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Service 37: Service History

Introduction

Service 37

On Saturday 15^th August 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, the Worcester Motor Transport Company Limited was formed to take over the bus routes of the Worcester Electric Traction Company Limited, following the merger and reorganisation of a number of companies in the Worcester and Kidderminster area. One of the routes operated by this new company was between Worcester, Kidderminster and Stourbridge.

Within a few months the entire omnibus fleet operated by the Worcester Motor Transport Company Limited (except for a few spare bus bodies) was commandeered by the War Office for use as troop transport vehicles. This started in September 1914, and as a result the company was soon unable to operate. However, the petrol-electric vehicles operated by the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) were not favoured by the War Office, and so that company did not loose any of their vehicles to the war effort. BMMO was able to take over the entire network of the Worcester company from Wednesday 4^th November 1914, and so from that time they operated the Worcester, Kidderminster and Stourbridge route as Service 37.

Service 37 (1914–1925)

Operated by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited

Operation of the Worcester, Kidderminster and Stourbridge route was assumed by the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) on Wednesday 4^th November 1914, as Service 37.

By 1924, the service operated throughout the day on Mondays to Saturdays, with a reduced timetable on Sundays when it was operated only in the afternoon. Between Kidderminster and Stourbridge, certain journeys ran via Blakedown and Hagley and other ran via Broadwaters and Norton. These variations alternated giving a four-hourly frequency on those sections of the route with an overall frequency of every two hours in each direction.

On Saturday 16^th May 1925, BMMO renumbered their entire network to give a more logical system of route numbers, with Service 37 becoming Service ??? at this time. The network was again renumbered on Saturday 11^th February 1928, and at this time the Worcester, Kidderminster and Stourbridge route become Service 315 for journeys running via Blakedown and Hagley, and Service 316 for journeys running via Broadwaters and Norton.