Worcestershire bus route 144
Encyclopedia
Worcestershire bus route 144 is a long distance service connecting the cities of Birmingham
and Worcester
, operated by First Midland Red
. The route was one of the longest running double deck bus operated routes, though it is now more common for single decked buses to be used. The original routing of the 144 was from Birmingham to Malvern via Bromsgrove and Worcester, though the Worcester to Malvern section now forms part of the 44 route.
go back to 1913, eventually being extended to Birmingham in 1914. At that time the route was numbered 25, and later 125. The 144 number came into use on 11 February 1928. The Malvern - Worcester section was withdrawn on Monday to Saturdays in 1976, however the route continued to Malvern on Sundays until that section was finally withdrawn on 3 September 2000.
The Little Red Bus Company won a Hereford and Worcester County Council contract to operate a 2 hourly service on the route, inter-timed with Midland Red West's 2 hourly service; however the company ceased trading in January 1997.
Brand new Alexander Dennis
Enviro 300 low floor buses were introduced as part of a relaunch of the route in June 2005. Thirteen vehicles, costing £1.5 million, entered service operating from both Worcester and Kidderminster
depots due to staff shortage at the 144's native Worcester depot, by September all vehicles had returned to operate from the Worcester depot. In recent times, whilst visiting the local area, famous Stoke activist, Simon 'North' Mitchell remarked on the quality of the 144 service in his book 'How to bus Britain the right way'. The 144 also saw popular acclaim on the Bromsgrove Standard facebook page, as many users used the page to find out if the service was running. It is thought the facebook page received more enquiries than Travel West Midlands' hotline.
started operations on the route, only running between Birmingham and Bromsgrove
, replacing the 64 service, which they had previously operated on a similar route. Actual operations did not begin until the next day because the start date was a bank holiday; this was reduced to only run between Bromsgrove and Rubery in January 2010, before being withdrawn completely on 4 April 2010.
in 2007. Upon reaching an impassable road she made her mobile phone available to passengers to contact friends and relatives to inform them that they would be delayed, even adding extra credit to the phone when it ran low. Other drivers on the route also received praise for their actions during the floods.
Birmingham
Birmingham 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...
and Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, operated by First Midland Red
First Midland Red
First Midland Red is a bus company operating in Herefordshire and Worcestershire in the English Midlands. The company was formed in 1981, and until 1999 was known as Midland Red West...
. The route was one of the longest running double deck bus operated routes, though it is now more common for single decked buses to be used. The original routing of the 144 was from Birmingham to Malvern via Bromsgrove and Worcester, though the Worcester to Malvern section now forms part of the 44 route.
History
Services on the 144 corridor running between Droitwich and Great MalvernGreat Malvern
Great Malvern is an area of Malvern, Worcestershire, England. It is the historical centre of the town, and the location of the headquarters buildings of the of Malvern Town Council, the governing body of the Malvern civil parish, and Malvern Hills District council of the county of...
go back to 1913, eventually being extended to Birmingham in 1914. At that time the route was numbered 25, and later 125. The 144 number came into use on 11 February 1928. The Malvern - Worcester section was withdrawn on Monday to Saturdays in 1976, however the route continued to Malvern on Sundays until that section was finally withdrawn on 3 September 2000.
The Little Red Bus Company won a Hereford and Worcester County Council contract to operate a 2 hourly service on the route, inter-timed with Midland Red West's 2 hourly service; however the company ceased trading in January 1997.
Brand new Alexander Dennis
Alexander Dennis
Alexander Dennis Limited is the largest bus builder in the United Kingdom. It incorporated the three last surviving bus manufacturers which started bus production before World War II: Dennis, Alexander and Plaxton.- History :Alexander Dennis was formed as TransBus on 1 January 2001, after the...
Enviro 300 low floor buses were introduced as part of a relaunch of the route in June 2005. Thirteen vehicles, costing £1.5 million, entered service operating from both Worcester and Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
depots due to staff shortage at the 144's native Worcester depot, by September all vehicles had returned to operate from the Worcester depot. In recent times, whilst visiting the local area, famous Stoke activist, Simon 'North' Mitchell remarked on the quality of the 144 service in his book 'How to bus Britain the right way'. The 144 also saw popular acclaim on the Bromsgrove Standard facebook page, as many users used the page to find out if the service was running. It is thought the facebook page received more enquiries than Travel West Midlands' hotline.
Competition
On 12 April 2009, Diamond BusDiamond Bus
Diamond 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....
started operations on the route, only running between Birmingham and Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England. The town is about north east of Worcester and south west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 with a small ethnic minority and is in Bromsgrove District.- History :Bromsgrove is first documented in the early 9th century...
, replacing the 64 service, which they had previously operated on a similar route. Actual operations did not begin until the next day because the start date was a bank holiday; this was reduced to only run between Bromsgrove and Rubery in January 2010, before being withdrawn completely on 4 April 2010.
2007 Worcestershire Flooding
Regular 144 driver Josie Millward received recognition in the form of a First Superstar award in July 2007 for her actions during the severe flooding in WorcestershireWorcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
in 2007. Upon reaching an impassable road she made her mobile phone available to passengers to contact friends and relatives to inform them that they would be delayed, even adding extra credit to the phone when it ran low. Other drivers on the route also received praise for their actions during the floods.
See also
- Bus transport in BromsgroveBus transport in BromsgroveBus transport in Bromsgrove has a long and varied history, dating back to Midland Red operations. In recent years, however, First Midland Red, which has evolved from the original Midland Red company, has severely reduced operations, leaving many independent operators running in the town.-First...
- Transport in BirminghamTransport in BirminghamBirmingham is a major transport hub, due in part to its location in central England. Public transport in the city is overseen by the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive whose public brand is Centro/Network West Midlands.-Railways:-History:...
- List of bus routes in Worcestershire
- List of bus routes in the West Midlands county