National Express West Midlands Fleet

This Page is believed to be correct as of 25th September 2008, the next scheduled update is late October.

All information on this page comes from [http://west-midlands-buses.fpic.co.uk] and [http://a1.community.fotopic.net/gallery/twmmetro-pics.fotopic.org.uk] .

West Midlands Travel is the largest bus service company in the West Midlands area. It operates over 80% of the region's bus services on a commercial basis, plus school and subsidised services. It currently trades under the name of National Express West Midlands. Buses out of its Coventry depot trade under the name of National Express Coventry. Previously both companies were called Travel West Midlands and Travel Coventry. Most vehicles still show this logo.

The company operates 1716 buses in normal passenger use, plus 30 driver training vehicles - all of which are listed below.

Fleet

This is the official fleet list of National Express West Midlands Buses, including National Express Coventry vehicles but excluding driver training vehicles, withdrawn buses, and those on loan, as at 25 September 2008.cite web | title=West Midlands Buses| work=west-midlands-buses.fpic.co.uk| url=http://west-midlands-buses.fpic.co.uk | accessdate=2008-02-27] However, buses withdrawn for refurbishment are included.

*360 Dennis Trident 2 / Alexander ALX400
*193 Mercedes-Benz O405N
*177 Volvo B6LE / Wright Crusader
*171 MCW Metrobus
*140 Volvo B7TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini
*100 Volvo B7TL / Plaxton President
*90 Volvo B7TL / Alexander ALX400
*86 Volvo B10L / Wright Liberator / Alexander Ultra
*70 Volvo B10B / Wright Endurance / Alexander Strider
*60 Alexander Dennis Enviro400
*60 Scania OmniLink K230
*49 Optare Excel
*47 Optare Solo
*38 Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse Urban
*21 DAF DB250 / Optare Spectra
*14 Dennis Dart / Alexander ALX200
*11 Scania OmniCity CN94 articulated
*10 Mercedes-Benz O405GN
*10 Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro
*6 Scania OmniCity double decker
*3 Leyland Lynx

At least 202 buses are now in the new, National Express West Midlands livery. As many as 179 buses are still in the old, non-low-floor West Midlands Travel livery. The remainder are in the more recent or older Travel West Midlands low-floor livery, except three, two of which wear Blythe Valley Shuttle Bus livery and the other (229) is in plain white for a special Walsall College Service.

Codes

National Express West Midlands runs 11 normal garages. 10 of these actually trade as National Express West Midlands and over half of these are located in Birmingham, with the other 4 being located in the Black Country. The other garage is the National Express Coventry garage, in Coventry. For easy and quick recognition, each garage has its own unique code, which is listed below.

4128 and 4223 formerly carried a special allover livery commemorating the HRH Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee in 2002, these vehicles have since reverted to normal livery"'.

Mercedes-Benz O405N

National Express West Midlands operates 193 of these buses, which were purchased from early 1998 until early 2000. Each bus seats 43 passengers. Some buses are branded for routes 404 (Walsall - Blackheath & Cradley Heath), 74 (Dudley - Birmingham) and 8A/C (The Birmingham Inner Circle).

Only one of these buses has been withdrawn, 1623 (S623 VUK), which suffered severe fire damage in the West Bromwich Garage in December 2001. Ex-Demonstrator, 1743 (S343 MOJ), was purchased to replace this bus.

Fleet Numbers & Registrations

Allocations

The joint eldest buses in the fleet are Metrobuses 2530 and 2534, which both entered service on October 11th 1982.

It also worth noting that during the Christmas period for the Wolverhampton Park & Ride service, a large number of Metrobus are transferred to Wolverhampton garage to cover for the low floor vehicles being used on the service. A large number of these buses are then withdrawn after the new year, but the a few often stay on at Wolverhampton.

Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini

National Express West Midlands owns 140 of these buses, which were purchased from 2003 to 2006. Most of the 54' plate buses are branded for the 11. Some of the 06' buses are branded for the 82/87 on the Dudley Road routes. 4475 - 4487 are Line 33 branded.

Fleet Numbers and Registrations

Allocations

Volvo B10L

National Express West Midlands current operates 86 of these buses, 7 with Alexander Ultra bodywork, which initially ran on Compressed Natural Gas, the rest have Wright Liberator bodywork. 7 of the Ultra buses are now in the training fleet. The buses all have a seating capacity of 43. One bus carries branding for route 301 (Walsall - Mossley), whilst others carry branding for route 377 (Walsall - Sutton Coldfield). B10Ls can often be seen on routes X51 (Walsall - Birmingham) and 333 Walsall - Wolverhampton.

Fleet Numbers & Registrations

B10B Allocations

cania OmniLink

National Express West Midlands Scania OmniLinks were all delivered new to the company from October 2007 - Early 2008. Each bus seats 43 passengers and some are branded for routes 16, 94 & 97.

Future Arrivals

It is known that National Express West Midlands have ordered a futher 60 Scania OmniLinks, however a maximum of 30 will be delivered during the remainder of the year. The exact locations these buses will be delivered to have not yet been finalised. It had previously been rumoured they may be delivered to Walsall for the 301, 311 & 313 routes, Pensnett and Coventry.

Fleet Numbers & Registrations

Allocations

Volvo B7RLE/Wright Eclipse

National Express West Midlands currently operates 38 of these buses, with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork. They are used at the Acocks Green garage on the route 37 to Birmingham City Centre from Solihull Station and at the Walsall garage on the route 311/313 to Dudley/Stourbridge from Walsall. Each bus seats 42 and carries branding for the above routes.

The future of the Volvo B7RLEs in the West Midlands is unknown. Rumours have suggested that when the new Scania OmniLinks arrive some will move upto National Express Dundee. Meanwhile, other rumours have said the buses in Walsall will move onto different routes, namely the 394 (Walsall - Brownhills) and 302 (Walsall - Lower Farm), whilst another has stated some buses will be moving to Pensnett Garage.

Fleet Numbers & Registrations

Allocations

cania CN94 Omnicity Artic

National Express West Midlands operates 11 of these bendy buses from its Perry Barr. Each bus carries 58 passengers and branding for route 67 (Birmingham - Castle Vale)

Fleet Numbers & Registrations

Allocations

CV = Coventry

Scania OmniCity

National Express West Midlands have recently received 6 of these double deckers. 4780 has been re-registered to an '08' plate, having previously been a '57' plate. No buses carry branding. Each bus has a seating capacity of 76, except 4697 which only seats 72.

Fleet Numbers & Registrations

Allocations

Driver Training Fleet

This part of the fleet has no set home, and are used to train new drivers. The fleet is made up of Volvo B10Ls (4), Leyland Lynx (14), MCW Metrobuses (5), Scania N113CRBs (2), a Mercedes 814D minibus (1) and an Optare MetroRider minibus (1). There is also a Plaxton B10M Coach, on loan from Travel Dundee as well as two Ford Transit minibuses to test applicants driving ability before they learn to drive a bus. There are no longer any Metroriders or Mercedes 814Ds in the passenger fleet. The Scania N94s came from National Express Dundee. There are still over 80 B10Ls and 175 Metrobuses still in normal passenger use, but only 3 Leyland Lynx remain in normal passenger use. The Ford Transits were purchased solely for use in the Driver Training Fleet and have are unsuited for normal passenger use.

Information

For easy recognition, all buses in the training fleet have a fleet number beginning with 9***. However, the more recent additions have not yet had their numbers changed.

^ This bus is on loan to the company from National Express Dundee

Garages

National Express West Midlands

Acocks Green

Address: Fox Hollies Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham, West Midlands, B27 7TZ.
* Code = AG
* Acocks Green operates Europe's biggest bus route, the Outer Circle.
* The garage operates 158 buses on 29 bus routes, (including School Services).
* The garage operates 7 different types of bus.

Birmingham Central

Address: Liverpool Street, Bordesley, Birmingham, West Midlands, B9 4DS
* Code = BC
* Birmingham Central is the only garage which operates just double decks
* All of the 200 vehicles the garage operates are low floor easy access.
* BC operates 32 bus routes, using 4 different types of bus.

Bordesley Green

Address: Bordesley Green, Birmingham, West Midlands, B9 4BZ
* Code = BY
* The garage is the only one the company owns which operates just 1 type of bus (Mercedes 0405N)
* The garage only operates low floor easy access single deck buses.
* The garage is also the smallest, operating only 39 buses on 6 routes - but all these routes are also operated by Lea Hall garage as well.

Lea Hall

Address: Crossfields Road, Lea Hall, Birmingham, West Midlands, B33 8HP
* Code = LH
* The garage operates 132 buses.
* It operates four different types of buses on 27 different routes, plus school services.

Pensnett

Address: 2nd Avenue, Pensnett Trading Estate, Kingswinford, West Midlands, DY6 7NA
* Code = PE (Prev MH)
* The garage previously operated as Travel Merry Hill.
* The garage operates 104 buses, the newest being Mercedes 0405N 1704, being nearly 9 years old.
* Including spurs, Pensnett Depot operates 26 bus routes.
* The garage operates 3 different types of bus, all of which are single decks.

Perry Barr

Address: Wellhead Lane, Perry Barr, Birmingham, West Midlands, B42 2SY
* Code = PB
* The garage operates 190 buses on 41 different bus routes, plus school services.
* The garage operates 10 different types of bus.

Walsall

Address: Carl Street, Birchills, Walsall, West Midlands, WS2 7BE
* Code = WA
* The garage operates 186 buses on 57 bus routes, plus school services.
* WA operates 7 different types of bus.

West Bromwich

Address: Oak Lane, West Bromwich, West Midlands, B70 8PP
* Code = WB
* The garage operates 168 buses, on 32 bus routes, plus school services.
* WB operates 7 different types of bus.

Wolverhampton

Address: Park Lane, Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV10 9QG
* Code = WN
* The garage operates 231 buses, making it the biggest garage.
* WN operates 5 different types of bus on 46 bus routes, plus school services.

Yardley Wood

Address: Yardley Wood Road, Yardley Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B14 4BN
* Code = YW
* YW operates 147 buses on 14 bus services. It operates 5 different types of bus.

National Express Coventry

Address: 2 Ford Street, Coventry, West Midlands, CV1 5AD
* Code = CV (Previously WT)
* CV trades as National Express Coventry
* The garage operates 163 buses on 39 different bus routes.
* CV operates 9 different types of bus.

NXWM Storage

Miller Street

Address:
* Code = XS
* Miller Street garage operates no routes.
* It is used for maintenance of buses as well as for storage of vehicles not currently in use and of withdrawn vehicles, before they are sold on or scrapped.

References

All Information on this page is fromwww.travelwm.co.uk