Midland “Red”
BMMO and MROC

Service 50: Service History

Service 50 (1915–1925)

Operated by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited

On Saturday 30th October 1915, Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) introduced Service 50. Initially this service ran between Worcester, Callow End, Hanley Castle, Upton-upon-Severn, Longdon and Tewkesbury, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays only, with the service extended in May 1920 to serve Bredon and Overbury on certain journeys.

From Saturday 9th July 1921, Service 50 was re-routed with most journeys now starting and finishing in Great Malvern, instead of Worcester. This became Malvern's first bus link with Tewkesbury, but journeys on Mondays were withdrawn later that year. Short-working journeys between Worcester and The Old Hills only were operated on all days except Sundays.

Service 50A and Service 50B were introduced as variations. Service 50A ran over the same route as Service 50 between Worcester and Hanley Castle, and then to Hanley Swan and Welland, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Service 50B ran between Worcester and Tewkesbury, via Kempsey and Upton-upon-Severn, on all days except Tuesdays and Thursdays.

On Saturday 16th May 1925, Service 50 was renumbered to Service 268 in an effort to give more numbering room in BMMO's rapidly expanding network, and additional journeys were introduced on Sundays between Malvern and Tewkesbury only. On Saturday 1st May 1926, Service 268 started to operate on Mondays too, with all journeys now standardised to run only between Great Malvern, Upton-upon-Seven and Tewkesbury.

In 1928, Service 268 was again renumbered, this time to Service 364. With this new route number, the route was operated until the closure of Malvern depot in October 1976.

Route Summary

  • Oct 1915–May 1920
  • Worcester
  • Callow End
  • The Rhydd
  • Hanley Castle
  • Upton-upon-Severn
  • Queen Hill
  • Longdon
  • Long Green
  • Tewkesbury
  • May 1920–Jul 1921
  • Worcester
  • Callow End
  • The Rhydd
  • Hanley Castle
  • Upton-upon-Severn
  • Queen Hill
  • Longdon
  • Long Green
  • Tewkesbury
  • Bredon
  • Overbury
  • Jul 1921–May 1925
  • Great Malvern 1
  • Barnards Green 1
  • Guarlford1
  • The Rhydd
  • Hanley Castle
  • Upton-upon-Severn
  • Queen Hill
  • Longdon
  • Long Green
  • Tewkesbury
  • Bredon
  • Overbury

1  Morning and evening journeys (where the bus ran out or back to the depot) started or finished at Worcester, running via Callow End between The Rhydd and Worcester.

50

Timetable Archive

August1924Worcester ↔ Upton-upon-Severn ↔ Tewkesbury ↔ OverburyWithdrawn May 1925