West Midlands bus strikes: Which buses are running on Sunday and when will things be back to normal?
A bus company breathing a sigh of relief after striking drivers agreed to go back to work and bring to an end a bruising week of industrial action says it is "aiming" to have normal services running by Monday.
National Express West Midlands welcomed the announcement on Saturday that drivers had voted in a ballot to accept an improved offer including a 16.2 per cent pay increase, which will mean an end to strikes that have decimated the region's public transport network this week.
It means there will be a reduced service on Sunday, March 26, before, the company hopes, normal service is resumed on Monday.
During the strike action, the company has been operating a limited service primarily serving the region's hospitals. The limited service, due to continue on Sunday, includes the following routes:
4 Birmingham - Solihull (via Sparkbrook, Tyseley, Acocks Green & Olton)
5 West Bromwich - Sutton Coldfield (via Great Barr, Kingstanding & New Oscott)
6 Birmingham - Solihull (via Sparkbrook, Sparkhill, Hall Green & Shirley)
6 Dudley - Stourbridge (via Russells Hall Hospital, Brierley Hill & Amblecote)
28 Heartlands Hospital - Great Barr (via Ward End, Castle Bromwich, Erdington, Old Oscott & Perry Beeches)
51 Birmingham - Walsall (via Great Barr & Perry Barr)
59 Wolverhampton - Ashmore Park (via New Cross Hospital & Wednesfield)
87 Birmingham - Dudley (via City Hospital, Smethwick, Oldbury & Tividale)
97 Birmingham - Chelmsley Wood (via Bordesley Green, Heartlands Hospital & Meadway)
529 Wolverhampton - Walsall (via Willenhall)
X4 Birmingham - Falcon Lodge (via Aston Expressway, Erdington, Sutton Coldfield & Good Hope Hospital)
X21 Birmingham - Bartley Green (via Birmingham University, Selly Oak & Weoley Castle)
Temporary timetables for these routes are on the National Express West Midlands website. Details of Monday's services have not yet been released.
Drivers had been on strike all week, hitting around 93 per cent of the bus network in Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, Sandwell, Birmingham and elsewhere.
A previous offer of a 14.3 per cent pay increase, along with increases to Christmas and New Year's pay and accident pay, was rejected a week ago, and Sharon Graham of Unite the union today welcomed "an important win" for members.
National Express has also guaranteed to implement new terms and conditions that were agreed with Unite in November last year, a key sticking point in the dispute.
A statement on the National Express West Midlands website welcoming the end of strikes says: "We are pleased to confirm that the bus strike has been called off following a positive driver ballot outcome. We are very sorry to our customers and the communities we serve for the disruption and uncertainty this has caused over the last week.
"We will deliver a reduced service tomorrow and we’re aiming for a normal service from Monday.
"Our customer services teams have no further details."
