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Template:Infobox UK Bus Corridor The Bristol Road bus corridor are a group of bus routes in the West Midlands, United Kingdom operating along the Bristol Road. The 20, 20A, 61, 63 andX21 (also known as the Bristol Road services) offer a high combined daytime frequency along this corridor. All services all serve the areas of Lee Bank, Edgbaston, Bournbrook, Selly Oak and Northfield before service 61 goes off to Frankley with services 20, 20A and 63 serving Longbridge before going to their respective termini. The West Midlands Transport Plan 2000 refers to the corridor as "Corridor G".[1]

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Current routes[]

Number From To Via Current operator Image
20 Queen Elizabeth Hospital Bromsgrove Selly Oak, Northfield, Longbridge, Rubery, Catshill and Sidemoor National Express West Midlands
20A Queen Elizabeth Hospital Cofton Hackett Selly Oak, Northfield, Longbridge and Rednal National Express West Midlands File:National Express West Midlands 4063 V63 MOA.JPG
61 Birmingham Frankley Selly Oak, Northfield and Allen’s Cross National Express West Midlands First Midland Red 67658
63 Birmingham Frankley Selly Oak, Northfield, Longbridge and Rubery National Express West Midlands
X21 Birmingham Bartley Green QE Hospital/University, Selly Oak and Weoley Castle National Express West Midlands

Other Notable Routes which use part of the Bristol Road or Interchange with the Bristol Road Services outside of the City Centre.

Corridor history[]

In 2002, the service was given Dennis Tridents which were branded for this route, naming it the "Jubilee" line. However since then all these vehicles have transferred to Yardley Wood depot. As a result, it is very common to see any type of vehicle found at Birmingham Central depot, including Volvo B7TLs or Dennis Tridents.

Former routes[]

Number From To Via Current Operator
1 Five Ways Acocks Green Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Moseley, Springfield and Acocks Green National Express West Midlands

Crosses the Bristol Road in Edgbaston and the Priory Road Crossroads.

11 Acocks Green Acocks Green Kings Heath, Cotteridge, Selly Oak, Harborne, Bearwood, Winson Green, Perry Barr, Ward End, Yardley National Express West Midlands

Birmingham Outer Circle Route meets the Bristol Road at Selly Oak

18 Yardley Wood Bartley Green Alcester Lanes End, Kings Norton, Cotteridge, Northfield, and Bangham Pit National Express West Midlands

Uses the Bristol Road through Northfield Centre

27 Maypole Cofton Hackett Yardley Wood, Kings Heath, Bournville, Northfield, Frankley, Rubery and Longbridge National Express West Midlands

Uses the Bristol Road in Northfield Centre

48 West Bromwich Weoley Castle Londonderry, Bearwood, Harborne, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Selly Oak, Bournville, Cotteridge, Kings Norton, Hawkesley, West Heath and Northfield National Express West Midlands

Uses the Bristol Road through Northfield Centre and between Northfield and QE Hospital.

Uses the Bristol Road through Northfield Centre and between Rubery and Longbridge.

76 Solihull Northfield Shirley, Yardley Wood, Kings Heath, Selly Oak, QE Hospital, Harborne, California, Weoley Castle and Shenley Fields National Express West Midlands

Uses the Bristol Road between Bournbrook and Selly Oak.

Number From To Via Current Operator Image
62A Birmingham Rednal Lee Bank, Selly Oak, Northfield National Express West Midlands

This route was operated by Travel West Midlands weekday peak time only. This route followed the 62 out of Birmingham, through Selly Oak, Northfield and to Longbridge traffic island. From here the 62A bus route used to run as far as Lickey Road, then turning onto Low Hill lane, Groveley Lane, circling the traffic island to join Lickey Road from the top end and traveling as far as the Old Hair and Hounds Pub. This route consisted of a 40 minute frequency at peak times with the interlinking journeys being 62 journeys.

A6Y C6Y Birmingham Birmingham Lee Bank, Selly Oak, Longbridge, Northfield Travel Your Bus

This route was operated by Travel Your Bus Monday - Saturday daytime. This route was a circle route which followed the service along Pershore Road, Lee Bank Pebble Mill and onto the Bristol Road where it the service would service Selly Oak, Weoley Castle, Northfield and Longbridge. Service was withdrawn when the company was absorbed into the main Travel West Midlands networks.

63A Birmingham Rubery (Great Park) Lee Bank, Selly Oak, Northfield, Rednal National Express West Midlands

This route was operated by Travel West Midlands on a Sunday evening. The 63A ran at every 30 minute intervals from 6pm until the last departures at midnight (00:00). This variant ran from The Great Park though Rubery onto the Bristol Road South to the Bristol Road South traffic island at Longbridge, turning onto Lickey Road to via Rednal before circling the traffic island and then continuing back on itself to Longbridge island and then following Bristol Road South and Bristol Road into the City Centre. Served the following areas: Northfield, Selly Oak, Edgbaston and Lee Bank.

64 Birmingham Bromsgrove Lee Bank, Selly Oak, Northfield, Rubery, Catshill Diamond Bus

This route was operated by Diamond Bus in competition with First Midland Red on services 143 and 144 and was introduced when First Midland Red diverted the 144 route away from Lickey End. The 64 served the following areas: Birmingham, Lee Bank, Selly Oak, Northfield, Longbridge, Rubery, Marlbrook and Bromsgrove.

142 Birmingham Worcester Lee Bank, Selly Oak, Northfield, Rubery, Catshill, Bromsgrove, Droitwich First

A Midland Red 142 service was operated along this corridor, on roughly the same route as the 144, though never more than a handful of journeys. On 18 April 2004 this service was withdrawn.[2]

145 1499, 149A, 149M, 149X Erdington and Birmingham Bromsgrove Selly Oak, Cotteridge, Longbridge, Barnt Green South Birmingham

These routes were operated by a company called 'Travel South Birmingham' Most services ran weekday peak times, with the exception of the service 145 journeys.

According to the centro guide these services ran from Erdington in North East Birmingham though Gravelly Hill, Aston Expressway into Birmingham City Centre then via Bristol Road; Selly Oak, Northfield and Longbridge. Services started in Birmingham and followed the 62 out of Birmingham, though Selly Oak, Cotteridge and to Longbridge traffic island. Service 145 ran via Pebble Mill Road past the old BBC Birmingham. This service ran hourly and also ran Saturday's. From here services split, with 149X bus route used to run as far as Lickey Road, then continue to the traffic island at Rose Hill turning onto Rose Hill and Twatling Road, Linthurst Road, Spirehouse Lane into Blackwell, Alcester Road into Lickey End, Birmingham Road and Market Street to Bromsgrove Bus Station. Where Service 149M and 149A ran via Barnt Green Kendal End Road before splitting off on their own line of route. Service 149M (via Fiery Hill Road, then Linthurst Road) Where service 149A via (Hawell Road, Blackwell Road, Linthust Newtown, Green Hill and Alcester Road) then as 149 route to Bromsgrove Bus Station The frequencies on these services at peak times ran irregular, however accordung to the Centro Guide the services ran every 30 minutes on the main sections of the route (Birmingham - Rednal and Licky End - Bromsgrove) with vehcales interlinking between the three routes.

Today most of the original bus stops are still in place on road however, with funding cuts to services along with the fact that services are partly covered in other ways these services have never been looked at for any replacement.

Service 145 exist but only runs from Bromsgrove to Longbrige College. This service is now operated by Fist who took over the operations from Rotala (Zak's) when they had taken over in 2008. This service is tended and operates on behalf of Worcestershire Council.

NOTE: 'Travel South Birmingham' ceased to exist after June 2004, to this day few people know what happened to the company, but it was known that one of the manger directors of Travel Your Bus had something to do with these service operations.

964 Birmingham Longbridge Lee Bank, Selly Oak, Northfield National Express West Midlands

Until 25 February 2007, Travel West Midlands operated a limited stop express service numbered 964 as far as Longbridge, but was withdrawn on this date.

Smaller operators[]

Many smaller operators have operated a handful of journeys on the 61, 62 and 63 routes, these include:

  • Bull Ring Travel - 61 (Withdrawn 14 October 2007 due to having their licence terminated)
  • Travel Express - 62 and 63
  • A Line/Goldenline - 61 and 63
  • S T Buses - 63 (Withdrawn 18 May 2008)

Operation by trams[]

Until July 1952, most of the services along this corridor were operated by trams.[3] Initially they operated between the city centre and Selly Oak, though in the 1920s this was extended to Rednal and Rubery,[4] with the Rednal terminus coming into operation on 14 April 1924.[3] A very short section of tram track remains behind the old Rednal terminus building.[5]

References[]

  1. WMLTP: Technical Appendices. Westmidlandsltp.gov.uk.. Retrieved on 2010-07-28.
  2. MidlandRed.net - Services - 142 - accessed 19 February 2009
  3. 3.0 3.1 M D Norton. Notes for Trams - Bristol Road. Photobydjnorton.com. Retrieved on 2010-07-28.
  4. Cotteridge (2010-06-20). Pershore Road trams. Cotteridge.com. Retrieved on 2010-07-28.
  5. Remains of tram track. Rednal Terminus - The Lickeys:: OS grid SO9976 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!. Geograph.org.uk (2009-01-09). Retrieved on 2010-07-28.

External links[]

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