The mayor of the West Midlands has approved proposals to bring the region's bus network back under public control for the first time in almost 40 years.
The decision, signed by Mayor Richard Parker after the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Board meeting has kicked off the transition process towards franchised bus services, replacing the current private operator-led network. The first public controlled services, which are likely to include a non-stop Sprint service from Walsall to Solihull via Birmingham city centre, are expected to start rolling out in late 2027, with the whole process finished during 2029.
Mayor Parker said: "The work is now underway, and over the next two years, we'll create a bus network that puts passengers first - reliable, affordable and run in the interests of the people that use them."
Under franchising, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the WMCA, will set the fares, timetables and routes of bus services and award a series of contracts to private bus operators to run them. There are expected to be nine local area franchises with three rolled out each year from 2027-2029, plus a number of smaller single route contracts to encourage smaller bus operators to bid.
The one-off costs of setting up the new franchised operation and designing the network is expected to be £22.5m over three years. Bus depots, the WMCA already owns one in Walsall, and a fleet of more than 1,000 buses will also be needed – either bought outright or leased using either the authority's transport grants or borrowing through fare income.
