These are the National Express bus services running in the West Midlands today - as the strike continues

Thousands of bus drivers at National Express West Midlands are staging an indefinite a walk out which started on Monday. The strike entered its fifth day today (Friday, March 24).

The operator runs 93% of the buses in the region and the industrial action is expected to cause chaos for public transport users. There is a limited service serving hospitals only from today. National Express West Midlands told BirminghamWorld previously that there are some delays to the services that are running.

Services on the trains, trams and bus services including Diamond, Arriva and Stagecoach are operating as normal. A full list of all bus operators operating as normal is below along with the latest advice from Transport for West Midlands (TfWM).

NXWM has advised people to not travel during the days of the strike. They said on their website: “A limited service, primarily serving the region’s major hospitals, which may be changed at short notice, is operating. Please do not travel on a National Express bus unless absolutely necessary. (National Express coaches are running as normal.)”

NXWM has made a new offer to Unite the Union bus drivers and a ballot will take place to end the strikes. The result will be out on Saturday, March 25. A positive result would mean a reduced service on Sunday March 26 and a normal service on Monday March 27.

In the meantime, here are the NXWM services running to hopsitals today.

The list below shows the services that will be operating:

• 4 | Birmingham - Solihull (via Sparkbrook, Tyseley, Acocks Green & Olton)
• 5 | West Bromwich - Sutton Coldfield (via Great Barr, Kingstanding & New Oscott)
• 6 | Birmingham - Solihull (via Sparkbrook, Sparkhill, Hall Green & Shirley)
• 6 | Dudley - Stourbridge (via Russells Hall Hospital, Brierley Hill & Amblecote)
• 28 | Heartlands Hospital - Great Barr (via Ward End, Castle Bromwich, Erdington, Old Oscott & Perry Beeches)
• 51 | Birmingham - Walsall (via Great Barr & Perry Barr)
• 59 | Wolverhampton - Ashmore Park (via New Cross Hospial & Wednesfield)
• 87 | Birmingham - Oldbury (via City Hospital & Smethwick)
• 97 | Birmingham - Chelmsley Wood (via Bordesley Green, Heartlands Hospital & Meadway)
• 529 | Wolverhampton - Walsall (via Willenhall)
• X4 | Birmingham - Falcon Lodge (via Aston Expressway, Erdington, Sutton Coldfield & Good Hope Hospital)
• X21| Birmingham - Weoley Castle (via Birmingham University & Selly Oak)

You can also check National Express West Midlands website for the updates on the bus timetable.

Full list of other bus operators - excluding National Express - that are operating as normal today

• All Stagecoach Services
• All Diamond Services
• All Landflight services
• All Arriva Services
• All other non-National Express services

Please note, National Express tickets are not being accepted on services provided by other operators. For maximum flexibility customers are being asked to consider multi-operator or multi-modal products. More information is available at tfwm.org.uk. Customers who have purchased NXWM tickets for any days affected by strike action can apply for a refund on the National Express website.

Advice from TfWM about the bus strikes in Birmingham & the West Midlands

Passengers travelling by public transport in the region are being advised to check their journeys due to indefinite industrial action taking place by National Express West Midlands and National Express Coventry bus drivers from Monday 20^th March.

National Express bus will be operating an extremely limited service. They have confirmed a select number of routes that will still be operating on a reduced timetable. These can be found at nxbus.co.uk.

Other bus operators including Diamond, Arriva, Stagecoach, Landflight, and other operators will be operating as normal, including where they run the same route as National Express West Midlands, but are expected to be much busier.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) is advising passengers who use these services to allow extra time for their journeys and consider travelling outside of peak times where possible. In many places National Express are the only provider of bus services so people are advised to check carefully and consider their options.

Customers with National Express tickets will be able to claim a refund for any pre-purchased tickets for strike days via their website. Other operators will not be accepting National Express bus tickets, therefore customers are advised to check the best ticket for their journey before traveling. Information on multi-operator tickets can be found at tfwm.org.uk.

Rail is expected to operate as normal this week, and Metro will look to increase capacity where they are able to do so. Local roads are also expected to be much busier than normal, so if travelling by car allow extra time and consider car sharing.

TfWM’s Regional Transport Coordination Centre will be working to manage disruption where possible. Information is included on the TfWM dedicated webpage and passengers are advised to visit here and follow social media channels for the very latest travel information.

A TfWM spokesperson said: “Bus travel accounts for approximately 80% of journeys by public transport and the overwhelming majority of those journeys are with National Express West Midlands.

“Therefore, this strike will have a significant impact on our network and it is disappointing for the many people who travel around our region every day that industrial action continues to affect them.“