was the same as Service 420 but ran via Newtown, Shucknall, and Whitestone from Burley Gate to Withington, and the direct to Hereford.

At the end of operations on Saturday 5^th September 1981, Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited (MROC) ceased trading as a bus and coach operator. Five new companies were created to take over operations with Midland Red (West) Limited assuming control of both Hereford depot and Worcester depot, and with them operation of Service 419 and Service 420.

Service 419 (1981–1986)

Operated by Midland Red (West) Limited

Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited (MROC) ceased trading as a bus and coach operator at the end of operations on Saturday 5^th September 1981, and all bus services and the resources to operate them were divided among four newly formed companies. Both Hereford depot and Worcester depot passed to Midland Red (West) Limited, so the operation of Service 419 and Service 420 was assumed by that company when it started trading on the following day.

Initially, the timetable was unchanged from that operated by Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited (MROC). All journeys ran direct between Worcester and Broadwas along the Bromyard Road, but from Saturday 20^th March 1982 the route changed to run via Bransford Road, Rushwick, and Claphill Lane, and journeys towards Hereford were rerouted to call Angel Place after departing Newport Street Bus Station. At the same time, there were minor changes to the timetable with running times being adjusted.

An early morning short-working journey of Service 419 between Newtown and Hereford was soon withdrawn, but otherwise, the number of journeys remained unchanged until privatisation five years later.

On Monday 22^nd December 1986, the business and operations of Midland Red (West) Limited and Midland Red Coaches Limited were privatised and sold by the National Bus Company (NBC). The two companies were merged to form Midland Red West Limited (without the brackets around the word “West”). Midland Red West Limited continued to operate Service 419 and Service 420 to the same timetable, but it wasn't long before a number of changes were made.

Service 419 (1986–1999)

Operated by Midland Red West Limited

After privatisation, the Worcester, Bromyard, and Hereford group of services underwent a number of changes as the new company experimented with ways to make improvements and keep the corridor profitable. This included a short-lived variation from Saturday 1^st July 1989 to Friday 31^st August 1990, which ran via Alfrick and Bransford between Knightwick and Worcester, as Service 421.

Service 419 (1999–2004)

Operated by First Midland Red Buses Limited

In 1997, Midland Red West Limited had become part of FirstBus, and the company renamed to First Midland Red Buses Limited on Friday 26^th March 1999. Service 419 continued to be operated unchanged by Hereford depot.

In 2004, new rules restricting the maximum length of local bus services to 50 kilometres (approx 31 miles) forced First to shorten the Service 420 route as it was too long, but only by less than a mile. This was done by moving the terminus in Hereford from St Peter's Square (Shire Hall Bus Station) to the Country Bus Station off Commercial Road, and by changing the route at Withington to run via Withies Road, no longer serving Whitestone. The Service 419 variation was too long by several miles so this was withdrawn after the end of operations on Saturday 4^th September 2004.