Media Centre

All change for bus services 9 & 139 - between Halesowen, Stourbridge and Birmingham

19 May 2009

National Express West Midlands has announced a series of improvements to services 9 and 139, including new buses, an improved timetable and new route numbers.

From 31st May service 139 will be renamed the ‘99’ to mark a series of improvements on services between Birmingham, Halesowen and Stourbridge, aimed at simplifying the bus service along one of the West Midlands’ busiest corridors.

The 9 and the new 99 will benefit from a new timetable with reliable and accurate journey times as its primary focus. In response to customer demand, the new 99 will also use the underpass at Five Ways Island to avoid congestion on its way out of Birmingham city centre.  The changes aim to improve the service for regular users and encourage new users to trial the bus.

Simon Mathieson, Area Manager for Birmingham Central, said:
“We’re introducing a series of improvements to the 9 and 139 to provide customers with a faster journey time and more punctual service between Birmingham, Halesowen, Stourbridge and Merry Hill. As part of the improvements the 139 has become the 99 to simplify the service.”

Services 9 and 99, which offer up to 13 buses every hour between Halesowen and Birmingham, will also benefit from a dedicated route manager along the Hagley road. The route manager will keep track of timetabled services to provide customers with regular, scheduled buses.

Councillor John Hunt, lead member for bus on Centro, the region’s passenger transport authority, said:
“We welcome these service improvements and the investments in new vehicles which will help attract more people out of their cars and onto the bus. These enhancements further support the improved bus network launched in Dudley by National Express and Centro last spring.”

Full details of the changes can be found at www.nationalexpress.com/westmidlands, information notices on board the buses or by calling 0121 254 7272.

Summary of changes to service 9 and 139 from 31st May:
• Service 139 will become 99
• Services 9 and 99 will benefit from a new timetable to provide faster journey times and further improve reliability
• Hagley Road will benefit from a dedicated route manager to assist customers and monitor services
• The timetable for service 138 will change during the evenings to improve reliability
• The 9 and 99 will benefit from new buses from the summer

ENDS

For more information about National Express please contact:
Carly O’Donnell
Tel: 0121 460 8867
Email: Carly.odonnell@nationalexpress.com