Bus timetables for Birmingham, Solihull & Sandwell to change in January - full details here

Bus timetables on National Express West Midlands services will be revised in the New Year from January 1, 2023. Several areas in Birmingham, Sandwell, and Solihull will face a change in frequencies and timings.

With the children going back to school after the Christmas break, increased traffic, and rail strikes, the demand for buses will be high. National Express bus strikes are also expected as 200 engineers have voted to strike -saying their driver colleagues were offered a ‘much better’ deal.

A few of the changes include the bus 839 from Pype Hayes - John Willmott School. School services will be replaced with minor timetable changes and renumbered as services 813 & 814 . There are many more such changes that are going to take place.

For instance, a small number of services will see more significant changes, with some services provided by a different bus operator like Stagecoach, Diamond or Kev’s Coaches.

With different bus contractors coming in, National Express West Midlands tickets won’t be valid on many routes.

What are the changes to the National Express bus time table from January 1, 2023?

Here are all the changes taking place in Birmingham and beyond:

In Birmingham and Solihull

Services that are not changing: 1S, 8A/8C, 60, 66, 94, 95, 101, 144A, 73S, 74, 77S, 80, 82, 87, 89, 863, 877, 878, 889, 891 and X15

Services with small timetable changes: 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 12/12A, 13/13A, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 27, 33, 45, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52, 65, 67, 71, 73, 76, 97, 126, 907/907A, 934, 935, 936, 937/937A, 997, 997S, X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X8, X10, X12, X13, X14, X21, X22 and X51

Services with increases in frequency: 1, 4/4A, 7, 11A/11C, 14, 28 (M-F), 35, 61, 63 and 72

Services with bigger changes:

10 | Birmingham - Quinton (via Five Ways, Augustus Road & Worlds End)

This TFWM contracted service has been awarded to another operator.

10S | Selly Oak - Quinton (via Q.E. Hospital, Harborne & Worlds End)

This Transport for West Midlands contracted service will be now operated by Kev’s Coaches as route 55 with a revised timetable. National Express West Midlands tickets will not be valid on route 55.

16 | Birmingham - Hamstead (via Hockley & Handsworth Wood)

16A | Birmingham - Great Barr (via Hockley & Handsworth Wood)

New coordinated timetable run by National Express West Midlands (NXWM) and Diamond. Buses will run every 5 minutes between Birmingham and Hamstead. NXWM buses will continue every 20 minutes to Scott Arms (terminating on Walsall Road by TSB Bank). Diamond buses will operate to West Bromwich as the 16A (replacing route 46).

25 | Birmingham - Q.E. Hospital (via Ladywood & Harborne)

This Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) contracted service is withdrawn. Alternative buses to Harborne from the city centre on 23 & 24. Customers travelling from Harborne to Queen Elizabeth Hospital can use services 19 & 48. Customers travelling from city centre to Queen Elizabeth Hospital can use routes X21 & X22.

28 | Small Heath - Great Barr (via Heartlands Hospital, Ward End, Castle Bromwich, Erdington, Old Oscott & Perry Beeches)

The TfWM contracted evening and Sunday extension between Heartlands Hospital and Small Heath will no longer operate. The daytime Monday- Friday frequency will increase up to every 12 mins.

32 | Shirley - Lyndon (via Hall Green & Acocks Green)

The TfWM contracted service will be replaced by the new A15 service operated by Diamond. National Express West Midlands tickets will not be valid on the A15.

41 | QE Hospital - Heartlands Hospital (via Acocks Green)

Revised timetable operated by Stagecoach on TfWM contracted service. National Express West Midlands tickets will not be valid on the 41.

46 | QE Hospital - Northfield (via Selly Oak, Kings Norton, Hawkesley & West Heath)

Revised timetable operated by Stagecoach on TfWM contracted service. National Express West Midlands tickets will not be valid on the 46.

48 | West Bromwich - Northfield (via Londonderry, Bearwood, Harborne, Q.E. Hospital & Weoley Castle)

48A | West Bromwich - Bearwood (via Warley)

Service 48 will run between West Bromwich and Queen Elizabeth Hospital with service 48A largely unchanged. New TfWM contracted service 46 to Northfield will replace parts of the withdrawn 48 and will be run by Stagecoach.

49S | Alderbrook School - Maypole (School service - available to general public)

School journey replaced by revised timetable on route 49.

58 | Solihull - Kingshurst (via Olton, Lyndon, Yardley, Lea Hall & Shard End)

58S | Lode Heath School - Yardley

The TfWM contracted service will be replaced by new A9 service operated by Stagecoach. National Express West Midlands tickets will not be valid on the A9.

71 | Chelmsley Wood - Sutton Coldfield (via Kingshurst, Castle Bromwich, Castle Vale, Minworth & Walmley)

The Sunday evening 71 TfWM contracted service has been awarded to another operator.

96 | Kingstanding - Chelmsley Wood (via Kingstanding, Witton Lodge, Erdington, Fort Shopping Park & Castle Bromwich)

The TfWM contracted service (evenings and Sundays) will no longer be operated by National Express West Midlands. Another operator will provide this service. National Express West Midlands tickets will not be valid on the 96.

822 | Birmingham - King Edward VI Five Ways School (School service - available to the general public)

The service will run between King Edwards School and Harborne with connections to Broad Street and Birmingham on services 23 & 24.

823 | Hillcrest School - Birmingham (School service - available to the general public)

The service will be replaced by additional journeys on route 23.

829 | Birmingham - St. Paul’s RC Girls School (School service - available to the general public)

829A | Birmingham - St. Paul’s RC Girls School (School service - available to the general public)

Service 829 will continue to run morning and afternoon to St. Paul’s school. Alternatives for route 829A are available from Portland Road (12/12A/13/13A) and Hagley Road (9, 126, X8 and X10).

838 | Stockland Green - John Willmott School (School service - available to the general public)

838A | Stockland Green - John Willmott School (School service - available to the general public)

839 | Pype Hayes - John Willmott School (School service - available to the general public)

School services will be replaced with minor timetable changes and renumbered as services 813 & 814.

869 | Perry Common - Plantsbrook School (School service - available to the general public)

School service withdrawn. Alternative service is the 66.

S16 | Solihull - Yardley (via Lyndon)

The TfWM contracted service will be replaced by a new A16 service operated by Diamond. National Express West Midlands tickets will not be valid on the S16.

In West Bromwich and Sandwell:

Services that are not changing: 40, 44, 47, 49, 74, 79, 80, 82, 87, 89 and 703

Services with small timetable changes: 3/3A and 4/4H/4M

Service with an increase to frequency:5

Services with bigger changes:

22 | Bearwood - Oldbury (via Warley & Langley)

This Transport for West Midlands contracted service will be run by Diamond with a revised timetable. National Express West Midlands tickets will not be valid on service 22.

42 | West Bromwich - Dudley (via Greets Green, Great Bridge & Tipton)

43 | West Bromwich - Bilston (via Greets Green, Great Bridge & Princes End)

The route will be revised to operate between West Bromwich and Tipton (42 operated by Diamond) and Bilston (43 operated by National Express West Midlands) only. The section of the route between Tipton and Dudley will no longer run. Diamond’s 229 provides an alternative service between Dudley and Tipton. In Tipton, buses on service 42 will change to operate a one-way loop via Park Lane West, Mayfair Gardens, Victoria Road, Queens Road and Silvertrees Road.

45 | Walsall - West Bromwich (via Yew Tree, Stone Cross & Charlemont Farm)

This route will be run by Diamond on a revised timetable as 45 & 45A. This will also replace Diamond’s current 401E. National Express West Midlands tickets will not be valid on the 45 & 45A.

46 | West Bromwich - Great Barr, Scott Arms (via Hamstead)

This service will be replaced by National Express West Midlands service 16 extending from Hamstead (Green Lane) to Scott Arms (where buses will terminate at TSB Bank on Walsall Road); and Diamond service 16A from West Bromwich to Hamstead. Alternatives are also available on National Express West Midlands route 5.

48 | West Bromwich - Northfield (via Londonderry, Bearwood, Harborne, Q.E. Hospital & Weoley Castle)

48A | West Bromwich - Bearwood (via Warley)

Service 48 will run between West Bromwich and Queen Elizabeth Hospital with service 48A largely unchanged. New TfWM contracted service 46 to Northfield, will replace parts of the withdrawn 48 and will be run by Stagecoach.

54 | West Bromwich - Worlds End (via Europa Village, Smethwick, Cape Hill & Brandhall)

54A | West Bromwich - Quinton, Tesco (via Europa Village, Smethwick, Cape Hill & Brandhall)

These journeys will now terminate at Worlds End rather than Quinton.

What National Express said

Chris Gibbens, Commercial Director for National Express West Midlands, said: “We know that our bus services are lifelines to many communities and we have been working closely with Transport for West Midlands to protect services and ensure buses continue serving all parts of the region.

“As we move into a new year our priority is to continue building on the positive steps we are taking to improve the reliability of our services while we continue to provide a comprehensive network.

“We have carefully reviewed the network to make sure it fits with current demand and our customers should see an improved service, with greater certainty so they can reliably plan to get to where they need to go.

“I am both proud and thankful to our workforce who - throughout the challenging circumstances affecting our industry - are working incredibly hard to keep our customers moving.

“We appreciate the difficulties facing our customers too. With the cost of living pressures and many prices rising elsewhere, we are pleased to have frozen our fares once again - providing people of the West Midlands with the lowest bus fares in England.”

For more details, check the National Express West Midlands website.

To check if NXWM is still operating in your area, check the Travel for West Midlands website.