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Service W9: Service History

Introduction

Service W9

On Friday 1^st June 1928, Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) started operation of a network of local area bus services in Worcester City as part of the “Worcester Agreement”, replacing the electric tramway network that ceased operation on the previous day. The new Worcester bus network was the first local area network introduced by BMMO to carry local area prefixes, having route numbers with ‘W’-prefix.

• Service W1: Worcester City Centre – Ombersley Road.
• Service W2: Worcester City Centre – Droitwich Road.
• Service W3: Worcester City Centre – Bromyard Road.
• Service W4: Worcester City Centre – Malvern Road.
• Service W5: Worcester City Centre – Rainbow Hill.
• Service W6: Worcester City Centre – London Road.
• Service W7: Worcester City Centre – Bath Road (Berwick Arms).
• Service W8: Worcester City Centre – Shrub Hill.
• Service W9: Worcester City Centre – Tolladine Road.
• Service W10: Worcester City Centre – Bath Road (Norton Turning).
• Service W11: Worcester City Centre – Bransford Road.
• Service W12: Worcester City Centre – Comer Gardens.
• Service W14: Worcester City Centre – Martley Road.

Service W9 (1928–1979)

Operated by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited

Service W9 was introduced at the formation of the network, running between Worcester City Centre (The Cross) and Tolladine Road, terminating at the Virgin Tavern. With very little housing along the Tolladine Road during this period only four return journeys a day operated during the week, departing The Cross at 09:40, 11:40, 14:40, and 18:40. Journeys towards the City Centre departed the Virgin Tavern 10-minutes later.

On Saturdays six return journeys operated, departing The Cross at 09:40, 12:40, 14:40, 17:40, 19:40, and 21:40. Buses also ran on Sundays, with four return journeys departing The Cross at 14:40, 16:40, 18:40, and 20:40.

By December 1930, an additional Monday to Friday journey at 12:35 had been added, plus a “Theatre Bus” on Mondays and Saturdays only, departing The Cross at 22:40.

With the building of new housing estates the service frequency increased and the route was also extended, first to Windermere Drive terminating at the junction with Grisedale Drive (by 1961), and later to Cranham Drive (c. 1966). Initially, the terminus in Cranham Drive was the junction with Sheepscombe Drive, but this later moved to the junction with Tetbury Drive.

The terminus in the City Centre also moved to Sansome Street (by 1955), Queen Street (by 1961), and later to The Trinity.