A2Z Travel Bus Route 331

The 331 is a bus route operating in the Walsall area of the West Midlands, England.

The route links Walsall with Willenhall via The Manor Hospital, Alumwell, Bentley and Lodge Farm.

Previously the route was operated by the regions biggest bus operator, National Express West Midlands (then Travel West Midlands).

The current maximum adult fare is £1.50.

History

* 1987 - Midland Red North and Central Coachways both operate service 330 from Walsall Bus Station Bradford Place to Lodge Farm at very regular frequencys via The Manor Hospital & Bentley. This service eventually ended up being operated by West Midlands Travel before being withdrawn altogether between 1994 & 1998.
* Pre-1998 - Travel West Midlands operated service 331 between Walsall and Willenhall at a twenty minute frequency. Additionally, they also operated service 331A which followed near enough the same route as the 331, but terminated on the Lodge Farm estate, circuling Stroud Avenue also at a twenty minute frequency. Both services run Monday - Saturday daytime.
* 1999 - Travel West Midlands withdrew its service 331A. The 331s frequency was changed to every 15 minutes.
* 2002 - The early Saturday morning frequency is reduced to half hourly
* 2003 - Travel West Midlands start operating a Monday - Saturday evening service on the 331 at a fifteen minute frequency. The Saturday early morning frequency is increased again to every 15 minutes.
* 2004 - The evening service is withdrawn.
* 2005 - A2Z Travel begin operations on the 331 between Walsall and Willenhall.
* 2005 - Travel West Midlands reduce the frequency on the 331 to every 20 minutes.
* 2006 - Travel West Midlands further reduce the frequency on the 331 to every 30 minutes.
* July 2007 - Travel West Midlands significantly alter the 331 route so that it now terminates at Lodge Farm and misses out Alumwell and the Manor Hospital. This service leaves Walsall from Stand J, whereas previously all services to or via Lodge Farm left from Stand P.
* November 2007 - Travel West Midlands withdraw off the 331.
* May 2008 - A2Z Travel withdraw their Saturday services.

Within the space of ten years the frequency of the route has changed from up to every 10 minutes to half hourly, with no Saturday service.

The evening and Sunday services alternative for the 331 is service 332 operated by National Express West Midlands. This primarily follows the same route as the 331, but serves extra parts of Bentley and Alumwell and terminates at Lodge Farm.

Route

*Walsall Town Centre
*Manor Hospital
*Alumwell
*Bentley
*Lodge Farm
*Willenhall

Macavity The Cat

Macavity was the name given by several Travel West Midlands bus drivers to a white cat which regularly boarded the bus on it's own accord to visit a fish and chip shop down the road.

The plain white cat, with one green eye and one blue and who's real name and owners are unknown, would board the 331 along Churchill Road, near to its junction with Kent Road and travel down to the local shops further along the road, which also housed a fish and chip shop.

The cat first boarded the bus unnoticed in January 2007. Drivers then began stopping when they could see the cat waiting, after discovering he was such a good passenger.

The cat was nicknamed Macavity after the mystery cat in T. S. Eliot's poem "Macavity", contained in his Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (Macavity is also a character in CATS the musical).

Commenting on the mysterious cat, one National Express West Midlands driver Bill Khunkhun says:

“ As soon as I open the doors he jumps on. He seems to like it. It was quite strange at first but now seems normal. He is the perfect passenger. The only problem is he never pays. "

It is unknown whether the cat now uses the A2Z Travel buses following Travel West Midlands withdrawal off the route.