History: West Midlands Travel former Timesaver network

[adrock1976]

When I used to reside in the West Midlands, I can remember the silver MCW Metrobuses that were used on the Timesaver limited stop network.

There used to be a wide range of routes from how I remember it back in 1988/89 and also have a vague idea of the various garages that operated them, of which I have listed below:

900 Hasbury Portsdown Road - Coventry via Halesowen, Quinton Expressway, Birmingham, Small Heath Highway, Airport and International Station, Bickenhill (for Motorcycle Museum), Meriden Green, Birmingham Road, Coventry. Operated by Birmingham Central garage every 30 minutes daily.

901 Birmingham - Walsall via Lichfield and Walsall Wood. There were two different routes that this went between Birmingham and Lichfield. Mondays - Fridays peak periods ran via Tyburn Road to Minworth, then along Sutton Coldfield bypass to London Road, Lichfield, then normal route. The rest of the day and on Saturdays (No Sunday service), this ran via Erdington Six Ways, Sutton Coldfield, Four Oaks station, Mere Green, and Roughley to London Road Lichfield. Unsure which garage, maybe Hockley or Walsall?

926 Birmingham - Dudley via the A4123 New Road and onwards to either Sedgeley via The Broadway (Mondays - Fridays) or Mayfield Road near the King Arthur at the end of Priory Road (Saturdays). Dudley garage.

951/952 Birmingham - Cannock via Scott Arms, Walsall, Green Lane, Bloxwich, Landywood or Cheslyn Hay, Heath Hayes. Was subsequently extended via Pye Green Road to Hednesford. Both routes had a combined frequency of every 15 minutes Mondays - Saturdays operated by Perry Barr garage (hence the first/last stop from/to Birmingham being at Wellhead Lane to change drivers). No late evening or Sunday service.

962 Birmingham - Chelmsley Wood Coleshill Heath Road via Aston Expressway, Tyburn Road, Chester Road, Collector Road, Lanchester Drive, Smith's Wood, Chelmsley Wood Pine Square, Chelmsley Road. Every 30 minutes Mon - Sat daytime with No Sunday Service. Operated by Lea Hall garage.

963 Birmingham - Gannow via Bristol Road, Longbridge, and Rubery. Every 30 minutes Mon - Sat daytime. Operated by Birmingham Central garage.

966 Wolverhampton - Birmingham Airport via Willenhall, Walsall, Aldridge, Little Aston, Mere Green, Sutton Coldfield, Six Ways Erdington, Kingsbury Road, Chester Road, Collector Road, Chelmsley Wood Pine Square, Bickenhill Lane, International Station. Every 30 minutes Mon - Sat daytime and every 60 minutes evenings and Sundays. Operated by Hockley garage.

967 Birmingham - Castle Vale Reed Square via Aston Expressway, Tyburn Road, Kingsbury Road, Chester Road, Tangmere Drive. Mon - Fri peak periods only in both directions. Unsure if it was Hockley or Perry Barr garage?

979 Birmingham - Wolverhampton via Dudley Road Hospital, Cape Hill, Smethwick, Spon Lane, West Bromwich, then A41 via Carters Green, Black Lake, Hill Top, Wednesbury, Bilston. Every 30 minutes Mon - Sat daytime. Operated by Hockley garage.

998 Birmingham - Pheasey Collingwood Drive via Perry Barr, Aldridge Road, Kingstanding. Mon - Fri peak periods only in both directions (subsequently extended to Deer's Leap and ran Mon - Sat daytime every 30 or 20 minutes). Operated by Perry Barr garage.

I am unsure if there are any that I have missed from around that time, although I am aware that the former 155/156/157 routes that ran to Brownhills and Walsall via Aldridge Road, Barr Beacon, and Aldridge were renumbered to 995/996 and 997 respectively and was limited stop between Birmingham and Perry Barr after 1990/91/92. Also, the 901 was revised to run every 30 minutes between Birmingham and Roughley, with alternate journeys continuing to Lichfield. Walsall - Lichfield was replaced by the 991.

 

[Woody38]

Think the 901 was run by walsall garage, not much left of the timesaver network now, Cannock has a limted stop route to Brum x51, Brum to Coventry x1

 

[adrock1976]

Around 1993, the 901 which ran every 30 minutes between Birmingham and Roughley, with hourly extensions to Lichfield, was withdrawn and replaced by the 912 that was operated by Stevensons of Uttoxeter.

This ran to Burton-upon-Trent via Aston Expressway and the A5127 via Shenstone to Lichfield. The WMT 105 which previously operated evenings and Sundays became an all day daily service between Birmingham and Roughley via Aston Cross (which I believe recently renumbered 905 that ran via Aston Expressway).

When the 900 was revised to run Birmingham - Coventry at some point in 1989, the frequency was increased to every 20 minutes if I remember right. The Birmingham - Hasbury section became the 19 operated from Quinton garage, serving all stops along the A456 Hagley Road. There were Mon - Fri peak period journeys in both directions that operated limited stop along the A456 that were numbered 19S.

There was no late evening or Sunday service, however, I recall there being a 606 minibus (or similar number) that operated a circular route between Halesowen and Portsdown Road, returning direct via the old Hagley Road to Halesowen. This ran every 20 minutes so as to connect with the 9 that still runs between Birmingham and Stourbridge. The minibus did not run on Sundays and as Ludlow Coaches that ran the 417 between West Bromwich and Hayley Green also did not run on Sundays, the only option to get to the Hasbury area was the 247/248 circular routes.

 

[WM Bus]

Around 1993, the 901 which ran every 30 minutes between Birmingham and Roughley, with hourly extensions to Lichfield, was withdrawn and replaced by the 912 that was operated by Stevensons of Uttoxeter.

This ran to Burton-upon-Trent via Aston Expressway and the A5127 via Shenstone to Lichfield. The WMT 105 which previously operated evenings and Sundays became an all day daily service between Birmingham and Roughley via Aston Cross (which I believe recently renumbered 905 that ran via Aston Expressway).

Birmingham to Lichfield was reintroduced last year by NXWM and runs as X3 today. As part of the Birmingham - Erdington & Sutton X3/X4/X5 corridor.
It runs alongside.
X4 - Birmingham to Asda Minwoth and X5 - Birmingham to Roughley.
Microsoft Word - BX03_30Aug20.doc (nxbus.co.uk)

 

[gka472l]

From memory, there were 50 Metrobuses delivered for the Timesaver's, 2911-2960

 

[Statto]

I remember mid 90s the 951 Birmingham-Cannock, with a 950/952/953 Birmingham-Cannock-Hednesford, with some journeys extending to Rugeley & Brereton

There was also a 993/994 Birmingham-Birmingham Airport in the mid 90s usually operated by Lynxes.

Here's a good blog on the WMT Timesaver history

Timesavers!

As the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (WMPTE) supported the railways within it’s area, the bus network it operated during the 1970s was designed to feed into the railways in appr…

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