Friends of the Earth Birmingham Action Briefing Apr/May 98

On the Buses #1

TWM Turns the Hagley Road Corridor Purple

Travel West Midlands is improving services from Birmingham to Halesowen, Stourbridge and Merry Hill Centre as from Sunday 1st February 1998 by branding new low floor, easy access buses with an identifiable stripe - turning the Hagley Road corridor purple!

Improvements to the number 9 (Birmingham to Stourbridge via Halesowen) and the introduction of two brand new services, the 109 and 139, from Birmingham to Merry Hill Centre mean that during the day there will be a new 'purple' bus every five minutes from Birmingham along the Hagley Road to Halesowen.

The 19/19s, 136 and 137 Services will be Withdrawn from 1st February 1998.

Passengers travelling from Hasbury to Birmingham can catch the new 919 Limited Stop service in the morning peak only with return journeys in the evening peak only. During the day passengers can catch the new Travel Merry Hill circular 619 service between Hasbury and Halesowen (609 in the evenings) Monday to Saturday and then connect with 'purple' buses in Halesowen to get to Birmingham.

Passengers travelling to Gornal Wood from Birmingham can catch 'purple' buses 109 and 139 to the Merry Hill Centre and connect with the new Travel Merry Hill Black Country shuttle buses, 236/237 which will run every half hour during the day from Cradley Heath Rail Station to Gornal Wood via the Merry Hill Centre.

Anyone requiring further information about the changes should contact the Centro Hotline on 0121 200 2700 or TWM's Customer Care office on 0121 200 7300/0121 200 7302.

John Davidson