The difference between Wedgwood, Barlaston and Norton Bridge stations and the bus links mentioned above is quite distinct.
a) the bus links above are just that, links. Whilst they may be shown in the NRTT they are link services that supplement the railway network. You either buy a through ticket or pay the driver. This sort of information is clearly shown in the bus links section of NRES and staff fares manual.
b) the bus service to Wedgwood, Barlaston and Norton Bridge is a Rail Replacement Service, as those stations are still open, and still part of the National Rail network. The use of a local bus service to provide the rail replacement service is somewhat unique - I assume to save costs as it has been on going for some time.
A "normal" rail replacement bus (for say engineering works) would not run as a stage carriage, but would run instead of the train to and from stations only. If you happened to travel from and to unstaffed stations en route then anecdotal evidence suggests that you essentially get a free ride (unless the TOC provides a means of paying)
Ticketing wise it is very different:
a) A bus which is running as rail link (eg York - Whitby and all the others mentioned above) is very different. You may buy through tickets, but cannot always use rovers, rangers, railcards, PRIV cards etc. The ticketing circumstances differ on each link. In essence each link is an add-on.
b) A Rail Replacement Bus runs instead of a train, and so the NRCoC applies and the full range of normal rail fares and discounts apply.
The
London Midland Route Map shows the three stations as black dots on a thick green line - this indicates "Lines and Stations with frequent London Midland services". A star next to the three station names says "stations served by rail-replacement bus services".
In addition, an NRES journey search brings up the buses and offers the £2.50 fare from Barlaston to Norton Bridge as quoted by the OP.
I visited the area, and the three stations about 2 months ago. The pictures I took are available
HERE.
You will note that Barlaston and Wedgwood have the full compliment of London Midland posters, timetables, maps and station signs. Norton Bridge has been washed off the face of the earth, and you wouldn't even know the station was there. It is very poor for a station that is still open.
Ticketing wise, what should happen? Well, my answer would be that as the bus is a rail replacement service the full range of rail fares and discounts apply. It is up to the TOC to provide suitable means of paying for your fare. If the full range of tickets is not available at the joining station then the same thing would apply as a normal rail replacement bus service - you pay at your destination or if that is unstaffed, then you essentially get a free ride. How that would wash with the bus driver, I do not know. Although I did seriously contemplate getting on and asking for a PRIV single to Norton Bridge please! I would be interested to hear what London Midland have to say.
The stations are still open, and have never been formally closed. Therefore the buses are "rail replacement buses".
I am not aware that any closure proceedings have been started, although following my recent visit I am doubtful trains will ever return, especially to Norton Bridge which will require extremely expensive works to re open properly (i.e. building a new footbridge to access the platform). This station is in the same boat as Polesworth with its one train a day in one direction since they removed the footbridge to access the other platform - except that at Norton Bridge removing the footbridge denied access to the island platform! (does anyone have any shots of the outside, front of the station when it was still open?)