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Service 420: Service History

Introduction

Service 420

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 and Bromyard.

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 to Bromyard route as Service 32.

BMMO started operating omnibus services in Hereford on Wednesday 17^th March 1920, with three petrol-electric Tilling-Stevens TS3 single-deck buses from Hereford (Black Lion) depot. Soon afterwards, Service 32 was extended from Bromyard to Hereford to provide a connecting service between the two cities. However very few journeys ran the whole route, with most journeys only running as far as Bromyard from either end, typically on market days.

In 1925 the company renumbered their entire network with the Worcester, Bromyard, and Hereford route becoming Service 301. Then again in 1928, and at this time the route became Service 420, and to this day still runs between Worcester, Bromyard, and Hereford. Although the Midland “Red” connection has now largely come to an end following the closure of Hereford depot.

Service 420 (1928–1974)

Operated by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited

On Saturday 11^th February 1928, Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) renumbered their entire network and at this time Service 301 between Worcester, Bromyard and Hereford was renumbered to Service 420.

By December 1930, Service 420 operated three return journeys between Hereford, Bromyard, and Worcester, on Mondays to Saturdays, all operated by Hereford depot. Departure times from Hereford (St Peter's Square) were 08:00, 12:15, and 16:00, with return journeys from Worcester (Angel Place) at 10:00, 14:00, and 1815.

Wednesdays and Saturdays were market days in both Worcester and Hereford so there were six return journeys between Worcester, Bromyard, and Hereford, with the extra journeys being operated by Worcester (East Street) depot. There was also one additional Service 420 journey from Worcester to Hereford that ran via Bishops Frome, with this vehicle returning to Worcester as Service 417. On Saturdays only, there were also short-working journeys between Worcester and Whitbourne (Poswick Turn), which by 1935 ran as Service 421, and additional short-working Service 420 evening journeys.

On Sundays, there were four return journeys between Worcester, Bromyard, and Hereford, but Whitbourne Schools were not served, and there was also one short-working return journey between Worcester and Knightwick. It is likely Hereford depot and Worcester (East Street) depot operated two return journeys each on Sundays, but as they were timed to meet in Bromyard it is possible passengers were transferred and the buses returned to their home depots.

Thursday was Bromyard's market day so in addition to the three full return journeys, several additional short-working journeys between Bromyard and nearby villages were operated. Service 422 also ran between Worcester, Bromyard, and Leominster on Thursdays, and this was run by Worcester (East Street) depot and interworked with some of the short-working Service 420 journeys. Likewise, Service 414 ran on Thursdays between Worcester and Bromyard and this was also run from Worcester (East Street) depot with the vehicle being used to operate short-working journeys on Service 420 and other routes on arriving in Bromyard. A third additional bus in Bromyard on Thursdays for local services was operated by Hereford depot and ran to and from Bromyard as a short-working Service 420.

Initially, buses started and terminated in Hereford at St Peter's Square (Shire Hall) but in 1934 a new bus station was opened on the north-east side of the city off Commercial Road and the route changed to start and terminate there. At the other end of the route, a new bus station in Newport Street, Worcester, opened in 1946 and the route then changed to terminate there.

Service 420 continued to operate during the Second World War at a reduced timetable, with most days only having three or four return journeys over the whole route, plus a few short-working journeys. Whitbourne village lost almost all of their bus service with all journeys running direct, except for a few on Saturday afternoons. The Saturday only variation Service 421 between Worcester and Whitbourne (Poswick Turn) was also withdrawn. After the war ended, the number of journeys increased and by 1949, Service 420 operated a two-hourly frequency Monday to Friday on the full route between Hereford, Bromyard, and Worcester, with the operation of the route being mostly by Hereford depot. The variation Service 421 between Worcester and Whitbourne (Poswick Turn) also returned, but there were only two return journeys, still running on Saturdays only.

By the mid-1950s, extra buses were provided by Worcester depot on Saturdays to give an hourly frequency between 8am and 9pm on the whole route. Additionally, a Sunday service was offered with six full journeys in each direction with Hereford depot and Worcester depot working three each.

Until the late 1950s, the main road between Worcester and Bromyard ran through the village of Knightsford Bridge near the county border between Worcestershire and Herefordshire, and as the name would suggest, there was a bridge here which crossed the River Teme. The Talbot Inn (shown as “Talbot Hotel” on timetables) acted as the timing point and main stopping place for all buses passing through the village. The river bridge dated from 1884 having replaced a previous bridge on the same site, but it had not stood the test of time and by the mid-1950s a strict 7-ton weight limit was in force due to concerns about water erosion of the centre support pillar foundations. Buses were permitted to cross the bridge so were spared the lengthy diversion that was imposed on haulage traffic, but there was a catch. All passengers had to disembark and cross the bridge on foot, then once the bridge was clear of pedestrians the driver could very slowly take the empty bus over, reload the passengers and continue the journey.

By the start of 1957, a new bridge and connecting road were under construction at a site outside the village of Knightsford Bridge, some 300-yards downstream of the existing crossing. When these opened in August 1958 the old bridge was immediately closed and demolished, being replaced by a footbridge which still stands today. The new road bridge and access road bypassed the village and allowed BMMO to shave a minute off the running time, but this was probably little condolence to bus users in the village as they still had to cross the bridge on foot, but then had to walk another 300-yards down the old road to the replacement bus stop at Suckley Turn.

In September 1964, the last remaining section of the Worcester, Bromyard and Leominster Railway closed and BMMO introduced Service 379 as a replacement. While most journeys followed the narrow lanes linking villages that hitherto had railway stations, some journeys ran direct between Worcester and Bromyard along the Service 420 route and used the same fare tables as Service 420. This provided a small number of additional vehicles on that section of the route, but these were not shown as part of the Service 420 timetable, and by the end of 1970 all the direct Service 379 journeys had been withdrawn.

Bromyard bypass was built in 1967 but buses continued to use the Post Office as the main stopping place and timing point in the town. Later, when a number of roads in Bromyard became one-way the company was again forced to change the route and the main stopping place was moved to Pump Street which exits onto the bypass. For many years early morning buses calling at the Post Office would collect the mail and take it to the City. Presumably, this arrangement had already come to an end before stopping place moved.

Between 1947 and 1971, Service 422 was advertised as running between Worcester, Bromyard, and Leominster, but in reality, the service only ran between Bromyard and Leominster. Passengers using this service wishing to travel to or from places between Worcester and Bromyard were required to change buses at Bromyard Post Office and use Service 420 for that part of the route.

Route Summary

¹  Only certain journeys ran via Whitbourne.

Service 420 (1974–1981)

Operated by Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited

On Monday 3^rd December 1973, the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) sold a number of depots in the Birmingham area to West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (WMPTE). As the company no longer operated local bus services in the City of Birmingham, the company name was changed to Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited (MROC) on Friday 29^th March 1974.

Service 420 continued to be operated between Worcester, Bromyard and Hereford without change to the route or timetable, but throughout this period vehicles were being repainted into the new National Bus Company (NBC) livery of “Poppy Red”.

Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited (MROC) introduced their “Wandaward” MAP scheme in the Hereford area on Saturday 11^th March 1978. This saw a number of services withdrawn and a number of rural services were renumbered with ‘H’-prefix route numbers, which had previously only been used for local Hereford services. At this time, short-working Service 420 Thursday evening journeys between Hereford and Bromyard were renumbered to Service H20, but all daytime journeys were still numbered Service 420.

With the declining number of services operated in and around Hereford, Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited (MROC) closed their offices in Country Bus Station on Saturday 24^th February 1979, and relocated all the local administration duties to Hereford depot. All bus services operated by the company also vacated the site in favour of various departure points around the City, with Service 420 now terminating back at St Peter’s Square (Shire Hall), where it had started from in the late 1920s.

On Saturday 30^th August 1980, as part of revisions to the “Wandaward” MAP scheme, the route for Service 420 changed between Hereford and Withington Marsh (Cross Keys), with all journeys now running via Withington, and one variation running via White Stone. From the same time Service 419 variation was introduced, which ran from Hereford to Withington (Cross Keys) over the old Service 420 route, then ran in the opposite direction to Service 420 via Withington to White Stone, Shucknall, and Newtown, before rejoining the Service 420 route at Burley Gate via the A417. The evening Service H20 journeys were also renumbered back to Service 420.

Initially there were four full return journeys between Hereford and Worcester operated as the new Service 419 variation, but by March 1981 this had been reduced to just one journey with the remainder reverting to running as Service 420. From the same time, all but one Service 420 journey ran via White Stone, and most journeys reverted to the original route out of Hereford, running via Ledbury Road rather than Commercial Road.

At the end of operations on Saturday 5^th September 1981, Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited (MROC) ceased trading as a bus and coach operator. Five new companies were created to take over operations with Midland Red (West) Limited assuming control of both Hereford depot and Worcester depot, and with them operation of Service 419 and Service 420.

Route Summary

¹  Certain off-peak journeys run via Ledbury Road and Folly Lane.
²  One journey towards Worcester runs via White Stone.
³  Certain journeys run via Commercial Road.