West Midlands bus routes 301 and 302

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.

Present

301

Currently National Express West Midlands operates the 301 at slightly random intervals, ranging from every 9 minutes to every 4 minutes, between Walsall and Mossley on Mondays - Saturdays. The frequencys are derived from when the route was conjoined with Choice Travel Service 171, giving a combined extremely regular frequency. Diamond Bus also operate on the 301 route, at more rounded departure times of every 10 minutes.

During evenings National Express West Midlands operate the 301 at a twenty minute frequency. Diamond Bus do not operate evening services.

On a Sunday National Express West Midlands are the sole operator all day, running the service at a 10 minute frequency until 6pm, then a 20 minute one for the duration of the day.

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.

302

Currently, National Express West Midlands is the sole operater of the service from Monday - Saturday at a twelve minute frequency.

The 302 serves the busy Walsall/Bloxwich Corridor, which is also served by NXWM & A2Z Travel service 301 and Arriva Midlands route 1.

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).

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.

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.

This was (and still is) 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.

The partnership ran successfully for a number of years until 2006. Choice Travel were taken over by D&G Buses, and began repainting their previously yellow and green buses into a blue and cream mixture and started using a variety of buses in a mix-match of colours on the route. Travel West Midlands had 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 would be operated by a variety of buses, more commonly than not, non-low floor. This lead to the route being over operated, and many drivers racing each other for passengers.

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. A2Z Travel also throughout the year gradually readjusted their timetable on the service, so that not all buses are due to leave at exactly the same time as NXWM ones.

In mid-2008, A2Z Travel stopped operating the 301 on evenings and Sundays, 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 lead to less racing for passengers.

From the 1st April 2009, and following A2Z Travels licence revoking the previous day, Diamond Bus enter the route as a direct replacement, starting by operating a free service for the first two weeks.

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 1970's, 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.

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• July 2009 - National Express West Midlands increase the Saturday afternoon frequency to every 10 minutes.

Future

Within the next few weeks (most likely this coming Monday), Scania OmniLinks will enter service on the 301. These buses are also entering service on the 311/3, and the three-year-old Volvo B7RLEs on these routes will therefore be displaced and operate on the 302 route.

These allocation alterations will replace ten-year-old Volvo B6LEs on both routes, which will continue in service on other Walsall bus routes.

It is also known that from July 26th 2009, a timetable alteration is taking place on the 302 route, which will see the Saturday timetable increased to every 10 minutes during the afternoon.

Trivia

The 301 is a service that was one of National Express West Midlands first showcase routes, known as the 'superline'.

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