Shoppers, sports fans and party-goers are being encouraged to leave the car at home this Christmas and New Year and use public transport instead.
Those heading to the Boxing Day sales and the region’s top football matches will be able to take advantage of the biggest bus service outside of London.
A total of 171 services will be running on December 26 thanks in part to a financial subsidy from Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
The region’s largest bus operator National Express West Midlands will be running a near-Sunday daytime schedule and Diamond Bus will also be laying on 17 key services.
People’s public transport options will be boosted further by the West Midlands Metro tram system, which will run an enhanced Sunday service on Boxing Day.
Full details of the bus and tram services were revealed today (December 13) following the release of the public transport timetables for the festive period. They can be viewed at www.networkwestmidlands.com/festive-services
Cllr Roger Lawrence, the WMCA’s lead member for transport, said: “This is the time of year when many of us are heading out to the shops to buy presents or off to parties and other festive events.
“That can add significantly to the amount of traffic on our roads, leading to extra congestion and poorer air quality.
“So I would encourage people to consider leaving the car at home and getting the bus, tram or train. That way they can avoid the hassle of finding somewhere to park and enjoy a festive tipple at the same time.”
With no trains running on Boxing Day, the extensive bus and tram timetable will not only help those heading to the sales but also shop workers as well as thousands of football fans going to the West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City and Walsall home matches.
The bus and tram schedules are:
Christmas Eve:
Bus: Normal Saturday service with most routes finishing earlier at around 10pm
Metro: Normal weekday service
Rail: Weekday service on most routes with reduced timetable from mid-afternoon and finishing earlier
Christmas Day:
No bus, rail or tram services
Boxing Day:
Bus: Revised Sunday service with some routes finishing earlier at 6pm and key routes operating until normal end of service
Metro: Bank Holiday service operating every 10 minutes during the daytime and every 15 minutes during the evening
Rail: No services
Thursday December 27 and Friday December 28
Bus: Saturday service on most routes
Metro: Bank Holiday service (as on Boxing Day)
Rail: Normal weekday service on most routes with a later start on Thursday
Saturday December 29 and Sunday December 30
Bus: Revised Saturday service on Dec 29 and normal Sunday service on Dec 30
Metro: Normal Saturday and Sunday services
Rail: Normal Saturday and Sunday services
New Year’s Eve, Monday December 31:
Bus: Saturday service
Metro: Saturday service with last tram at around midnight
Rail: Monday service for most routes with some trains finishing earlier
New Year’s Day, Tuesday January 1:
Bus: Revised Sunday service with some routes finishing earlier at 6pm and key routes operating until normal end of service. A reduced service will operate in Coventry
Metro: Bank Holiday service operating every 10 minutes during the daytime and every 15 minutes during the evening
Rail: Sunday service on most routes
