National Express West Midlands routes 66 & 66A

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66
Overview
Operator National Express West Midlands
Vehicle Scania Omnilink. Previosely used: Mercedes-Benz O405, Optare Solo, Leyland Lynx
Route
Start Birmingham Priory Queensway
Via Nechells, Star City and Erdington
End Kingstanding
66A
Overview
Operator National Express West Midlands
Vehicle Scania Omnilink. Previosely used: Mercedes-Benz O405, Optare Solo, Leyland Lynx
Route
Start Erdington
Via Boldmere
End Sutton Coldfield

Route History

These routes are the successors of trolleybus route 7, which ran from the city centre to Nechells from 1922–1940 and the motorbus route 43 which replaced it in 1940. The city centre to Ladywood portion of the route was served by former Birmingham City Transport route 95.[1][2][3]

North of the Nechells terminus of the former 43, the route was extended across Cuckoo Bridge, spanning the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal and then followed parts of the former BCT route 64 to Erdington and former Midland Red routes S63 and 107 from Erdington to Sutton via Boldmere.[4] This move was a result of the route development possibilities opened up by the creation of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive in 1969, whereby the Executive took over all of the municipal bus operators and Midland Red services in the West Midlands county and was able to integrate and combine the routes of the previous separate operators.[5] The short section of road between the 43 terminus over Cuckoo Bridge to Lichfield Road had not previously been used by a regular bus service.

Following service revisions on 28 March 2010 this route ceased to be a cross-city service. The section between City Centre and Five Ways / Ladywood is now covered by a revised service 80 running City Centre - West Bromwich via Five Ways, Ladywood, Cape Hill and Smethwick.

The route of the 66 became City - Erdington with a frequency of every 15 minutes Monday–Saturday and 66A City - Sutton Coldfield every hour evenings and Sundays and a 66E City - Star City on the alternate hour during evenings.

66

On 9 June 2013, the route of the 66 was changed north of Erdington to run o Kingstanding Circle, instead of Sutton Coldfiled via New Oscott. In addition, Gravelly Industrial Park is served by daytime Monday to Friday journeys.[6] On Sundays, Route 66 runs between the city centre and Erdington only via Lichfiled Road.

Paperwork at NXWM Perry Barr garage says that NXWM have asked the Gravelly Industrial Park management and security to operate the Saturday service through the estate between 6 am and 6 pm and Sundays between 10 am and 6 pm. They are also looking to extend the Monday-to-Friday operations from 5:30 am to 10 pm, as some of the business want to open earlier and later.

66A

Route 66A now runs from Erdington to Sutton Coldfield via Boldmere, replacing the 66 on this part of the route.[7] Evening and Sunday journeys on the 66A at the time extended from Erdington to Star City by the Blue Diamond subsidiary of Diamond Bus.[8]

These journeys on the 66A are tendered and due to low usage currently all evening journeys have been withdrawn and the section as between Erdington and Star City withdrawn, as stated on the Network West Midlands website and shown on the latest vision of the 66A timetable. This means journeys now operated from Sutton Coldfiled to Erdington via a terminal loop to Erdington Six Ways.

The number 66A bus route will be replaced by the hourly 15A and 15C services on 30 August 2015 and the 66A withdrawn.[9][10][11][12] The 15A/C is a circular Erdington - Sutton Coldfield via Good Hope Hospital.

Vehicles

The route was operated by twelve two-step entrance Leyland Lynx, E F G and H registration plate 'Leyland DAF Lynxs' Around 2000 the 'Lynxs', were gradually phased out and National Express West Midlands invested in low-floored single decks, using around eighteen on the route at one stage.[citation needed]

In the later years route 66 was simplified and now used just ten low-floor Mercedes-Benz O405 single decks.[citation needed]

In recent years[when?] service 66 and 66A have had Scania Omnilink B43F as the vehicle of choice but are due to receive some mindi buses from the Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse Urban series.[citation needed]

Current Route Summary

Service 66
Service 66A

References

  1. ↑ Mayou, A., Barker, T. and Stanford, J. Birmingham Corporation Trams and Trolleybuses. Glossop: The Transport Publishing Company, 1982
  2. ↑ Keeley, M., Russell, M. and Gray, P. Birmingham City Transport. Glossop: The Transport Publishing Company, 1977
  3. ↑ M. Keeley, Birmingham Buses Route by Route 1925-1975. Ian Allan, 2012
  4. ↑ Midland Red Timetable, Birmingham Area, 1 October 1966.
  5. ↑ M. Keeley, West Midlands - A History of West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive. Capital Transport Publishing, 1988
  6. ↑ 66 and 66A Bus Timetable leaflet, dated 9June 2013
  7. ↑ A Fresh Way Forward - Bus changes in North Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield: Changes from 9 June 2013. Network West Midlands leaflet.
  8. ↑ Network West Midlands 66 and 66A Bus Timetable from 27 October 2013.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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