West Midlands bus routes 301 and 302

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Walsall - Bloxwich
Routes
301 Walsall - Mossley
302 Walsall - Lower Farm
Via: Bloxwich
Operation
Operator(s): National Express West Midlands
Diamond Bus
Previous Operator(s) A2Z Travel
Choice Travel
Vehicles: Volvo B7RLE
Scania OmniLink
VDL SB120


National Express West Midlands & Diamond Bus Route 301 and National Express West Midlands Route 302 are two major bus routes in the Walsall area of the West Midlands, England. The two services follow the same route from Walsall into Bloxwich Town Centre, where they split to head to their local terminus estates.[1] [2]

Present

301

Currently National Express West Midlands operates the 301 to a steady 6 minute frequency between Walsall and Mossley on Mondays - Saturdays. Diamond Bus also operate on the 301 route, at more rounded departure times of every 10 minutes.[3]

During evenings National Express West Midlands operate the 301 at a twenty-minute frequency, with Diamond Bus also providing a regular services.

On a Sunday the service operates at a 10-minute frequency until 6pm, then a 20 minute one for the duration of the day, with additional journeys by Diamond Bus.

The 301 faces no competition for passengers travelling to or from Mossley, but faces competition from the 302 & Arriva Midlands Service 1 (to Cannock) along the Walsall/Bloxwich Corridor.

On 3rd October 2015, the 301 route was used by National Express West Midlands for the Volvo B10L, Volvo B6, Mercades 0405N and Optare Spectra farewell day.

302

National Express West Midlands was the sole operator of the service, but recently in 2014 Diamond Bus started services on the route.[4] NXWM operate Monday - Saturday at a twelve-minute frequency and Sunday to a steady frequency of every 20 minutes in the day time and late evenings every 30 minutes.[5]

The 302 serves the busy Walsall/Bloxwich Corridor, which is also served by NXWM & Diamond service 301 and Arriva Midlands route 1. Travel A2Z no longer operate the route after being taken over by Rotala who own Diamond Bus.

Whilst during Evenings and Sundays the 301 continues to operate for services to Bloxwich, journeys to Lower Farm are on NXWM services 361 (Via Pelsall) and 373 (Via Harden).[6]

History

301

In the late 1990s National Express West Midlands (Then Travel West Midlands) and Choice Travel both operated bus routes between Walsall and Mossley. The routes of these services differed only by one street and were numbered 301 and 171 respectively.[7]

Choice Travel had proposed to the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (Centro), that the two routes became one of the first few Showcase Bus Routes in the West Midlands. Centro agreed to this and from 1998 the two services became showcased.[8]

This was the only jointly operated showcased service in the area, with each operator including the other on its timetables. For the new improved routes and timetables, Choice Travel purchased some brand new Optare Excel buses, whilst Travel West Midlands opted to use some of its already ordered Volvo B10Ls with Wright Liberator bodywork. These low floor buses both had their own unique route branding and replaced 20-year-old step entrance buses on both routes.[9]

The partnership ran successfully for 8 years until April 2006, when Choice Travel were taken over by D&G Buses. When vehicles began to be repainted into a blue and cream mixture, and the previously 171 branding on the 'yellow and green buses' was ditched. D&G buses then used a variety of vehicles in a mix-match of colours on the route. Travel West Midlands, also ditched the branding on the 301, but still often used Volvo B10Ls were possible.

In 2007, the route worsened further, with the introduction of a new operator, A2Z Travel. Running at the same time as a 171 or TWM 301, the A2Z 301 was operated by a variety of buses, more commonly than not, non-low floor vehicles. This led to the route being over operated and many drivers racing each other for passengers.[10]

Later in 2007, Travel West Midlands transferred all of its Volvo B10Ls onto the 377 route following a new Centro partnership and as such the 301 had no set allocation.

In early 2008, Choice Travel gave up on the route and withdrew the 171 route. A2Z Travel also throughout the year gradually readjusted their schedule, so that not all buses are due to leave at exactly the same time as National Express West Midlands departures.

In mid-2008, A2Z Travel withdrew evening and Sundays operations and also adjusted the weekday frequency to a steady 10-minute service. Although some buses still depart at the same time as NXWM ones, the new timetabling has led to less racing for passengers.

From 1 April 2009, following A2Z Travel's licence revoking the previous day, Diamond Bus entered the 301 route as a direct replacement, starting by operating a free service for the first two weeks.[11]

From June 2009, brand new Scania OmniLinks are being used on the 301 route.

In the summer of 2009, Diamond Bus introduce a £2 day-return fare on the 301 route, something which in November 2009 National Express West Midlands copied, one week before they reduced the frequency from every 5, to every 6 minutes on the route.[12]

From the end of February 2010, Diamond Bus introduced a Sunday service on the route.[13]

302

The origin of service 302 goes back to 31 December 1962 when Walsall Corporation introduced a new trolleybus service as an extension of existing journeys operating between Walsall and Bloxwich. At this time the service number was 32. The service passed to West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive on 1 October 1969 and became fully motorbus operated from 3 October 1970. It was renumbered 332 when converted to one man operation in the mid-1970s, and totally withdrawn after 25 October 1986 being then replaced by circular services 372 and 373 which generally then ran at a 15 minute frequency on each route daytime Monday to Saturday and 30 minute frequency on each route at other times.[14]

  • 1999 - NXWM (then Travel West Midlands) operates the 302 at a twelve-minute frequency during Monday - Saturday daytime and half hourly on Evenings and on Sundays. The 372/3 do not run.[15]
  • 2001 - The 302 is split into two routes, the 302A and 302C. Both services follow the same route from Walsall to Bloxwich. The 302A then circles the Lower Farm Estate by travelling from High Street onto Lichfield Street then Stoney Lane, Buxton Road, Sanstone Road and Stafford Road back onto High Street. The 302C circles the estate via the reverse of the above route. These two services run to a combined 12 minute frequency. The evening journeys are now back to the old 372 and 373 routes. The 372 follows the same route as the 302A/C to Bloxwich before travelling through Lower Farm, Blakenall Heath, Harden, Coalpool and Ryecroft before travelling through to Walsall. The 373 ran the reverse of the above. Both services ran to a thirty-minute Evening and Sunday frequency.[16]
  • July 2007 - NXWM again resimplify journeys on the 302A/C, so that they now terminate as in 1999. The service is renumbered 302 and runs at a twelve-minute daytime frequency.[17]
  • 2007 - A2Z Travel start operating on the 302 at a twelve-minute frequency. The service operates every 12 minutes, linked to give a combined 6 minute frequency with NXWM services. The service, despite being numbered the 302, is in fact the 302A.
  • Early 2008 - A2Z Travel reduce the frequency on the 302, so that it now runs every 20 minutes. Additionally, the 372 was withdrawn and the 373 adjusted to terminate at Bloxwich, before heading back as a 372 to Walsall. Both services were renumbered service 373. This stopped a quick evening and weekend link between Walsall and Lower Farm. The 373 runs every 30 minutes.
  • Mid 2008 - A2Z Travel adjust their timetable, so that 3 buses still leave an hour but at irregular frequencies.
  • October 2008 - A2Z Travel withdraw completely off the 302.[18]
  • June 2009 - National Express West Midlands start using two-year-old Volvo B7RLEs on the 302.
  • July 2009 - National Express West Midlands increase the Saturday afternoon frequency to every 10 minutes.[19]
  • Late 2014 - Diamond Bus start operating on the route to a 12 minuets frequency timetable. This makes services between Lower Farm and Walsall now every 6 minuets. [20]

Incidents

  • The 301 is a service that was one of National Express West Midlands first showcase routes, known as the 'superline'.
  • In 2003, a driver on the 301 service died, following a collision with a lorry. The bus involved was a MCW Metrobus (which was later scrapped). This at the time was an extremely rare working.

Route

301

  • Walsall
  • Walsall Magistrates Court
  • NXWM Walsall Depot
  • Leamore
  • Bloxwich Leisure Centre
  • Bloxwich High Street
  • Mossley

302

  • Walsall
  • Walsall Magistrates Court
  • NXWM Walsall Depot
  • Leamore
  • Bloxwich Leisure Centre
  • Bloxwich High Street
  • Lower Farm

References

  1. ↑ National Express West Midlands, http://nxbus.co.uk/routes/west-midlands/B301/?timetable[day]=&tab=#service_timetable_tab
  2. ↑ National Express West Midlands, http://nxbus.co.uk/routes/west-midlands/B302/?timetable[day]=monday_-_friday&timetable[direction]=Walsall+-+Lower+Farm+via+Leamore%2C+Bloxwich&tab=#service_timetable_tab
  3. ↑ West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive, http://jp.networkwestmidlands.com/centro/XSLT_SELTT_REQUEST?sessionID=0&requestID=0&language=en&anySigWhenPerfectNoOtherMatches=1&locationServerActive=1&stateless=1&locationInfoActive=1&coordListOutputFormat=string&coordOutputFormatTail=0&privateTransport=1&privateTransport=2&hideBannerInfo=1&convertStopsPTKernel2LocationServer=1&convertAddressesITKernel2LocationServer=1&convertCoord2LocationServer=1&convertCrossingsITKernel2LocationServer=1&convertPOIsITKernel2LocationServer=1&w_regPrefAl=6&coordOutputFormat=MRCV&mergeDir=1&deleteAllLines=1&selTTODVActice=1&selTTLineByNameActice=1&selTTAllOperators=1&mergeOpName=1&useAllStops=1&outputFormat=0&excludedMeans=checkbox&exclMOT_0=1&exclMOT_4=1&lineName=301&type_seltt=any&typeInfo_seltt=invalid&useHouseNumberList_seltt=1&nameState_seltt=empty&nameInfo_seltt=invalid&itdLPxx_nameText_seltt=City%2C+Town%2C+Postcode%2C+Address%2C+Station%2C+Airport+or+Place+of+Interest&nameDefaultText_seltt=City%2C+Town%2C+Postcode%2C+Address%2C+Station%2C+Airport+or+Place+of+Interest&name_seltt=Walsall&anyObjFilter_seltt=0&opName=
  4. ↑ http://jp.networkwestmidlands.com/centro/XSLT_SELTT_REQUEST?sessionID=CEN_EFA03_3538464410&requestID=1&language=en&anySigWhenPerfectNoOtherMatches=1&locationServerActive=1&stateless=1&locationInfoActive=1&coordListOutputFormat=string&coordOutputFormatTail=0&privateTransport=1&privateTransport=2&hideBannerInfo=1&convertStopsPTKernel2LocationServer=1&convertAddressesITKernel2LocationServer=1&convertCoord2LocationServer=1&convertCrossingsITKernel2LocationServer=1&convertPOIsITKernel2LocationServer=1&w_regPrefAl=6&coordOutputFormat=MRCV&mergeDir=1&deleteAllLines=1&selTTODVActice=1&selTTLineByNameActice=1&selTTAllOperators=1&mergeOpName=1&useAllStops=1&outputFormat=0&excludedMeans=checkbox&exclMOT_0=1&exclMOT_4=1&lineName=302&type_seltt=any&typeInfo_seltt=invalid&useHouseNumberList_seltt=1&nameState_seltt=empty&nameInfo_seltt=invalid&itdLPxx_nameText_seltt=City%2C+Town%2C+Postcode%2C+Address%2C+Station%2C+Airport+or+Place+of+Interest&nameDefaultText_seltt=City%2C+Town%2C+Postcode%2C+Address%2C+Station%2C+Airport+or+Place+of+Interest&name_seltt=bloxwich&anyObjFilter_seltt=0&opName=&itdLPxx_direction=H&itdLPxx_direction=H&itdLPxx_direction=H&itdLPxx_direction=H&itdLPxx_direction=H&itdLPxx_direction=H&itdLPxx_direction=H&itdLPxx_direction=H&itdLPxx_direction=H&itdLPxx_direction=H&itdLPxx_direction=H&itdLPxx_direction=H
  5. ↑ http://nxbus.co.uk/routes/west-midlands/B302/?timetable[day]=monday_-_friday&timetable[direction]=Walsall+-+Lower+Farm+via+Leamore%2C+Bloxwich&tab=#service_timetable_tab
  6. ↑ West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive,http://jp.networkwestmidlands.com/centro/XSLT_SELTT_REQUEST?sessionID=CEN_EFA03_794104057&requestID=1&language=en&anySigWhenPerfectNoOtherMatches=1&locationServerActive=1&stateless=1&locationInfoActive=1&coordListOutputFormat=string&coordOutputFormatTail=0&privateTransport=1&privateTransport=2&hideBannerInfo=1&coordOutputFormat=MRCV&mergeDir=1&deleteAllLines=1&selTTODVActice=1&selTTLineByNameActice=1&selTTAllOperators=1&mergeOpName=1&useAllStops=1&outputFormat=0&excludedMeans=checkbox&exclMOT_0=1&exclMOT_4=1&lineName=302&itdLPxx_seltt=-220853%3A5093349&opName=&itdLPxx_direction=H&itdLPxx_direction=H
  7. ↑ National Express West Midlands, operations of routes 301 and 171 in the 1990s
  8. ↑ West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive, showcasing of routes in the late 1990s
  9. ↑ National Express West Midlands, buses used on bus route 301 in the 1990s
  10. ↑ Centro, bus operators of route 301 in 2007
  11. ↑ Diamond Bus, take over of some services of route 301 in 2009
  12. ↑ Diamond Bus, route revive of route 301 in 2009
  13. ↑ Diamond Bus, installation of Sunday service on route 30 in 2010
  14. ↑ Centro, operations of route 302
  15. ↑ National Express West Midlands, timetable of route 302 in 1999
  16. ↑ Centro, route reviews and area reviews of route 302
  17. ↑ National Express West Midlands, route review of route 302 in 2207
  18. ↑ West Midlands Transport Executive, A2Z Travel removal of its bus service from route 302
  19. ↑ National Express West Midlands, route review and timetable review of route 302 in 2009
  20. ↑ http://diamondbuses.com/services/WestMidlands_5/302-LowerFarmtoWalsall_378.html

External links

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