• Service 417

• Overview
• Timetables
• Routes
• Maps
• Fares
• History
• Miscellaneous

Service 417 (Hereford–Ledbury–Worcester): Service Overview

Introduction

Before Service 417 (c. 1923–c. 1929)

I have not been able to establish exactly when BMMO first introduced bus services between Worcester and Ledbury, but by 1923, there were BMMO services running between Worcester and Cradley and between Ledbury and Bosbury.  By 1925, the services had been linked up running between Worcester and Ledbury.  It is not clear what service number, or numbers, any of these services carried.

Service 417 operated by BMMO (c. 1929–1981)

By 1929, the Worcester to Ledbury services had been extended to Hereford (St Peter’s Square), running via Lugwardine, Bartestree and Tarrington along the road which is now the A438.  The service number 417 was allocated to the route at this time, this extended Hereford’s new local numbering sequance that had been introduced on 11^th February 1928, starting with route number 422, when BMMO renumbered all of their service numbers into groups depending on the area of operation.

Service 417 buses ran between Worcester and Storridge via Bransford and Leigh Sinton much the same as the buses on the 417 route run today, but then ran via Stiffords Bridge, Prestons Cross and Finchers Corner between Storridge and Bosbury, with the village of Cradley not being served.  Later, certain journeys turned at Finchers Corner and ran to Mathon (Coddington Turn), which was also the terminus on some short journeys.

Timetables from the late 1920s and early 1930s were quite complex, with each day of the week having a different, unique set of running times.  Buses on Thursdays, for example, did not run between Ledbury and Worcester, while certain journeys on Tuesdays ran as Service 473, via Colwall and Ham Green, and certain journeys on Wednesdays ran as Service 410 via Ashperton.

On 1^st July 1937, BMMO acquired the operations of H.F. Taylor and with it a service that ran between Ridgeway Cross, Finchers Corner, Prestons Cross, Stiffords Bridge, Leigh Sinton and Belmont.  BMMO operated this service as Service 376 until 27^th May 1938, when it was withdrawn and replaced with additional journeys on Service 417, which were timed to connect at Leigh Sinton with Service 377 (Worcester–Leigh Sinton–Malvern) to provide a through service to Malvern.  Service 377 was withdrawn on the outbreak of the Second World War and was not replace after the war finished, as the post-war Service 377 ran over a different route and did not serve Leigh Sinton.

By the 1950s, many Service 417 journeys ran between Hereford and Ledbury only, or between Worcester and Mathon only, with only a very small number of peak time journeys running the whole route between Worcester and Hereford.  Also, from the early 1950s, a small number of market day journeys ran between Cradley and Ledbury, these Tuesdays only journeys were operated by Malvern depot, and were withdrawn in 1972.

In 1961, the Service 417 route was shortened to run only between Worcester and Ledbury, and the Ledbury to Hereford section was replaced by extra journeys on Service 477, which ran between Great Malvern, Ledbury and Hereford.  This change was probably introduced because of the introduction of one-man operations at Hereford depot in 1956.  Splitting the route at Ledbury would insure that all journeys between Hereford and Ledbury could be operated solely by Hereford depot, and thus be completely converted to one-man operations. 

By the time Midland Red was broken up in 1981, Service 417 had been cut back further to run only between Worcester and Mathon, and I’m guessing this was done with the introduction of Hereford’s Wandaward MAP scheme in March 1978.

Service 417 operated by Midland Red West (1981—2009)

Midland Red (West) Limited took over operation of Service 417 on 6^th September 1981, and soon after the route was cut back further to only run between Worcester and Cradley, running in a loop clockwise via Cradley Village, Finchers Corner, Prestons Cross and Stiffords Bridge, before returning to Worcester.  For quite some time, Midland Red West operated the route with “Midland Express” branded Leyland Leopard coaches, which were quite unsuitable for the narrow lanes around Cradley.  Later, Mercedes-Benz L608D minibuses were used which were much more suitable.

In the late 1990s, Service 417 was extended to serve Bosbury and Ledbury again, at the request of Herefordshire County Council.  Shortly after, First Midland Red lost the contract to operate the service to Bromyard Omnibus Company Ltd, who operated the service from 1^st April 2001, for approx two years before First Midland Red regained the contract.  From that time, Service 417 ran four journeys between Worcester and Ledbury each day, plus two short journeys between Worcester and Cradley.

On 5^th September 2009, the contract for service 417 passed to Astons Coaches.

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Route Summary

1. During the 1940s and 1950s, very few journeys ran the whole route between Worcester and Hereford.  Many journeys ran either between Worcester and Prestons Cross (or by the mid–1950s, Mathon) only, or between Ledbury and Hereford only.
2. Only certain journeys ran to Mathon, other journeys ran direct between Finchers Corner and Bosbury.

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Time summary

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Operators

• Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO — Midland “Red”) until 29^th March 1974
• Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited from 29^th March 1974 until 6^th September 1981.
• Midland Red (West) Limited from 6^th September 1981
• Operated for a short time by Bromyard Omnibus Company Limited under contract, 1^st April 2001–c. 2003
• Operated under contract by Astons Coaches from 5^th September 2009

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Operating depots

• Hereford depot
• Worcester depot
• Malvern depot
  Operated Market Day journeys on Tuesdays between Cradley and Ledbury from c. 1954 to 1972.

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Vehicles used

• BMMO S14 single-deck buses
• BMMO S17 single-deck buses
• Leyland Leopard coaches with “Midland Express” branding used during the 1980s
• Mercedes-Benz L608D minibuses used during the 1990s
• Mercedes-Benz 0.814 Vario minibuses used from 1998
• Optare Solo low-floor minibuses used from c. 2005

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Other Services operating along the 417 Route

1. Service 376 ran one journey in each direction on Wednesdays and Fridays only, operated by Malvern depot.
2. Service 411 ran two journeys in each direction on Wednesdays, and three journeys in each directions on Saturdays.
3. Service 419 ran one journey in each direction on Market Days only (Tuesday), operated by Malvern depot.
4. Service X91 was withdrawn in 1981, and was originally subject to minimum fares and later a limited stop service.

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