West Midlands Walsall Road bus corridor

National Express West Midlands Routes 51 and X51 are two busy bus routes linking Walsall with Birmingham in the West Midlands (county), England. Three morning peak journeys on the X51 commence from and three evening peak journeys terminate at Cannock.

Present
Currently, National Express West Midlands is the sole operator of the 51 and X51. They operate the 51 at a steady 7- to 8-minute frequency during weekday daytimes, to create a very high frequency with the 'Line' 33 between Birmingham and Perry Barr running every 3/4 minutes Monday–Saturday, every 7/8 early evenings, every 15 minutes evenings & every 6 minutes on Sundays. The X51 is limited stop version of the route, running every 10–15 minutes during peak times and every 20 minutes during weekday daytimes. Three peak journeys in the morning commence from Cannock, with three evening journeys from Birmingham terminating there. On a Saturday the 51 is run to a 7/8-minute frequency, with the X51 operating every 15 minutes, while on Sundays the 51 is run to a twelve-minute daytime frequency and the X51 runs every 30 minutes.

The 51 and X51 both follow exactly the same route between Walsall and Perry Barr, where the X51 continues over the A34 flyovers, whilst the 51 serves the congested Perry Barr & Aston areas. The three peak extensions then continue beyond Walsall to Cannock via Green Lane, Bloxwich, Cheslyn Hay, Landywood & Bridgtown.

The 51 is operated using branded Enviro400s while the X51 is operated by branded Volvo B7TL (Wright Eclipse Gemini).

History
The service was operated by MCW metrobuses.

Both Birmingham Coach Co. and Zaks (now both Rotala) have competed on this route.

Chase Bus Services operated a short lived Sunday only service.

Early history
The original 51 route formerly ran only from Birmingham city centre to the Scott Arms shopping centre at Great Barr, on the edge of Birmingham, and was operated by Birmingham City Transport.

Another service, numbered 118, operated over the same route, but extended to Walsall. This began in the early part of the 20th century and was introduced by a company that later became widely known as "Midland Red". Around 1968 service 118 became a jointly operated service between Midland Red and Walsall Corporation Transport. As a result, for transport enthusiasts the 118 service became a very interesting one since both operators often used vehicles that were unique to themselves. Midland Red often used buses of its own manufacture (i.e. BMMO) while Walsall Corporation had various specially modified types of manufacturers buses ranging from "short" Daimler Fleetlines to what was once the largest double deck service bus in the UK, 56 (XDH56G), a 35 ft long low-height Daimler CRC6-36 with an 86 seater Northern Counties body.

On 1 October 1969 West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (WMPTE) took over Birmingham and Walsall Corporation Transport so the service then became jointly operated by Midland Red and WMPTE. This situation prevailed until 3 December 1973 when WMPTE acquired most of the Midland Red bus operations in the West Midlands including service 118. Thus service 118 became operated solely by WMPTE. The use of service number 118 ceased in November 1975 when the two routes merged and buses operating from Walsall to Birmingham used service number 51. Those journeys that did not operate the full length of the route, including services from Birmingham terminating at the Scott Arms, used service designation 51E, the "E" indicating an exception to operating the full length of route.

Since deregulation, on 26 October 1986, service 51 has been consistently operated by West Midlands Travel and their successors. Various other operators seeing the route as a busy one have attempted to compete but have all subsequently withdrawn from the service. Such operators have included Tame Valley Travel, Birmingham Coach Company (later known as Diamond Bus), Chase Bus Services, Zaks Coaches and A2Z Travel.

Later history

 * 1999 - The following routes are run along the 'Walsall Road' Corridor:
 * 51 - Birmingham - Walsall. The 51 is operated by National Express West Midlands (then Travel West Midlands) at 7/8-minute Monday - Saturday daytime frequency and 20-minute Evening and Sunday frequency.
 * 51E - Birmingham - Great Barr. The 51E is run by Birmingham Coach Company (later Diamond Bus) at a fifteen-minute Monday - Saturday daytime frequency.
 * 51A - Birmingham - Great Barr. The 51A is run during peak hours only by Zak's Buses (later Central Connect).
 * 950 - Birmingham - Walsall - Hednesford. A peak time only limited stop service run by Travel West Midlands via Bloxwich, Great Wyrley, Bridgtown & Cannock.
 * 951 - Birmingham - Walsall - Cannock/Hednesford. The 951 is limited stop service run by Travel West Midlands at a regular 20-minute Monday - Friday daytime frequency, with an hourly Saturday frequency. Only peak workings extend to Hednesford. The service runs via Bloxwich, Cheslyn Hay & Bridgtown.
 * 952 - Birmingham - Walsall - Hednesford. Another limited stop service operated by TWM during weekday peaks and Saturday daytime at an hourly frequency. The 952 runs via Bloxwich, Cheslyn Hay, Bridgtown, Cannock & Heath Hayes.
 * 953 - Birmingham - Walsall - Hednesford. The final limited stop service operated by National Express West Midlands, running again during peak times only. This service travels via Bloxwich, Great Wyrley, Bridgtown & Cannock passing Bridgetown School and traveling directly along the Old Hednesford Road and Uxbridge Road between Cannock and Hednesford.
 * 51N - Birmingham - Walsall. The 51N links Birmingham with Walsall at an irregular frequency during night time only.

Travel West Midlands uses branded MCW Metrobuses on all of its services.


 * 2000 - Birmingham Coach Company journeys on the 51 are withdrawn. Instead, Zak's Buses, add additional journeys along the same BCC 51 route during the peak hours, alongside their 51A journeys. Meanwhile, Travel West Midlands change the frequency of the 951 to half hourly Monday - Saturday, while Pete's Travel take over the 51N service, from TWM. Additionally, the 952 Saturday journeys are withdrawn, as are the normal 951 daytime journeys. The 951A is introduced at a half hourly Monday - Saturday daytime freqeuncy between Birmingham - Cannock via Great Barr, Walsall, Bloxwich, Turnberry Estate, Great Wyrley & Bridgtown. Additionally, branded Volvo B7TL double deck buses start in service on the 51 route by TWM.
 * 2001 - Zak's Buses withdraw their journeys on the 51, keeping only the 51A journeys. Additionally, 51N operations are adjusted so that journeys only run Walsall bound.
 * 2003 - Journeys on the 51A are withdrawn, however, Zak's start operating the full length 51 during Monday - Saturday daytime hours at a 30-minute frequency. TWM meanwhile, reduce the frequency of the 51 to every 9 minutes on a Saturday daytime. Another operator on the service are Lynx Solutions. They operate the 51 between Birmingham and Great Barr at an hourly Monday - Saturday daytime frequency. Finally, the frequency of the 51N is increased to every 20 minutes on Weekday evenings and to hourly on a Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Birmingham Bound journeys are also reintroduced. Additionally, there are major changes on the route. The 950 is withdrawn, the 951 is shortened to terminate at Bloxwich at a 30-minute frequency, and the 951A is extended to Hednesford as an old 951.
 * 2004 - Lynx Solutions withdraw off the 51.
 * 2005 - Zak's Buses withdraw off the 51. Meanwhile, the 951 is withdrawn to operate only at Peak Times.
 * 2006 - Central Connect start operating the 51N. Meanwhile A2Z Travel start operating a Sunday timetable on the 51, while many 951 journeys are amended to terminate at Walsall.
 * June 2007 - Diamond Bus withdraw their operations on the 51. Meanwhile, National Express West Midlands introduces a trial X51 limited stop service running Monday - Friday off peak. Throughout the year 951 journeys are gradually cut back. The 952 & 953 are withdrawn and the 951A is shortened to terminate at Cannock.
 * July 2007 - Following a withdrawal of funding the 51N is withdrawn.
 * October 2007 - National Express West Midlands increase their Sunday frequency on the 51.
 * November 2007 - A2Z Travel increase their Sunday frequency on the 51, in response to National Express West Midlands change.
 * Early 2008 - NXWM start operating the X51 for longer on a Monday - Friday and during Saturday daytime at a 20-minute frequency. Meanwhile, the 951 is reduced to just 3 peak workings on the 951A, the 951 journeys being directly replaced by X51 services.
 * March 2008 - A2Z Travel withdraw off the 51.
 * January 2009 - National Express West Midlands increase the frequency on the 51 to every six minutes (Monday - Saturday) - every ten minutes during Sunday daytime - and reduce the journey time to just 42 minutes following Red Route works on the 51 route.
 * November 2009 - The 951A is renumbered the X51. The journeys all leave from Cannock, Walsall and Birmingham at the same times, however, they arrive earlier at Birmingham on inbound journeys and at Cannock and Walsall on outbound services. Additionally, the overall peak frequency of the X51 is increased to every 10 - 15 minutes, while on Saturdays the timetable is increased to every 15 minutes throughout the day. Meanwhile the 51 is amended to operate every 7–8 minutes throughout Monday - Saturday, with a twelve-minute Sunday frequency.
 * October 2012 - A Sunday daytime service is introduced on the X51 at a half-hourly frequency.