National Express currently have 10 active depot's across the West Midlands offering services as far as Stafford and Cannock in the North and Leamington in the South, covering majority of areas across the West Midlands. Today's focus we look at Yardley Wood Garage and the services and vehicles it operates and has operated since I started working there in October 2016.
Yardley Wood presently operates 10 full services, 2 works services, a handful of school duties and a peak board on service 72.
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| 1900, BX09 PCF seen at Shirley Green Business Park |
Services 2 and 3 make up the Warstock Rota, which do also have a duty on school service 863 (One bus goes onto the 2 and another onto the 18) These services make use of the recently trap fitted Dennis Tridents with Alexander ALX400 bodywork, 4382/3/6-94 and 4565-4577. Service 2 runs from Birmingham to Maypole, terminating short at night at Warstock. Service 3 has seen much change over recent years, when I started at garage the service ran from Birmingham to Shirley Green Business Park, however was cut back in April 2017 to run as far as Yardley Wood's Slade Lane, cutting the service in half, it was rare to carry anyone beyond Shirley, however was popular between Yardley Wood and Shirley.
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| 4345, BX02 AUV is seen at Solihull Town Centre |
Service 6 makes up the Hall Green Rota, running between Birmingham and Solihull Station, there are a few early morning duties that cover Monkspath Business Park, usually operated by service 5 from AG, these are run as 6A services and take a faster route into Solihull. Service 6 and 6A follow the Stratford Road for majority of there route to Solihull. These services are home to the recently transferred Alexander Dennis Enviro200MMC's 2230-2250 which moved from Acocks Green, these replaced Scania Omnilinks on the service.
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| 4389, BV52 OBG is seen in Northfield |
Service 18 makes up the Bartley Green Rota, seen as more the 'Old Boys' Rota it is home to majority of Yardley Wood's Part Time and more experienced drivers, running from Yardley Wood Bus Garage to Bartley Green via Alcester Lanes End, Cotteridge and Northfield. This is usually the home of the Non City going Tridents based at Yardley Wood.
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| 1920, BX59 NTK is seen at Maypole |
Service 27 forms half of the Pool Farm Rota, running from Maypole, it passes Yardley Wood Garages before working round Yardley Wood and up to Kings Heath, from here it routes through Stirchley and Cadbury, before making its way to Northfield and onwards to West Heath before finally terminating in Hawkesley. The 27 is one of the best services to drive at Yardley Wood and is home of the remaining Scania Omnilinks new to Yardley Wood in 2010 for service 6.
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| 4727, BU07 LHD is seen in Kings Heath |
Service 35 forms the other half of the Pool Farm Rota, by far the worst half, same with service 50 it goes into City from Kings Heath, the 35 starts at Hawkesley and works its way through Pool Farm, Kings Heath, Moseley, Balsall Heath and arriving into the City at the Markets. Service 35 uses the former Perry Barr Sutton Lines Alexander Dennis Enviro400's 4718-4727 which are branded for the service and also spare Enviros 4728-32.
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| 4394, BV52 OBX seen at Shirley Station |
Service 49 is one half of the Kings Norton Rota, Service 49 works from Northfield, through Holly Hill, Longbridge, Kings Norton, Maypole and Shirley before making its way to Solihull. Home of Non City going Tridents it also operates as a 49E to Longbridge from Solihull to make a 15 minute service over this section.
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| 6123, SN15 LGL seen in Moseley |
Service 50 makes up the Maypole Rota, which also includes the 50A towards Wythall, the main 50 service is from Druids Heath to Birmingham, via Maypole, Kings Heath, Moseley and Highgate. The 50 is home of the newest Double Deckers at Yardley Wood, the Alexander Dennis Enviro400MMCs new in 2015. The 50 is one of the busiest services in Birmingham operating up to every 4 minutes in the peak and Every 5 minutes throughout the day. The 50 service is the only 24 hour service at Yardley Wood running hourly at night from Maypole to Birmingham. The 50A is a peak extension from Maypole to
Wythall, fitted in as a commuter service and also running to form part of a school contract.
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| 4335, BX02 AUJ seen near the QE. |
Service 76 is the second half of the Kings Norton Rota, running between the QE Hospital, through Selly Oak, Kings Heath and Shirley, before arriving into Solihull. Service 76 like the 49 uses any Decker from Yardley Wood, mostly home of the non city going Tridents.
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| 1911, BX59 NSY seen at the QE |
Service 84 forms the Hawkesley Rota, This rota is made up of just three drivers, mainly part time, it runs from Hawkesley, through Cotteridge, Selly Oak and ends at the QE Hospital using any vehicles available, the 84 is just one vehicle running hourly.
The fleet at Yardley Wood is made up of 5 types, Two forms of single deckers and 3 types of deckers.
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| 1907, BX09 PDU is seen at Shirley Green Business Park |
The Scania Omnilinks were new in 2010 for use mostly on service 6, however are now mostly used on service 27, with the remained spread across the routes, mostly service 6. The fleet compromises of 15 examples, 1909 - 1917 and 1919 - 1924. All were new to Yardley Wood.
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| 4567, BU04 BHZ seen with a 6A |
The Trident fleet is made up of a number of batches;
There is just one Y-TOH currently allocated to Yardley Wood, 4130 following
years of having numerous examples, these have been phased out here by newer Tridents, 4130 is a recent vehicle from the Reserve fleet.
The second batch at Yardley Wood are the 43**s, made up of 45 examples, 4333-4335, 4337-4340, 4342-4344, 4360-4383, 4386-4395. Of these just 11 examples are compliant to run into Birmingham City Centre on the high frequency services.
During 2016 Yardley Wood gained 12 45** examples from Wolverhampton which have been refurbished into Crimson standard and are mainly used on services 2 and 3, these are 4565-4577.
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| 2239, YX65 PXE seen at Sarehole Mill |
In 2017 Yardley Wood gained a new vehicle type, the E200MMC which moved in from Acocks Green to replace majority of the Scania fleet allocated there, these are mostly used on the 6 and are very rare on services 27 and 49 due to poor turning circles. 2230-2250 are allocated at Yardley Wood.
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| 4730, BV57 XHT seen in Solihull |
Since 2007 Yardley Wood has operated Alexander Dennis Enviro400s since 2007 when they received a batch for service 50 between Druids Heath and Birmingham, these have since moved on, Yardley Wood gained its second batch from Perry Barr for service 35 between Hawkesley and Birmingham, these being 4718-4732.
Also part of the Enviro400 fleet is the original single door prototype 4698, a rather marmite bus amongst drivers, it has been promised to the Training Fleet, It is used on all non city going services.
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| 6147, SN15 LHU seen at Warstock |
In 2015, Yardley Wood gained a new fleet of Crimson Alexander Dennis E400MMCs for use on service 50 between Druids Heath and Birmingham, 6123-6142 are branded for service 50 and 6143-6146 are used on most other services, two vehicles used for Private Hire work are 6147 and 6148 which also see use on services while not needed for this work.
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