National Express West Midlands route 529
Encyclopedia
The 529 is a bus route in the West Midlands
, United Kingdom
. It is operated by National Express West Midlands
every day of the week.
The route links the town of Walsall
with The City of Wolverhampton
via Willenhall
town centre.
Despite it being a popular commuter route, bus is now the only mode of transport between all the areas served by the route, as there are no longer any passenger trains running between Wolverhampton and Walsall.
are the sole operator along the route. The route is usually operated mostly by Dennis Trident 2
(ALX400 bodied) low floor double decks, with usually at least three Volvo B7TL
(Wright Eclipse
bodied) low floor double decks working the service each day. It is not totally unknown for low floor single decks to appear on the route, most commonly Volvo B7RLE
(Wright Eclipse Gemini
bodied) and Volvo B10L
s (both Alexander Ultra and Wright Liberator
bodied examples).
National Express
operate the service between 4.55am and 12.17am on weekdays to a frequency of up to every 7 minutes. On Saturdays, the service commences from 5 minutes earlier and runs to the same frequency, whilst on Sunday the service runs between 9.18am and 11.52pm to a fifteen minute frequency. A 20 minute evening service is operated along the corridor every day of the week.
As with the majority of services operated by National Express West Midlands
, a two tier fare programme is in operation. A short-hop fare costs £1.50, with other journeys costing £1.70. Children aged between 5-15 travel for half fare.
When London Midland
withdrew its rail service between Wolverhampton
and Walsall
, they usually advised passengers to use the 529 bus service.
It is also worth noting that the Gas Buses are now converted to run on Conventional Diesel.
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is operated by National Express West Midlands
National Express West Midlands
National Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West...
every day of the week.
The route links the town of Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
with The City of Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
via Willenhall
Willenhall
Willenhall is a town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire...
town centre.
Despite it being a popular commuter route, bus is now the only mode of transport between all the areas served by the route, as there are no longer any passenger trains running between Wolverhampton and Walsall.
Present
Currently National Express West MidlandsNational Express West Midlands
National Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West...
are the sole operator along the route. The route is usually operated mostly by Dennis Trident 2
Dennis Trident 2
Dennis Trident 2 is a 2-axle low-floor double-decker bus chassis originally built by Dennis in the United Kingdom, which was unveiled in 1997 and replaced the Dennis Arrow...
(ALX400 bodied) low floor double decks, with usually at least three Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of Volvo Olympian...
(Wright Eclipse
Wright Eclipse
The Wright Eclipse is a low-floor single-deck bus body built by Wright on Volvo B7 chassis. It shares its design with the Wright Solar on Scania L94 chassis....
bodied) low floor double decks working the service each day. It is not totally unknown for low floor single decks to appear on the route, most commonly Volvo B7RLE
Volvo B7RLE
Volvo B7RLE is a low-floor single-deck citybus launched initially in Australia in 2001, and then in the United Kingdom in 2003 to supplement the B7L single-decker, which was unsuccessful in both countries. It is similar to the B7L's predecessor, the B10BLE...
(Wright Eclipse Gemini
Wright Eclipse Gemini
The Wright Eclipse Gemini is a type of double-decker bus body built for Volvo B7TL and later Volvo B9TL and Volvo B5L Hybrid for use in the United Kingdom....
bodied) and Volvo B10L
Volvo B10L
The Volvo B10L is a rear-engined, low-floor single-deck city bus chassis built by Volvo between c. 1993 and c. 2005. An articulated version of the B10L, known as the B10LA, was also produced.-United Kingdom:...
s (both Alexander Ultra and Wright Liberator
Wright Liberator
The Wright Liberator is a low-floor single-deck bus body built on Volvo B10L chassis by Wright.Around 146 were built between 1996 and 1999. It was discontinued in favour of the Renown on Volvo B10BLE chassis, which in turn was superseded by the Eclipse series, on Volvo B7L and later B7RLE chassis,...
bodied examples).
National Express
National Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
operate the service between 4.55am and 12.17am on weekdays to a frequency of up to every 7 minutes. On Saturdays, the service commences from 5 minutes earlier and runs to the same frequency, whilst on Sunday the service runs between 9.18am and 11.52pm to a fifteen minute frequency. A 20 minute evening service is operated along the corridor every day of the week.
As with the majority of services operated by National Express West Midlands
National Express West Midlands
National Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West...
, a two tier fare programme is in operation. A short-hop fare costs £1.50, with other journeys costing £1.70. Children aged between 5-15 travel for half fare.
History
- 1965 - Service 29 (jointly operated by Walsall Corporation Transport and Wolverhampton Corporation Transport) becomes the first Walsall trolleybus routeTrolleybuses in WalsallThe Walsall trolleybus system once served the town of Walsall, then in Staffordshire, but now in West Midlands, England. Opened on , it gradually replaced the Walsall tramway network....
to be converted to full Motor Bus operation, due to work on Junction 10 of the M6M6 motorwayThe M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
. - 1975 - Service 29 is renumbered Service 529 as part of West Midlands PTE's programme to standardise its service numbering arrangements (5xx being Wolverhampton's designated numbering range).
- Early 1990s - Details about the 529 frequency and operators is unclear, but it is known that West Midlands Travel operate a Timesaver service between WolverhamptonWolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
and Birmingham International Airport via WalsallWalsallWalsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
(Service 966). The frequency of the 529 is currently unknown, but it known that WMT use MCW MetrobusMCW MetrobusThe MCW Metrobus is a double decker bus model manufactured by MCW from 1977 until 1989, with over 4,000 examples built. The original MkI model was superseded by the MkII model in 1981/1982, although production of the original MkI continued for London Transport until 1985...
es on the route. - Mid-1990s - Chase Bus Services and National Express West MidlandsNational Express West MidlandsNational Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West...
(then West Midlands Travel) operate the 529. Chase use Leyland NationalLeyland NationalThe Leyland National is a British single-deck bus built in large quantities between 1972 and 1985. It was developed as a joint project between two UK nationalised industries - the National Bus Company and British Leyland. Buses were constructed at a specially built factory at the Lillyhall...
s on the route, whilst WMT use branded Volvo B10BVolvo B10BThe Volvo B10B was a rear-engined high-floor bus chassis manufactured by Volvo Buses from 1990 to 2002. It superseded the Volvo B10R and its successor was the Volvo B12B....
s. - 1997 - West Midlands Travel, by now Travel West Midlands start using brand new route branded Volvo B10LVolvo B10LThe Volvo B10L is a rear-engined, low-floor single-deck city bus chassis built by Volvo between c. 1993 and c. 2005. An articulated version of the B10L, known as the B10LA, was also produced.-United Kingdom:...
buses on the route. These buses are powered by Compressed Natural GasCompressed natural gasCompressed natural gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane/LPG. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a spill...
(CNG), and make the 529 the first bus route in the whole of the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to be operated by such buses. - 1998 - TWM run the 529 at 6 minute daytime frequency, whilst Chase run the service every 15 minutes Monday - Friday and 20 minutes on a Saturday. Evening and Sunday journeys are only run by TWM at a twenty minute frequency. At the same time Chase Bus Services route 5 follows the same route as the 529 between WalsallWalsallWalsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
and WillenhallWillenhallWillenhall is a town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire...
, before proceeding to BilstonBilstonBilston is a town in the English county of West Midlands, situated in the southeastern corner of the City of Wolverhampton. Three wards of Wolverhampton City Council cover the town: Bilston East and Bilston North, which almost entirely comprise parts of the historic Borough of Bilston, and...
at a twenty minute frequency. - 1999 - Chase Bus Services completely withdraw off the 529 and shorten the frequency of the 5 to half hourly. Travel West Midlands frequency on the 529 remains the same.
- 2001 - Chase Bus Services completely withdraw off the 5. At the same time Travel West Midlands slightly reduce the frequency on the 529 to every 7 minutes and start using route branded Dennis Trident 2Dennis Trident 2Dennis Trident 2 is a 2-axle low-floor double-decker bus chassis originally built by Dennis in the United Kingdom, which was unveiled in 1997 and replaced the Dennis Arrow...
s on the route, in place of the Gas Buses due to the higher capacity. - 2005 - A2Z TravelA2Z TravelA2Z Travel was a diversified transportation company operating mainly in the Walsall and Wolverhampton areas of the West Midlands in west central England, also providing some bus services in South Staffordshire and Birmingham...
briefly begin operating on the 529 at an irregular frequency. Within six months they come off the service. - 2006 - Travel West Midlands begin gradually removing the 529 branded from its vehicles. The buses are repainted and put into route 51 branding (WalsallWalsallWalsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
- BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
), whilst the older Plaxton PresidentPlaxton PresidentThe Plaxton President was a double-decker bus body built at Northern Counties plant in Wigan, England and branded as a Plaxton product for its main production run. It was unveiled in 1997 and built between 1999 and 2005. When Plaxton became part of TransBus International, the body was sold under...
-bodied Volvo B7TLVolvo B7TLVolvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of Volvo Olympian...
s off the 51 are debranded, repainted but not rebranded and used on the 529. - Early 2007 - A2Z TravelA2Z TravelA2Z Travel was a diversified transportation company operating mainly in the Walsall and Wolverhampton areas of the West Midlands in west central England, also providing some bus services in South Staffordshire and Birmingham...
start operating on the 529 on Sundays only at a twenty minute frequency. - Mid 2007 - Travel West Midlands increase the Sunday frequency on the 529, so that it now operates every 15 minutes.
- Late 2007 - The Volvo B7TLVolvo B7TLVolvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of Volvo Olympian...
s are transferred from WalsallWalsallWalsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
to Acocks GreenAcocks GreenAcocks Green is an area and ward of south Birmingham, England. It is named after the Acock family who built a large house in the area in 1370. Acocks Green is one of the four wards making up Yardley formal district...
garage for route 1. A few Dennis Trident 2Dennis Trident 2Dennis Trident 2 is a 2-axle low-floor double-decker bus chassis originally built by Dennis in the United Kingdom, which was unveiled in 1997 and replaced the Dennis Arrow...
s are transferred from WolverhamptonWolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
to cover, but for a short period the 529 is being operated by a mixture of the Gas Buses, Trident 2s and the remaining Volvo B7TLVolvo B7TLVolvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of Volvo Olympian...
s. - 2008 - WalsallWalsallWalsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
s allocation of Wright Eclipse GeminiWright Eclipse GeminiThe Wright Eclipse Gemini is a type of double-decker bus body built for Volvo B7TL and later Volvo B9TL and Volvo B5L Hybrid for use in the United Kingdom....
-bodied Volvo B7TLVolvo B7TLVolvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of Volvo Olympian...
s are replaced on service 997 to BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
by brand new Alexander Dennis Enviro400 vehicles. These buses are used on the 529 along with Dennis Trident 2Dennis Trident 2Dennis Trident 2 is a 2-axle low-floor double-decker bus chassis originally built by Dennis in the United Kingdom, which was unveiled in 1997 and replaced the Dennis Arrow...
s. To this day, the mixture of these two vehicles is the allocation on the 529. Additionally, A2Z TravelA2Z TravelA2Z Travel was a diversified transportation company operating mainly in the Walsall and Wolverhampton areas of the West Midlands in west central England, also providing some bus services in South Staffordshire and Birmingham...
increase its Sunday frequency to every 15 minutes. - January 2009 - A2Z TravelA2Z TravelA2Z Travel was a diversified transportation company operating mainly in the Walsall and Wolverhampton areas of the West Midlands in west central England, also providing some bus services in South Staffordshire and Birmingham...
withdraw off the 529. - September 2009 - National Express West MidlandsNational Express West MidlandsNational Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West...
reduce the Sunday daytime frequency from every 15, to every 20 minutes . Meanwhile, Saturday journeys are diverted into WalsallWalsallWalsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
. They now travel along Blue Lane West and Green Lane, therefore avoiding Wolverhampton Street and the congestion caused by cars trying to enter the Crown Wharf Retail Park car park. - November 2009 - All journeys on the 529 are diverted to run along Blue Lane West & Green Lane, due to the congestion and delays caused by traffic queuing to enter Crown Wharf .
- January 2010 - Diamond BusDiamond BusDiamond is a bus operator in the West Midlands, formed in 1986 as The Birmingham Coach Company.-Birmingham Coach Company:The company was created in 1986 as the Birmingham Coach Company operating a single route, 16, in competition with West Midlands Travel....
introduce journeys on the 529E, to a frequency of every 12 minutes during Monday - Saturday daytime. They also offer a £2 day return on the service (£1 Child). - April 2010 - Diamond BusDiamond BusDiamond is a bus operator in the West Midlands, formed in 1986 as The Birmingham Coach Company.-Birmingham Coach Company:The company was created in 1986 as the Birmingham Coach Company operating a single route, 16, in competition with West Midlands Travel....
withdraw the 529E service due to a lack of patronage. - July 2011- route 529 transfers to wolverhampton garage
Events
- 1965 - The service becomes the first WalsallWalsallWalsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
Trolleybus route to be operated by Motor Buses - 1997 - The services becomes the first in the UK to be operated using buses running on Compressed Natural GasCompressed natural gasCompressed natural gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane/LPG. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a spill...
. - 1998 - The Gas Buses are temporarily withdrawn from service due to a fault.
- 1998 - A sniper shoots out windows on five buses on the 529 route.
- 2001 - A bus driver on the 529 had a gun pulled out on him, after getting into an argument with a passenger over a fare.
- 2003 - A yob hurls a firework at a bus running on the 529 on a Sunday Evening. Luckily no serious injuries or damage is caused.
- 2005 - Two passengers attacked a fellow passenger on a 529 service, before disembarking and throwing missiles at the vehicle.
When London Midland
London Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
withdrew its rail service between Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
and Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
, they usually advised passengers to use the 529 bus service.
It is also worth noting that the Gas Buses are now converted to run on Conventional Diesel.
Route
- WalsallWalsallWalsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
(Walsall Bus Station) - AlumwellAlumwellAlumwell is a suburb on the west side of Walsall, in the West Midlands of England. The area is home to Walsall's Manor Hospital. The neighbourhood is adjacent to the M6 and can be seen from the motorway by passing drivers. The neighbourhood is by a primary and secondary school. Most of the houses...
- BentleyBentleyBentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
- WillenhallWillenhallWillenhall is a town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire...
- Neachells
- WolverhamptonWolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
(Wolverhampton bus stationWolverhampton bus stationWolverhampton Bus Station is a bus interchange in the city centre of Wolverhampton, in the West Midlands region of England.It is managed by Network West Midlands. Local bus services operated by various companies serve the bus station which has 19 departure stands and 1 unloading stand...
)