| Go West Midlamds | |
|---|---|
| Fate | Sold (due to bad financial results) |
| Successor | Central Connect |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Defunct | 03/03/2008 |
| Location | West Midlands |
| Industry | Bus transport |
- This company has been sold, for more recent developments, see Central Connect. Connect Buses is the brand name used to cover all aspects of the Rotala Group bus operations The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. Connect Buses is the brand name used to cover all aspects of the Rotala Group bus operations
Go West Midlands was a bus company based in Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located It was owned by Go-Ahead Group and was formed through Go-Ahead buying Probus Management Limited (trading as People's Express, and before that Pete's Travel) and Birmingham Coach Company (trading as Diamond Bus) and merging the two. The Go-Ahead Group plc ( is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the privatisation of the UK's train and bus industries This company originally traded as Pete's Travel as also traded as People's Express Probus Management was a bus operator in the West Midlands For more details of this company see the company who bought it Probus Management People's Express was the trading name of Salelink This company originally traded as Pete's Travel as also traded as People's Express Probus Management was a bus operator in the West Midlands This company has been sold for more recent developments see Central Connect. Bus services were operated throughout the West Midlands under the Diamond name. The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands.
Go West Midlands was seen as the second biggest operator in the West Midlands with National Express West Midlands (Travel West Midlands at the time) being the biggest. National Express West Midlands is the current trading and brand name of West Midlands Travel Ltd (part of the National Express Group) a company which operates
In 2006 Diamond relaunched their image, by increasing its frequency on route 16, which basically matches that of Travel West Midlands and increasing its frequencies on the 17, 63, 64, 74 and 87.
However, in November 2007, Diamond withdrew its services on the 17 and 63 and majorly altered its operations on services 74 and 87 (cutting parts of the route off completely).
Diamond also lost many Centro and Staffordshire County contracts to other operators since Go-Ahead took over and stopped many of their school services.
On 3rd March 2008 Go-Ahead announced that it had sold Go West Midlands to Rotala Group subsidiary Central Connect. Rotala is an Alternative Investment Market listed company which owns a variety of UK transport operators Connect Buses is the brand name used to cover all aspects of the Rotala Group bus operations [1]. To make significant cost savings, Rotala plans to integrate the Diamond branding into its existing business. Currently, buses are losing their "we're part of the Go-Ahead Group" branding on the Diamond livery.
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Fares
Before the sale, Diamond operated a fare system that was similar to its competitors within the West Midlands Metropolitan area. The fares and fare structure was similar to that of Travel West Midlands - £1. National Express West Midlands is the current trading and brand name of West Midlands Travel Ltd (part of the National Express Group) a company which operates 10 for a 'short hop' and £1. 50 for an unlimited single journey ticket. Diamond differed by offering cheaper day tickets on a much more limited network of buses. A Diamond 'freedom' day ticket cost £2, whereas a child was £1. The ticket was also valid on the Friday and Saturday night services that Diamond ran across Birmingham (it was not, however, valid on the 5N and 58N as they are Central Connect Centro subsidised services). Connect Buses is the brand name used to cover all aspects of the Rotala Group bus operations Week tickets were £7 for adults, child were £3. 50 and a monthly pass was £25 for adults, £12. 50 for children.
On journeys that go outside the West Midlands boundary (Service 64 and 146 for example) fares increased at various rates.
Diamond, unlike Travel West Midlands, did give change. National Express West Midlands is the current trading and brand name of West Midlands Travel Ltd (part of the National Express Group) a company which operates
Diamond routes
Before the takeover, Diamond ran the following routes:
| Route | Terminals | Via | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham, Town Hall | Acocks Green Village | Moseley | Early Sunday morning trips only (Centro Contract) |
| 9N | Birmingham, Broad Street | Halesowen Bus Station | Hagley Road | Night Service |
| 14N | Birmingham, Broad Street | Stechford | Chelmsley Wood & Alum Rock | Night service |
| 16 | Birmingham, Corporation Street | Hamstead Village | Handsworth Wood | |
| 16N | Birmingham, Broad Street | Kingstanding | Pheasey & Hamstead | Night service |
| 22N | Birmingham, Broad Street | Kitwell | Harborne & Bartley Green | Night Service |
| 50 | Birmingham | Druids Heath | Kings Heath and Maypole | |
| 50N | Birmingham, Broad Street | Druids Heath | Kings Heath and Maypole | Night Service |
| 56 | Birmingham | Brownhills West | Aldridge | Weekdays only |
| 56A | Birmingham | Brownhills West | Aldridge, Hundred Acre | Evenings and Sundays only |
| 57 | Redditch | Matchborough Circular | Woodrow | |
| 58 | Redditch | Matchborough Circular | ||
| 63N | Birmingham, Broad Street | Rubery | Bristol Road | Night Service |
| 64 | Birmingham | Bromsgrove | Rubery & Lickey End | |
| 74/74E | Birmingham | Dudley Port | West Bromwich Bus Station | |
| 81 | Birmingham | Brandhall | Smethwick & Warley | Evening and Sunday working (Centro contract) |
| 86 | Woodgate Valley South | Rubery Great Park | Weoley Castle Square | |
| 87/87E | Birmingham | Tividale | Smethwick and Oldbury | |
| 93 | Bromsgrove | Charford | Worcester County Contract | |
| 97 | Birmingham | Chelmsley Wood | Bordesley Green | |
| 104N | Birmingham, Broad Street | Sutton Coldfield | Erdington | Night service |
| 119 | Sutton Coldfield | Falcon Lodge | ||
| 120 | Birmingham | Dudley | Londonderry & Oldbury | Now only 2 early morning trips on M-F and Sat kept. Maj withdrawn |
| 146 | Birmingham | Redditch | Kings Norton and Alvechurch | Majority of services extended to Evesham on 246 |
| 158 | Birmingham | Bloxwich | Kingstanding | Centro Contract |
| 200 | Oldbury | Bearwood, Brandhall | Circular | Centro Contract |
| 201 | Oldbury | Brandhall, Bearwood | Circular | Centro Contract |
| 205 | Dudley | Blackheath | Portway | |
| 209 | Dudley | Merry Hill | Oakham | Centro contract |
| 213 | Brierley Hill | Fatherless Barn | Cradley Heath | Centro Contract |
| 245 | Merry Hill | Dudley | Cradley Heath and Netherton | Centro Contract |
| 247 | Redditch | Evesham | Alcester and Bidford Upon Avon | |
| 266 | Wall Heath | Waterfront West | Merry Hill | Centro Contract |
| 267 | Stourbridge | Kingswinford | Ashwood Park | |
| 298 | Stourbridge | Pedmore Fields | ||
| 299 | Stourbridge | Pedmore Fields | ||
| 300 | Merry Hill | Walsall | Dudley and Wednesbury | Sunday Service |
| 342 | Walsall | Beechdale | Willenhall | Centro Contract |
| 343 | Catshill | Redditch | Hewell Park | Sunday Service |
| 357 | Walsall | Aldridge | Centro Contract | |
| 399 | Walsall | Wednesbury | ||
| 401 | West Bromwich | Bilston | ||
| 401E | Yew Tree | Walsall | ||
| 402 | West Bromwich | Tipton | ||
| 404 | West Bromwich | Walsall | ||
| 410 | West Bromwich | Wednesbury | Friar Park | |
| 451 | West Bromwich | Sutton Coldfield | ||
| 510 | Wolverhampton | Perton | Centro Contract | |
| 532 | Wolverhampton | Northwood Park | Circular | Centro Contract |
| 533 | Wolverhampton | Northwood Park | Circular | Centro Contract |
| 544 | Wolverhampton | Dudley | Bilston | Centro Contract |
| 581 | Wolverhampton | Merry Hill | Sunday Service/ Centro contract | |
| 600 | Erdington | Circular | ||
| 836 | Minworth | The Arthur Terry School | School Contract | |
See also
References
- ^ Go-Ahead - "Disposal of Go West Midlands" Accessed 3rd March 2008
External links
The Arthur Terry School is a Secondary school and Sixth form centre in the Four Oaks area of Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, Birmingham is a major transport hub due in part to its location in central England.Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic