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Service X91: Service History

Service X91 (1929–1939)

Operated by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited

Service X91 was introduced by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) on Saturday 29^th June 1929, running one return journey daily between Leicester (Western Boulevard) and Great Malvern (Belle Vue Terrace), departing Leicester at 09:15, or 09:30 on Sundays, with a journey time of 4 hours 42 minutes to Great Malvern. The return journey departed Great Malvern at 17:10 and took 4 hours 37 minutes to reach Leicester.

On Saturday 8^th February 1930, Service X91 was extended at the Malvern end to Malvern Wells, Ledbury, and Hereford (St Peter's Square) making it, at around 112 miles, the longest stage carriage bus service (i.e., calling at all stops on the route) in the country.

For the first three years of operation, Service X91 was cut back during the winter months to run only on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with daily service being resumed in the summertime. However, by 1932, winter operation was changed to run on Monday, Saturday and Sunday, and summer operation still ran daily but had an additional journey operated by Hereford depot, so the service ran twice a day in each direction.

In October 1931, Pool Meadow Bus Station was opened in Coventry. Previously all Midland “Red” services had call at Greyfriars Green, but all services were rerouted to take advantage of the new facilities. Service X91 timetables were not updated immediately, but this is more likely an oversight by the timetable publishers than an exception for this route.

For the 1938/9 winter service, from Monday 26^th September 1938 to Sunday 21^st May 1939, the Monday journey was shortened to run only between Leicester and Worcester, with through passengers for The Malverns or Hereford, etc., having to change Service 144 or Service 420, etc.

The 1939 summer service started on Monday 22^nd May 1939, and ran until Saturday 23^rd September 1939. At this time, Service X91, along with many other Midland Red services, was suspended due to fuel rationing introduced shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, three weeks earlier.

Route Summary

¹  For certain Winter Season operations, journeys on Mondays terminate at Worcester and connect with Service 420 to Hereford.

Service X91 (1940)

Operated by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited

Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) reinstated Service X91 for the 1940 summer season from Saturday 13^th July 1940, until Sunday 22^nd September 1940. The route was unchanged from the one operated before the service was suspended in 1939, but unlike previous summer season workings, only one return journey was offered, and only on Saturdays and Sundays.

At the end of the 1940 summer season Service X91 was again suspended, and the service was not operated again until after the end of the war.

Route Summary

Service X91 (1946–1974)

Operated by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited

With the war ended, BMMO started to reinstate services that had been suspended due to fuel rationing in 1939, and Service X91 was one of the first to return, running again from Saturday 1^st June 1946 over the same route as before the war. A separate Summer and Winter timetable was again used, with only one return journey being run during the winter, and an additional return journey, operated by Hereford depot, during the summer. However, unlike the pre-war service, the post-war service ran seven days a week throughout the year. The additional Summer Season journey ran through the year from the early 1950s.

Until the late 1960s, the Service X91 was operated by one crew from Hereford depot and one from Leicester working the whole route, once in each direction. The journey time was 5½ hours each way, with a generous meal break of around 1½ hours at the terminus, making a 12½ hour day for the crews. Today this would be illegal under driving hours regulations, but in days-gone-by, it was quite common for staff to work double shifts so a 12½ hour day would not have been unusual. In around 1969 the workings were changed so crews would set out from Hereford and Leicester and swap buses at Stratford-upon-Avon, with vehicles working the whole route but the crews would return their home depot having worked only half the route. Later, in the mid-1970s, the workings were again changed so that vehicles would return to their home depots and through passengers changed at Stratford-upon-Avon.

Route Summary

Service X91 (1974–1981)

Operated by Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited

On Saturday 19^th October 1974, the Service X91 route was changed between British Camp and Great Malvern to run along Jubilee Drive and Wyche Cutting, and therefore Service X91 no longer served Malvern Wells. It is believed this change was made following requests from passengers.

On Saturday 31^st May 1980, with the introduction of the Leamington & Warwick MAP scheme, Service X91 was shortened to run only between Hereford and Stratford-upon-Avon. The Leicester to Coventry Motorway Express Service X67 was extended to Stratford-upon-Avon to replace the withdrawn section of Service X91 service but, as the X67 followed the M69 motorway, Nuneaton and Hinkley were no longer served.

Three months later, on Saturday 30^th August 1980, Service X91 route was again changed in the Malvern area. At this time it was diverted to run via Colwall between Wyche Cutting and Ledbury, with British Camp no longer being served.

MROC ceased trading as a bus and coach operator at the end of services on Saturday 5^th September 1981. The new formed Midland Red (West) Limited assumed responsibility for Service X91, and operation was continued without change to the timetable. However, with Herefordshire due to become a trial area for deregulation of the bus industry later that month, Service X91 would soon be withdrawn and replaced by new Service X51 that did not cross the boarder into Herefordshire.

On 7^th May 1983, Midland Red (West) Limited introduced a limited stop “Midland Express” service between Birmingham, Kidderminster and Aberystwyth, operating on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays during the summer months only. This service also carried the historic route number X91, but had nothing in common with the original Leicester to Hereford service operated by BMMO.

Route Summary

Service X91 (1981)

Operated by Midland Red (West) Limited

At the formation of the company on Sunday 6^th September 1981, Midland Red (West) Limited took over responsibility for Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited (MROC) stage carriage operations in Gloucestershire, Hereford & Worcester, and Powys. This included the historic Service X91 that had been operated by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) between Leicester, Stratford-upon-Avon, Worcester, and Hereford, since the late 1920s.

In 1974, BMMO had renamed to Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited (MROC), and in August 1980 the Leicester to Stratford-upon-Avon section of the route was withdrawn. It was this shortened version of the route that Midland Red (West) inherited when MROC ceased trading at the end of operation on Saturday 5^th September 1981.

Following the Transport Act of 1980, the country of Herefordshire became a trial area for Deregulation of the bus industry, starting on Monday 21^st September 1981, and as a result bus operators were no longer obligated to run loss making routes and no longer had protection from competition. As a result, Service X91 was withdrawn by Midland Red (West) Limited from that date, after only two weeks of operations.

New Service X51 was introduced from the following day as a partial replacement to Service X91. This only ran between Great Malvern, Worcester, Evesham, and Stratford-upon-Avon, and as thus did not enter into the County of Herefordshire and was was not subject to the new deregulated operating conditions.

Service X91 (1983–1986)

Operated by Midland Red (West) Limited

On Saturday 7^th May 1983, Midland Red (West) Limited introduced a “Midland Express” service between Birmingham, Kidderminster and Aberystwyth, operating on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays during the summer season until Sunday 16^th October 1983, then on Saturdays only during the winter season.

Service X91 operated as a Limited Stop service between Birmingham and Kidderminster, then called at all stops on request between Kidderminster and Aberystwyth. Leyland Leopard coaches operated from Kidderminster depot were used on all journeys.

The 1986 summer season, which ran from Sunday 27^th April 1986, was the last for Service X91 as it was withdrawn at the end of the season on Sunday 28^th September 1986.

Route Summary