Midland “Red”
BMMO and MROC

Service 377: Service History

Service 377 (1928–1935)

Operated by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited

On Wednesday 30th May 1928 the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) introduced a short-working variation of summer season Service 477, which had previously run as Service 346 between Hereford, Ledbury, Colwall and Great Malvern. The new Service 377 ran throughout the year between Great Malvern (Belle Vue Terrace), Wyche Cutting and Colwall Green (Yew Tree) only.

During the winter months, Service 377 was interworked with Service 367 to provide one journey every hour between Great Malvern (Belle Vue Terrace) and Wyche Cutting, where Service 367 terminated. One bus every two hours continuing to Colwall Green as Service 377. Although there was one departure every hour from Belle Vue Terrace, the times were not consistent throughout the day with gaps between journeys ranging from 25 minutes to well over an hour. Buses ran seven days a week but on Sundays there were no journeys before 14:20.

Running only between Great Malvern and Colwall Green the service was considered to be a local Malvern area service, and as such was renumbered with all local Malvern area services with an “M”-prefix service number on Monday 7th January 1935, becoming Service M27. The short-working variation Service 367 to Wyche Cutting was renumbered to Service M17.

377

Timetable Archive

December1930Great Malvern ↔ Wyche Cutting ↔ Colwall Green
April1933Great Malvern ↔ Wyche Cutting ↔ Colwall Green

Service 377 (1935–1939)

Operated by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited

Soon after the previous Service 377 had been renumbered to Service M27, BMMO reused the route number for a new service running between Worcester, Leigh Sinton, and Great Malvern, as a variation to Service 379. Both Service 377 and Service 379 ran on Saturdays only with Service 377 running via Interfields and Service 379 continuing to run along the existing route via Lower Howsell.

Both Service 377 and Service 379 were withdrawn in 1939, shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, due to fuel rationing. Neither service was reinstated after the end of the war.

Service 377 (1946–1971)

Operated by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited

In 1946 the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) introduced two new services running between Cradley and Great Malvern. The first was Service 376 running on Fridays only from Friday 29th March 1946, and the other was Service 377 running on Mondays only from Monday 9th December 1946.

Both services started at Cradley School and provided one journey in each direction, departing from Cradley at 09:30 in the morning and returning from Malvern at around 14:45. The routes were quite different with Service 376 running via Storridge, Leigh Sinton, and Interfields, and Service 377 running via Mathon, Ham Green and Wyche Cutting.

The new Malvern depot opened on Friday 10th September 1954, and from this date both Service 376 and Service 377 were always operated from the new site.

In the early 1970s, BMMO withdrew a large number of rural bus services and both Service 376 and Service 377 were withdrawn on Saturday 3rd April 1971. Route number 377 was reused by BMMO before the end of the year as part of a renumbered exercise in the West Midlands area.

Route Summary

  • Dec 1946–Apr 1971
  • Cradley (School) 1
  • Mathon
  • Lane End
  • Ham Green
  • Hoe Court
  • Wyche Cutting
  • Great Malvern

1  Service 377 ran on Mondays only, one journey in each direction.

377

Timetable Archive

October1949Great Malvern ↔ Wyche Cutting ↔ Mathon ↔ Cradley

Service 377 (1971–1973)

Operated by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited

On Monday 23rd August 1971, West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (WMPTE) renumbered their Service 115 and Service 117, Walsall and Sutton Coldfield circular routes, to Service 375 and Service 377 respectively. These routes were jointly operated with Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services), and as a result BMMO renumbered their working on those routes to match.

The BMMO operations of Service 375 and Service 377 passed to West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (WMPTE) on Monday 3rd December 1973, as part of the transfer of the BMMO Transfer of Services and Assets to WMPTE.