National Express West Midlands routes 370 and 370A

{| class="infobox" style="width: 29em;"
+ style="font-size: large;" | 370A !colspan="2" align="center" |
-! colspan="2" bgcolor="#FF0000" | Management
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Operated by || National Express West Midlands
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Garage || Walsall Depot
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Vehicle || Volvo B6LE/Wright Crusader
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Peak vehicle requirement || 3
-! colspan="2" bgcolor="#FF0000" | Route
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Start || Walsall
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Via || Beechdale
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End || Walsall
-! colspan="2" bgcolor="#FF0000" | Service
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Level || 06:22 - 18:10 Monday - Friday, 08:52 - 18:10 Saturday. No Sunday Service.
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Frequency || Combined with 370 to Beechdale Every 7-8 Mins
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Journey time || Full Circle 25 Minutes

The 370 and 370A are two National Express West Midlands bus services in the West Midlands, England. The services all link Walsall with theBeechdale Estate, with the 370 extending to Bloxwich via Dudley Fields.

History

The Beechdale Estate was a new council housing development in the mid 1950's.

To serve this new estate Walsall Corporation Transport introduced a new Trolleybus service from Walsall (Town End Bank) which was numbered '40'.

Orignally, and much to the disgrace of the residents of the estate, the destination was shown as "GYPSY LANE ESTATE" (Gypsy Lane referred to a road in the area, since renamed Leamore Lane). This was promptly changed to "BEECHDALE ESTATE" following numerous complaints.

The '40' service terminated just north of Stephenson Square, the main shopping and community area of the Beechdale Estate, where it turned around in a small clockwise loop.

In 1961 service '40' was withdrawn and replaced with a new circular trolleybus service the '33'. This service started off the same as the '40' but continued from Beechdale to serve the other nearby council estate of Dudley Fields before travelling through Bloxwich and Leamore before arriving back at Walsall.

In 1963 a small extension was added to the route along Bloxwich Lane in the Beechdale Estate. This was the last ever trolleybus route extension in the [Walsall] area.

In 1970 trolleybuses were replaced by motorbuses on this route by West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive which had taken over Walsall Corporation Transport on 1 October 1969.

The routes were also renumbered at this time, having all been numbered 33 previously:
*333 - Walsall - Leamore - Bloxwich - Dudleys Fields - Beechdale - Walsall
*334 - Walsall - Beechdale - Dudleys Fields - Bloxwich - Leamore - Walsall
*335 - Walsall - Beechdale] - Walsall

After deregulation in 1986, all three services were rerouted to serve Stephenson Square, Cavendish Road and Bloxwich Lane, leaving the northern part of Stephenson Road unserved by buses with the exception of a shortlive Midland Red North service, the X1 between Cannock and Birmingham.

At the same time as the route change the 333 became the 371, the 334 the 370 and the 335 the 370A.

All of these services operated until 2007, when the 371 was withdrawn and the 370 shortened to operate between Walsall and Bloxwich via Beechdale and Dudleys Fields only. Additional 370A's were introduced at the same time, to give a combined 7/8 minute frequency between Walsall and Beechdale.

Present

Currently the 370 and 370A follow the same route up until Beechdale. Here the 370A circles through the estate to return back to Walsall, whilst the 370 drives through the estate to continue on to Bloxwich.

Combined the two services, which operate using branded 'Beechdale' buses give a combined peak time frequency of 7 - 8 minutes to Beechdale.

Current route

ervice 370

*Walsall
*Sainsbury's Reedswood
*Beechdale
*Dudley Fields
*Bloxwich

ervice 370A

*Walsall
*Sainsbury's Reedswood
*Beechdale
*Sainsbury's Reedswood
*Walsall