Huge increase in Boxing Day bus services

More than 150 Boxing Day bus services will run throughout the Black Country and Birmingham this year, transport bosses said today.

It is hoped the high number of services will bring more bargain-hunter shoppers out into the town centres and help to provide a boost for trade in the region.

Centro, National Express West Midlands and other bus companies have worked together to offer more services than ever before.

Two services have been introduced, the X96 from Dudley to the Merry Hill Shopping Centre and the 302 from Walsall to Lower Farm.

Birmingham's 76 route has also be extended to run from Kings Heath to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Edgbaston. Centro has bolstered the Boxing Day network by subsidising extra services.

Chairman Angus Adams said: "We were keen that workers and shoppers could get into the main retail centres early and easily."

Boxing Day bus services will operate between 9am and 7.30pm, with a flat fare of £1.70 adult and 85p child.

The Midland Metro will operate a 15-minute service between 10am and 6pm. No trains will run on Boxing Day.

On December 27 and 28, a Sunday service will operate on most routes. Train services will operate to a reduced timetable, with stations on the Cross City line between Birmingham New Street and Redditch served by a rail replacement bus.

The Midland Metro will operate as a Sunday service. On December 29 to New Year's Eve, most bus services will operate Saturdays.

Services running in the West Midlands on Boxing Day are:

7 Walsall & Castlefort;

9 Stourbridge & Birmingham

10 Brownhills & Walsall

16 Hamstead & city centre

19 Walsall & Bloxwich

51 Walsall & Birmingham

x51 Walsall & Birmingham

56a Birmingham & Brownhills

74 Birmingham & West Bromwich

74 West Bromwich & Dudley

79 Wolverhampton & Birmingham

81 Brandhall & Birmingham

87 Dudley & Birmingham

x96 Dudley & Merry Hill Centre

120 Birmingham & Dudley

126 Wolverhampton & Birmingham

127 Birmingham & Blackheath

128 Birmingham & Blackheath

140 Dudley & Bearwood

141 Birmingham & Merry Hill Centre

222 Dudley & Halesowen

226 Dudley & Merry Hill Centre

238 West Bromwich & Merry Hill Centre

244 Dudley & Halesowen

246 Dudley & Stourbridge

255 Merry Hill Centre & Wolverhampton

256 Stourbridge & Wolverhampton

257 Dudley & Kingswinford

276 Dudley & Stourbridge

283 Dudley & Merry Hill Centre

301 Walsall & Mossley

302 Walsall & Lower Farm

311 Walsall & Dudley

313 Walsall & Dudley

332 Walsall & Lodge Farm

333 Walsall & Wolverhampton

334 Walsall & Bilston

370 Walsall & Bloxwich

401 Bilston & West Bromwich

402a Tipton & West Bromwich

404h Merry Hill Centre & Walsall

405 West Bromwich & Walsall

406 West Bromwich & Great Barr

410 West Bromwich & Wednesbury

448 West Bromwich & Bartley Green

449 West Bromwich & Brandhall

451 West Bromwich & Sutton Coldfield

478 Wednesbury & Bearwood

501 Wolverhampton & Tettenhall Wood

504 Wolverhampton & Pendeford

505 Wolverhampton & Pendeford

510e Wolverhampton & Tettenhall Wood

511 Wolverhampton & Underhill

512 Wolverhampton & Warstones

513 Wolverhampton & Warstones

525 Wolverhampton & Bilston

526 Wolverhampton & Stowlawn

529 Walsall & Wolverhampton

530 Wolverhampton & Rocket Pool

532 Wolverhampton & Northwood Park

543 Wolverhampton & Castlecroft

545 Wolverhampton & Dudley

558 Wolverhampton & Dudley

559 Wolverhampton & Ashmore Park

581 Wolverhampton & Dudley

598 Wolverhampton & Bushbury Hill

644 West Bromwich & Tipton

908 Walsall & Bloxwich

997 Walsall & Birmingham