Changes to some buses in Wolverhampton city centre are to be introduced on January 29 following passenger requests.
Key among them will be National Express West Midlands cross city service 2 and Wobaston-bound service 6 going into Wolverhampton’s showpiece £25 million bus station.
The changes, which will also address some punctuality problems, are being made following customer comments and an analysis of how the network has been operating after a review of the bus network in the city last July.
They are a result of the partnership between Centro, the region’s transport authority, bus company National Express West Midlands, Wolverhampton City Council and other local bus operators.
Babs Coombes, Black Country area manager for Centro, said the changes were being introduced following passenger feedback but rerouting services into the bus station would be on a trial basis.
“As with all bus network reviews we have monitored the changes to bus services since they were made in July and have listened carefully to passenger feedback,” she said.
“We understand there have been some ongoing concerns about bus station access and punctuality so we have tried to fine-tune the network to address these issues.
“The trial of service 2 will allow us to properly understand whether serving the bus station with cross city routes benefits the majority of passengers.
“We need to closely monitor these changes and make sure that they truly reflect passenger needs and are sustainable in the long term.”
The services changing are:
- Service 1 – Minor timetable changes to improve punctuality, particularly on Sundays.
- Service 2 – National Express re-routing in Wolverhampton city centre to access the bus station.
- Services 5/5A – National Express is adjusting the route in Bilbrook in Staffordshire following local requests and making some minor timetable changes to address punctuality issues.
- Service 6 – National Express rerouting to serve the bus station via Cleveland Street. Wolverhampton City Council has also reconfigured the turning circle at Patshull Avenue, Wobaston, to allow the buses to turn and wait here instead of on Wobaston Road and Vine Island. Once the i54 development is open then the 6 will serve the dedicated bus stop within the site.
- Service 26 – A new timetable will be introduced at the same frequency to address punctuality problems on this service.
- Service 62/62A – Centro and National Express have revised the timetable for this tendered service to improve punctuality.
Additionally there will be minor timetable changes to services 57, 63, 64, 68, 70, 76, 81 and 560.
There will also be changes to stand allocations within Wolverhampton bus station to ensure services are grouped with other buses serving similar destinations.
Simon Mathieson, Black Country Area Operations Director for National Express West Midlands (NXWM), said the Wolverhampton network review was a massive project that had brought many benefits to the city network such as improved routes and timetables and investment in the bus fleet, waiting facilities and technology.
This has included a £5m investment in new buses on services 2, 3 and 4 by NXWM.
Mr Mathieson said these have complemented Real Time Information displays at key locations along the routes giving passengers a minute by minute countdown of when their bus will arrive.
“Since the bus network review came into effect last July initial signs show that more people are using buses in the city and several thousand people a week are taking advantage of the new links that are now available,” he added.
“It is this growth that will allow continued investment in the quality of the bus network in the area and protect services in the city in the future.”
For more information on timetable changes go to the nearest Centro shop or visit www.networkwestmidlands.com
