UPDATED: 22ND MARCH 23:20 WITH THE LATEST SCHEDULE UPDATES
It seems that drivers who work for National Express Bus Coventry or National Express Bus West Midlands have rejected a pay deal, leading to indefinite strike action.
Things that will be a rare site from Monday onwards – National Express West Midlands Buses operating – Image, Economy Class and Beyond.
For those who live in the West Midlands conurbation (defined in this case as Coventry, Solihull, Birmingham, Dudley, Stourbridge, Walsall and Wolverhampton), you’re going to find getting around a lot more difficult, with the strike action.
Combined, National Express Bus operates over 90% of buses in the area – impacting a lot of the region who use them to travel to work, school, leisure or other purposes.
What bus services (if any) are running?
National Express Bus will run the following services – primarily keeping “critical” services to regional hospitals running. Services are a lot sparser than normal, with some services every 40 minutes to hourly, with some peaking at two services per hour. The general advice is DO NOT TRAVEL.
Some services will be starting in different locations, so continue to check the timetables. You can find them for Coventry and West Midlands.
National Express Coventry (UPDATED 21st MARCH – Check https://nxbus.co.uk/coventry/service-updates/strike-action for late-breaking changes)
- 3 | Coventry to Warwickshire Shopping Park
- 6 | Coventry to Tanyard Farm
- 6A | Coventry to Tanyard Farm
- 7 | Bell Green to Coventry
- 8 | Coventry to Walsgrave
- 9 | Green Lane – University Hospital (via Coventry)
- 11 | Coventry to Kenilworth (via University of Warwick)
- 12X | Coventry to University of Warwick
- 13 | Coventry to Whitmore Park
- 13 | Willenhall to Coventry
- 14 | Coventry to University of Warwick (via Eastern Green, Tile Hill & Cannon Park)
- 16 | Coventry to Keresley Village
- 17 | Coventry – University Hospital
- 18 | Coventry – Tile Hill South (via Canley)
- 20 | Coventry to Bedworth (via Foleshill Road)
- 20A | Coventry – University Hospital (via Foleshill Road & Bell Green)
- 21 | Willenhall to Wood End (via Coventry)
- 22 | Coventry to Little Heath
- 25 | Coventry – Rugby (via Baginton, Ryton & Bourton)
- 85 & 85S | Coventry – Rugby (via Brinklow, Monks Kirby, Harborough Magna and Newbold)
National Express West Midlands (UPDATED 22nd MARCH – Check https://nxbus.co.uk/west-midlands/service-updates/strike-action for late-breaking changes)
Birmingham
- 4 | Birmingham – Solihull (via Sparkbrook, Tyseley, Acocks Green & Olton)
- 6 | Birmingham – Solihull (via Sparkbrook, Sparkhill, Hall Green & Shirley)
- 28 | Heartlands Hospital – Great Barr (via Ward End, Castle Bromwich, Erdington, Old Oscott & Perry Beeches)
- 51 | Birmingham – Walsall (via Great Barr & Perry Barr)
- 87 | Birmingham – Oldbury (via City Hospital & Smethwick)
- 97 | Birmingham – Chelmsley Wood (via Bordesley Green, Heartlands Hospital & Meadway)
- X4 | Birmingham – Falcon Lodge (via Aston Expressway, Erdington, Sutton Coldfield & Good Hope Hospital)
- X21| Birmingham – Weoley Castle (via Birmingham University & Selly Oak
Black Country
- 5 | West Bromwich – Sutton Coldfield (via Great Barr, Kingstanding & New Oscott)
- 6 | Dudley – Stourbridge (via Russells Hall Hospital, Brierley Hill & Amblecote)
Wolverhampton
- 59 | Wolverhampton – Ashmore Park (via New Cross Hospital & Wednesfield)
- 529 | Wolverhampton – Walsall (via Willenhall)
Are other bus operators impacted?
No, but you can expect them to be very busy as they take up the slack. Diamond Bus, Kev’s Coaches, Arriva, and Stagecoach should be operating services “as normal”.
You can find out what other operators there are at https://journeyplanner.wmnetwork.co.uk/operator.
Are National Express coaches impacted?
At this time, no, but check before you travel.
Is Connectivity to Birmingham Airport affected?
Buses X1 and X12 operated by National Express West Midlands will not operate. You’ll need to use a train service or a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire to complete your journey. Bus 96 operated by Diamond Bus between Kingstanding, Chemsley Wood, and Birmingham Airport will operate on its usual timetable.
When is the strike going to end?
The strikes are going to be running indefinitely. Keep an eye on the pages above, Transport for West Midlands, and both NX Bus branches for updates via the website and social media, as well as the Birmingham Mail.
Where can I get information/refunds/etc?
National Express has set up two pages, depending on where you are:
- Birmingham, Black Country, and Solihull – https://nxbus.co.uk/west-midlands/service-updates/strike-action
- Coventry – https://nxbus.co.uk/coventry/service-updates/strike-action
What other options are there to get around?
Locally, West Midlands Railway (and trains in the area) should be running “as normal” (although as usual, check before you travel for short-notice cancellations). For those living on the Wolverhampton-Bilston-Wednesdbuy-West-Bromwich-Birmingham corridor, the West Midlands Metro is planning to run a normal service.
For those wanting to go to two wheels, The West Midlands Cycle Hire scheme is open too, with local coverage in most areas.
Bikes (and eBikes), yes – Scooters, Hard no.
Those thinking about e-scooters can stop thinking about them, as the scheme with the West Midlands Combined Authority in both Birmingham and the University of Warwick have experienced, with WMCA deciding if they want to re-procure the service.
Finally, the hire options of Hackney Carriages (or Black Cabs), Uber, Ola, and Bolt are all there – but expect them to be saturated, with surge fares in play.
As for driving? Good luck with this hot mess (as well as finding a car park space). The Clean Air Zone will be active during this time however, so if you’re planning to drive beyond the inner ringway into the city, check your vehicle is compliant or if you need to pay
Good luck out there.
If you live in the West Midlands and rely on the buses (your author included), expect days of chaos until this is sorted.
And who knows? It might spark WCMA to look beyond the Metro and Sprint ideas for better public transport in the West Midlands.
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