West Midlands 'Sutton Lines' bus corridor

National Express West Midlands operate The Sutton Lines which are a group of bus services running between Birmingham City Centre and Sutton Coldfield, in the West Midlands area of England, often via Erdington.

The majority of the services then extend past Sutton Coldfield to multiple destinations such as Falcon Lodge, Hill Hook and Roughley. Just other services 110 follows the same corridor operated by Arriva Midlands.

Current routes
Currently multiple 'Sutton Lines' routes operate. These are detailed below:

115
The 115 is one of the longest routes between Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield travelling via Aston railway station, Erdington, Pype Hayes, Walmley and Good Hope Hospital. It is operated by National Express West Midlands.

115 frequency
Half hourly Monday - Saturday daytime frequency, which is not combined with the main 'Sutton Lines' frequency.

815
The 815 is a variation of service the 115 In the morning the service starts at Aston railway station at 08:04 and operates to Sutton Coldfield travelling via, Erdington, Walmley Falcon Lodge and Good Hope Hospital. The afternoon journey starts service at 15:22 in Reddicap Heath, outside John Willmott School and operates to Erdington travelling via Falcon Lodge and Walmley This service operates just Monday - Friday, it has operated non-school days. The service is operated by National Express West Midlands.

902
The 902 is another route serving the 'Sutton Lines' corridor. It links Birmingham with Hill Hook, via the Aston Expressway, Erdington, Sutton Coldfield and Mere Green. Again, only operated by National Express West Midlands using Alexander Dennis Enviro400 buses.

This route does not operate evening or Sunday journeys. This closest to this is the train at Buttlers Lane or Blake Street. Clarence Road, Hill Hook Road, Lichfield Road and Bishops Way only have a bus service between 6:10am and 7:50pm Mondays-Saturdays.

902 frequency
902 operates to a thirty-minute frequency during Monday - Saturday daytimes, and is part of the combined 7/8 Minute National Express West Midlands 'Sutton Lines' daytime frequency programme. During evenings and Sundays with the closes cover given is to Mere Green Island on service 905 between Mere Green & Birmingham.

Passengers should note that train stations at Buttlers Lane and Blake Street (at Hill Hook) serve the area and operate during evenings and Sundays every 30 minutes.

From Birmingham Mondays-Fridays

All journeys on service 902 departs at 15 and 45 minutes past

with the exception of 0535, 0705, 0737, 0807, 1850, 1920 departures

From Birmingham Saturdays

All journeys on service 902 departs at 15 and 45 minutes past

with the exception of 0535, 0710, 0800, 0840, 1850, 1920 departures

From Hill Hook Mondays-Fridays

All journeys on service 902 departs are at 12 and 42 minutes past

with the exception of:

Morning Peak time departures are at: 0617, 0645, 0710, 0730, 0752, 0827, 0907

Evening Peak time departures are at: 1539, 1621, 1647, 1720, 1757, 1845, 1946

From Hill Hook Saturday

All journeys on service 902 departs are at 11 and 41 minutes past

with the exception of 0623, 0713, 0753, 0822, 0837, 1715, 1757 1817, 1845, 1946

There have been calls for Sunday journeys to Hill Hook. However as the last round of tenderers to Diamond, proved a lack of usage. So the council are not likely to pay for this when there are train services around the area that operate every 30 minutes during evenings and Sundays. An idea floated was to re-route service 902 from The Yenton via the Chester Road to link ASDA Minworth. This could mean that Hill Hook will could get evening and Sunday service.

This is a controversial move; it would mean workers who live in the Hill Hook area would lose a direct link to Birmingham City used by many workers. However, as people only seem to use the full length of the route during peak times, rather than Monday-Saturday daytimes, this could be a good idea. It would reduce delays and link other parts of Birmingham, which have seen cutbacks in years from service 68 and 638. As with more frequent 904 and 905 services, would mean passengers would have to change buses in Sutton Coldfield or Wylde Green.

904
The 904 is another route serving the 'Sutton Lines' corridor. It links Birmingham with Sutton Coldfield Falcon Lodge housing esate via the Aston Expressway and Erdington. This replaced the 915 route which was put in as part of the new upgrade of the Sutton Lines during 1999. This route is operated solely by National Express West Midlands using Alexander Dennis Enviro400 buses.

904 frequency
Monday - Friday daytime services are run to a fifteen-minute frequency, but with the additional extras journeys, during Monday-Friday peak times, can climax at twelve-minute frequency. This plays part in the combined 7-8 'Sutton Lines' frequency. Sunday operations run to an infrequent 10-to-20-minute frequency, with the rest of the 'Sutton Line' routes to keep a 10-minute frequency between Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham with an hourly departures to serve Falcon Lodge Estate. Evening services operate hourly as 904E to Sutton Coldfield and hourly to Falcon Lodge. This creates a 20-minute frequency between Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield with service 905 operated every hour.

From Sutton Coldfield

904E departs at 03 minutes past

904 departs at 43 minutes past

with service 905 departs at 23 minutes past

From Birmingham

904 departs at 10 minutes past

904E departs at 30 minutes past

with service 905 departs at 50 minutes past

The last departure from Birmingham City Centre at 0010 Tuesday-Sunday mornings and the 2350 Sunday nights operates at 904E.

905
The 905 is another route serving the 'Sutton Lines' corridor. It links Birmingham with Roughley via the Aston Expressway, Erdington, Sutton Coldfield and Mere Green. The service is operated by National Express West Midlands, who use Alexander Dennis Enviro400 double deck buses on the route

905 frequency
Half hourly during the day frequency, playing part in the combined 'Sutton Lines' 7/8 Minute daytime frequency, also running hourly on evenings to create a 20-minute frequency with the rest of the 'Sutton Lines' and hourly on Sundays to help create a 10-minute frequency between Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham with the 904 and 904E.

Sutton Line Evening departures

From Sutton Coldfield

904E departs at 03 minutes past

904 departs at 43 minutes past

with service 905 departs at 23 minutes past

From Birmingham

904 departs at 10 minutes past

904E departs at 30 minutes past

with service 905 departs at 50 minutes past

The last departure from Birmingham City Centre at 0010 Tuesday-Sunday mornings and the 2350 Sunday nights operates at 904E.

907
The 907 is another route linking Birmingham with Sutton Coldfield, but not actually considered to be a 'Sutton Lines'. Route 907 is operated by National Express West Midlands, which travels out of Birmingham in a completely different direction, serving Perry Barr and New Oscott.

907 frequency
Monday - Friday frequencies: The 907 operates to a 12 Minute peak, and 20-minute off-peak frequency, with a half-hourly evening service.

Saturday frequencies: The 907 operates to a 20-minute frequency for most of the day, with a half-hourly evening service.

Sundays frequencies: The 907 operates to a 30 minutes frequency during the day time operations. During the evenings which is strange for a bus route, oddly the service aerations as Mondays - Saturdays are not implemented, which gives a full 30-minute frequency all evening.

Volvo B7TLs are the main allocations of the 907. It is worth noting that between Birmingham and Perry Barr the service is limited stop.

http://timetables.centro.org.uk/showtimetable.asp?file=3_a\807NXB#907

914
The 914 is another route linking Birmingham with Sutton Coldfield, but it does not form part of the main 'Sutton Lines' frequency timetable. It is operated solely by National Express West Midlands

914 frequency
This route operates to a half hourly daily daytime frequency and a daily hourly evening service travelling via Aston University, Walmley and Falcon Lodge.

110
Arriva Midlands 110 services also serve the 'Sutton Lines' corridor, but do not form part of the 'Sutton Lines' timetable. The 110 links Birmingham with Tamworth via the Aston Expressway, Erdington, Sutton Coldfield, Bassetts Pole and Drayton Manor Park. The 110 runs to a fifteen-minute frequency Monday-Saturday, with an hourly Evening and half hourly-hourly Sunday services. Arriva Midlands uses branded modern Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini buses on the 110.

104 and 904
Pre-deregulation service 104 and 904 were operated as Midland Red service 111 and 112. Which linked Birmingham with Erdington, Wylde Green, Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield and with Birmingham Corporation Transport journeys from Birmingham terminating at Wylde Green layover point, which has now been turned into car parking.

During the 1990s, Travel West Midlands ran the 104 service between Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield, and the 104A between Birmingham and Falcon Lodge, as per the current routes. The 104 ran to a fifteen minutes Monday - Saturday daytime frequency in addition to an hourly Evening & Sunday timetable. With a 10 integrated 10-minute Sunday frequencies between Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield with service 104A and 105.

In 1992 North Birmingham Busways started to run the 104X, between Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield to a fifteen-minute weekday peak, and 30-minute Monday - Saturday daytime off-peak, running via the Aston Expressway, which became the 904 as we know today.

Following the changes to the routes in 2000, the Travel West Midlands 104 service was converted to run to a 30-minute daytime frequency Monday - Saturday, with the Evening and Sunday timetables running as per the current timetables on the 104 and 104A. Journeys by North Birmingham Busways, who later became Central Connect, remained unchanged until withdrawn in August 2007.

The 904 was also introduced during the changes, running between Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield running at a fifteen-minute Monday - Saturday frequency. This in effect was just a renumbered 104X.

August 2004 Service 104 Travel West Midlands withdrew daytime journeys.

In August 2007 when route 104X fell into the hands of Central Connect, who ran the route until they announced changes to the route in November. From the 31/12/07 route 904 was reduced to operate Monday-Friday peak time only. The Monday - Saturday '104X' daytime service were replaced by a new hourly route 903, which also ran during Monday-Friday peak times. This service ran via the 902 route (departing from Birmingham on the top of each hour), as far as Bishops Way bus stop on the Lichfield Road. It then followed the Lichfield Road into Lichfield, before continuing onto Walsall via Muckly Corner, Brownhills and Walsall Woods.

From April 2008 - when service 903 was withdrawn. To try and gain passenger usage, Central Connect replaced their operations on 'Sutton Line' 904 service using the old North Birmingham Busways scheduling operations, with a vast array of vehicles on the route.

January 2009 - Again to try and produce more revenue Central Connect re-timed Monday - Friday 904 schedules so they departed at the same time as National Express West Midlands 904 service, leaving the Saturday operations unchanged.

January 2010 - Again to try and gain passenger usage, Central Connect re-timed the whole 904 operating schedule. The Monday - Friday off-peak frequency and the Saturday frequency, were set at half-hourly, with 2 extra vehicles Monday - Friday peak times, to create up to a 15-minute frequency between Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield.

December 2010 Central Connect - Due to low passenger usage service 904 is withdrawn. Central Connect have finally thrown in the towel on the 'Sutton Line' service and it is no wonder when most journeys ran with just four or five people, while others were empty for the entirety.

It is worth noting that two Central Connect journeys in each direction extended beyond Sutton Coldfield. One went to Plantsbrook School, and the other to Bishop Walsh School. Both service variants were withdrawn.

112
The 112 was an extensive service, that stretched from Birmingham to Lichfield and Burton/Cannock. It used to operate via the Aston Expressway, Erdington, Sutton Coldfield, Mere Green & Shenstone. This is no longer part of the Sutton Lines corridor any more, as it was curtailed to operate just from Lichfield to Sutton Coldfield and was routed away from Clarence Road to directly Serve Lichfield Road between Hill Hook and Mere Green. The Monday-Saturday daytime frequency was reduced from hourly to just six trips each way. The average frequency on this service is now every 120 minutes (every 2hours).

92 In March 2013 Central Buses stepped in to replace the original 112 route in Clarence Road, operating this from Sutton Coldfield to Lichfield, but according to the Centro 'Service Change' page today, says that service 92 was withdrawn on Saturday 30 of November 2013, after just six months of operation on this service. It is worth noting that route 92 would occasionally operate using a former TFL London routemaster, acquired by Central Buses for special events.

NOTE: The section from Mere Green to Hill Hook via Clarence Road and Hill Hook Road is served by National Express West Midlands 902 route, while Belwell Lane is served by National Express West Midlands 6 and 902 West Midlands 'Sutton Lines' bus corridor route during other times.

114
In September 2010 - Following changes to services, all evening and Sunday operations were re-routed away from Lichfield Road via the Aston Expressway to give faster journey times to and from Sutton Coldfield.

902
The 902 service used to be West Midlands Travel's services 102 and 102A. In 1999, the service was extended from Hill Hook, to Shenstone in Staffordshire. The 102 ran a similar route to the current 902 service, serving Aston railway station instead of the Aston Expressway and then extending to Shenstone, whilst the 102A ran exactly the same route of the current 902 service, with the exception of the extension. The 102A service ran to a steady 30-minute Monday - Saturday daytime frequency, whilst an irregular frequency operated during the daytime on the 102. There was no Evening or Sunday service.

In 2001, following the amendments to the 'Sutton Lines' in 2000, the 102 and 102A were withdrawn, and replaced by service 902. The service followed a shortened route of the 102A, terminating at Hill Hook. However, it left Shenstone village without a bus service. Staffordshire Council are reluctant to have the extension tendered from Hill Hook.

903
In August 2007 when Central Connect took over North Birmingham Busways, Route 104X fell into the ownership of Central Connect. They then ran the route until they announced changes to the service in November 2007. From the end of the year, route 903 was born. The 104X was reduced to operate Monday-Friday peak-time only and renumbered route 904, in line with the West Midlands Travel Birmingham-Sutton Coldfield service, whilst the Monday - Friday and Saturday '104X' daytime service was directly replaced by route 903, which also ran during Monday-Friday peak times. This service ran via the 902 route, as far as Bishops Way bus stop on the Lichfield Road; departing from Birmingham on the top of each hour. Route 903 then followed the Lichfield Road into Lichfield, before continuing onto Walsall via Muckly Corner, Brownhills and Walsall Woods. This service however was extremely short-lived and was withdrawn within six months.

905
This service has come through many incarnations, originating with Midland Red and using number 103.

After deregulation in 1986, and the launch of the new 'Timesaver' services, West Midlands Travel began operating service 901, linking Walsall with Birmingham, via Rushall, Streets Corner, Lichfield, Tyburn Road and the Aston Expressway. This route ran every thirty minutes during Monday - Saturday daytime, with additional evening services also operating.

In 1988, West Midlands Travel rerouted shopping hours (Monday - Friday off-peak daytime and Saturday journeys) services, so instead of travelling along the A38 and Tyburn Roads, services instead served Roughley, Mere Green, Sutton Coldfield, Erdington and then the Aston Expressway. The section of the route between Walsall and Lichfield was reduced to hourly, and the evening service was withdrawn.

In the early 1990s West Midlands Travel decided to withdraw the section of the 901 between Walsall and Lichfield completely, and this then became the 991. Meanwhile, the frequency on the 901 was adjusted to every twenty minutes during peak hours, and the shopping service route was renumbered the 901A.

In late 991, services left Birmingham bound for Roughley every 30 Minutes, with a bus every hour extending to Lichfield.

In late 1992, West Midlands Travel decided to completely withdraw the 901. Stevensons briefly retained the route but it was eventually completely withdrawn after multiple operator changes in early 2000. West Midlands Travel replaced the 901 and 901A with the 105 and 105A, which both terminated at Roughley. In the late 1990s, service 105A was renumbered to be the 905.

January 2010 - One Monday - Friday working on the route, at approximately 5pm runs from Mere Green to Birmingham and is operated as a 'filling' journey by Diamond Bus.

November 2011 'filling' journey at around 5pm by Diamond Bus was withdrawn.

907
Until June 2013 the Monday - Saturday frequencies operated to a 12 Minute peak, and 20-minute off-peak frequency, with a half-hourly evening service. With the 1955 and 2055 departures from city terminate at New Oscott giving an hourly frequency along this corridor between City and Sutton Coldfield during these hours. As a consequence the 2055 and 2155 arrivals into city commenced at New Oscott (Tesco) at 2032 and 2132, again leaving an hourly frequency on the full length of service 907 between 1954 and 2154

However, during the North Birmingham Network Review in June 2013, all evening journeys operatded as full 907 journeys into Sutton Coldfield. A 00:02 journey has also been added which departs from Birmingham City Tuesday mornings, Wednesday mornings, Thursday mornings, Friday mornings, Saturday mornings and Sunday mornings. Please note that there is no 00:02 departure from Birmingham on Monday mornings (from Sunday night).

In 2001 National Express West Midlands operated the 107 to a frequency of every 15 minutes on Monday - Saturday daytimes and every 30 minutes during evenings and on Sundays. By 2007 this frequency had been increased to every 10 minutes during peak-times, but halved in the evenings and on Sundays to hourly.

In November 2009, service 107 was renumbered the 907. This followed exactly the same route, but with limited stops between Birmingham City Centre and Perry Barr.

915
The 915 was another 'Sutton Lines' route linking Birmingham with Falcon Lodge via the Aston Expressway, Erdington and Sutton Coldfield. The service was operated by National Express West Midlands using Alexander Dennis Enviro400 buses. However, this routing was directly replaced by an extension of service 904 in May 2012. Almost all 904 journeys service Falcon Lodge.

915 frequency
The 915 used to operate a frequency of every thirty-minutes during Monday-Saturday daytime, departing Birmingham at 22 and 52 minutes past and departing Falcon Lodge at 12 and 42 minutes past. This service again formed part of the 7/8 Minute 'Sutton Lines' frequency. Hourly evening service created a 20-minute frequency with services 904 & 905 between Sutton Coldfield & Birmingham. Sunday services were hourly all day and evenings but fitted in with the every 10-minute frequency with the rest of the 'Sutton Lines'.

Summer period
It is worth noting that as with the majority of bus routes with a high frequency in the West Midlands region, from Mid-July until the beginning of September, a temporary Summer timetable, with a reduced frequency, is implemented on the 'Sutton Lines' services, operated by National Express West Midlands.

Current route locations

 * 110
 * Birmingham, Bull Street
 * Aston Expressway
 * Erdington
 * Wylde Green
 * Sutton Coldfield, Lower Parade
 * Bassetts Pole
 * Drayton Manor Park
 * Tamworth


 * 112
 * Birmingham, Bull Street
 * Aston Expressway
 * Erdington
 * Wylde Green
 * Sutton Coldfield, Lower Parade
 * Mere Green
 * Shenstone
 * Lichfield


 * 115
 * Birmingham, Bull Street
 * Aston railway station
 * Erdington
 * Walmley
 * Sutton Coldfield, Lower Parade


 * 902
 * Birmingham, Bull Street
 * Aston Expressway
 * Erdington
 * Wylde Green
 * Sutton Coldfield, Lower Parade
 * Mere Green
 * Hill Hook


 * 904
 * Birmingham, Bull Street
 * Aston Expressway
 * Erdington
 * Wylde Green
 * Sutton Coldfield, Lower Parade
 * Falcon Lodge


 * 905
 * Birmingham, Bull Street
 * Aston Expressway
 * Erdington
 * Wylde Green
 * Sutton Coldfield, Lower Parade
 * Mere Green
 * Roughley


 * 907
 * Birmingham, Bull Street
 * Newtown Barton Arms
 * Perry Barr One Stop Shopping Centre
 * Perry Common Kingstanding Crossways
 * New Oscott Beggers Bush
 * Sutton Coldfield, Lower Parade


 * 914
 * Birmingham, Bull Street
 * Aston University
 * Walmley
 * Falcon Lodge
 * Sutton Coldfield, Lower Parade