National Express West Midlands routes 405 & 405E and Diamond Bus route 401E

{| class="infobox" style="width: 29em;"
+ style="font-size: large;" | 401E/405E !colspan="2" align="center" |
-! colspan="2" bgcolor="#FF0000" | Management
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Operated by || Diamond Bus (401E), National Express West Midlands (405E)
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Garage || Tividale Depot (401E)/Walsall Depot (405E)
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Vehicle || Dennis Dart (401E)/Volvo B6LE (405E)
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Peak vehicle requirement || 401E = 2, 405E = 2
-! colspan="2" bgcolor="#FF0000" | Route
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Start || Walsall
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Via || Bescot Stadium
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End || Yew Tree Estate
-! colspan="2" bgcolor="#FF0000" | Service
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Level || 401E = 06:55 - 18:00 Monday - Friday, 08:15 - 17:15 Saturday, 405E = 10:17 - 14:43 Monday - Saturday.
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Frequency || Both every 15 Minutes.
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Journey time || 12 Minutes.The 401E, 405 and 405E are three bus services in the West Midlands, England. The 401E is operated by Diamond Bus whilst the 405 & 405E are operated by the West Midlands biggest bus operator, National Express West Midlands. The 405 links Walsall with West Bromwich, whilst the 401E and 405E are identical shortened workings between Walsall and the Yew Tree Estate.

History

* Mid-1990s - National Express West Midlands (then Travel West Midlands) operated service 401 from Walsall - Bilston via West Bromwich.
* Late-1990s - Travel West Midlands shortened the 401 to operate between West Bromwich and Bilston only, with the exception of the first few and last few journeys of the day extending to Walsall for access to the bus garage.
* Late-1990s - Petes Travel (later Peoples Express then Diamond Bus), start operating the 401 from between West Bromwich and Bilston. They also start new service 401E between Walsall and Yew Tree Estate.
* 2000 - Travel West Midlands shorten their evening service on the 405, so that it now terminates in West Bromwich (like the daytime service), instead of Princes End. The frequency of the normal daytime service is also increased from every 20 minutes to every 15.
* 2000 - Travel West Midlands withdraw their service 405A which ran Monday - Saturday daytime between Stone Cross and West Bromwich.
* 2000 - Petes Travel introduce new service 405E between the Yew Tree Estate and West Bromwich at a half hourly daytime frequency.
* 2001 - The 401 journeys to/from Bilston from Walsall are withdrawn.
* 2001 - Petes Travel service 405E is withdrawn. The frequency of the 405 is also decreased back to 20 minutes.
* 2003 - Travel West Midlands increase the frequency of the 405 again, to every 15 minutes Monday - Saturday daytime.
* 2005 - Travel West Midlands introduce service 405A, running via Walsall and West Bromwich, but missing out Bescot at a half hourly Sunday morning frequency.
* November 2007 - Service 405E between Walsall - Yew Tree Estate is introduced at a fifteen minute frequency during daytime off-peak hours.
* August 2008 - Service 405A is withdrawn by National Express West Midlands. These journeys are replaced by normal 405 services.Previously only the 405 operated, but in November 2007, due to increased passenger numbers, extra 405E journeys were introduced.

Present

On a Monday - Saturday daytime, 12 buses an hour link Walsall with the Yew Tree Estate. On a Sunday and evenings, only the 405 operates.

Future

From 30 November Diamond Bus are to start operating the 2000 Petes Travel 405E service again between West Bromwich and Yew Tree Estate. Timings are at this point unknown.

Current route

ervice 405

*Walsall
*Bescot Stadium
*Yew Tree
*Stone Cross
*Sandwell General Hospital
*West Bromwich

ervice 401E/405E

*Walsall
*Bescot Stadium
*Yew Tree