West Midlands bus route 331

The 331 was a bus route operating in the Walsall area of the West Midlands, England.

The route linked Walsall with Willenhall via The Manor Hospital, Alumwell, Bentley and Lodge Farm.

The route was operated by National Express West Midlands (then Travel West Midlands) and A2Z Travel.

The service was withdrawn following the end of operation on the 31st March 2009.

History

• 1987 - Midland Red North and Central Coachways both operate service 330 from Walsall Bus Station Bradford Place to Lodge Farm at very regular frequencys via The Manor Hospital & Bentley. This service eventually ended up being operated by West Midlands Travel before being withdrawn altogether between 1994 & 1998 and replaced by the 331/A.
• Pre-1998 - Travel West Midlands operated service 331 between Walsall and Willenhall at a twenty minute frequency. Additionally, they also operated service 331A which followed near enough the same route as the 331, but terminated on the Lodge Farm estate, circuling Stroud Avenue also at a twenty minute frequency. Both services run Monday - Saturday daytime.
• 1999 - Travel West Midlands withdrew its service 331A. The 331s frequency was changed to every 15 minutes.
• 2002 - The early Saturday morning frequency is reduced to half hourly
• 2003 - Travel West Midlands start operating a Monday - Saturday evening service on the 331 at a fifteen minute frequency. The Saturday early morning frequency is increased again to every 15 minutes.
• 2004 - The evening service is withdrawn.
• 2005 - A2Z Travel begin operations on the 331 between Walsall and Willenhall.
• 2005 - Travel West Midlands reduce the frequency on the 331 to every 20 minutes.
• 2006 - Travel West Midlands further reduce the frequency on the 331 to every 30 minutes. Additionally, A2Z Travel withdraw their Saturday journeys on the route.
• January 2007 - A2Z Travel announce plans to withdraw off the 331 from the end of the month. This is because they are to take over Banga Travel services as their licence was revoked from this date. However, at the last minute, Banga decide to appeal and as such can continue operating their services, meaning A2Z Travel continue operating the 331.
• July 2007 - Travel West Midlands significantly alter the 331 route so that it now terminates at Lodge Farm and misses out Alumwell and the Manor Hospital. This service leaves Walsall from Stand J, whereas previously all services to or via Lodge Farm left from Stand P.
• November 2007 - Travel West Midlands withdraw off the 331. As such, A2Z Travel, who had regularly not operated their scheduled services on the route in the past year, began operating when they were supposed to and also reintroduced Saturday bus journeys.
• May 2008 - A2Z Travel withdraw their Saturday services.
• 31 March 2009 - After losing their licence, A2Z Travel withdraw off the 331. The service is one of only three of the companies services not being replaced.

Within the space of ten years the frequency of the route has changed from up to every 10 minutes to not operating at all.

Ironically, the evening and Sunday services alternative for the 331 still operates, this being the 332 service 332 operated by National Express West Midlands. This primarily follows the same route as the 331, but serves extra parts of Bentley and Alumwell and terminates at Lodge Farm.

Future

Following the sudden withdrawal of the route on the 31st March 2009, it was reported in the Express & Star Newspaper on Easter Monday (13 April) 2009, that many people in the Lodge Farm and Short Heath areas of Willenhall, had spoken to their local councillor requesting a replacement for the 331 and 341E routes which had been withdrawn (of the three services not replaced, two served these areas), so they could continue to have public transportation access to the Doctors surgery in Essington (341E) and the Manor Hospital (331). The Councillor said he would be speaking to Centro requesting a replacement to the service.

Route

• Walsall Town Centre
• Manor Hospital
• Alumwell
• Bentley
• Lodge Farm
• Willenhall

Macavity the cat

Macavity was the name given by several Travel West Midlands bus drivers to a white cat which regularly boarded the bus on its own accord to visit a fish and chip shop down the road.

The plain white cat, with one green eye and one blue and whose real name and owners are unknown, would board the 331 along Churchill Road, near to its junction with Kent Road and travel down to the local shops further along the road, which also housed a fish and chip shop.

The cat first boarded the bus unnoticed in January 2007. Drivers then began stopping when they could see the cat waiting, after discovering he was such a good passenger.

The cat was nicknamed Macavity after the mystery cat in T. S. Eliot's poem "Macavity", contained in his Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (Macavity is also a character in CATS the MusicAL).

Commenting on the mysterious cat, one National Express West Midlands driver Bill Khunkhun says:

"As soon as I open the doors he jumps on. He seems to like it. It was quite strange at first but now seems normal. He is the perfect passenger. The only problem is he never pays."

It is unknown whether the cat now uses the A2Z Travel buses following Travel West Midlands withdrawal off the route.