Service 303: Timetable Changes
8th March 1986
Wyre Forest “Shuttle†Network LaunchedShow All
- Service 303 (Worcester, Kidderminster, Stourbridge and Wolverhampton) and Service X73 (Wolverhampton, Worcester, Gloucester and Bristol) are slightly re-timed and diverted to operate via Hoo Road between Kidderminster Bus Station and Hoo Brook.
30th August 1986
Worcester Citibus Network changesShow All
- “Midland Express†Service X73 (Wolverhampton, Worcester, Gloucester and Bristol), and the Wolverhampton, Stourbridge and Kidderminster section of Service 303 are withdrawn after the end of operations on Friday 29th August 1986. From the following day, Service 303 runs only between Worcester, Ombersley and Kidderminster, inter-worked with new Service 304.
21st February 1987
- Service 304 journey at 17:25 from Worcester to Kidderminster is withdrawn and replaced with a Service 303 journey, departing at 17:35 and arriving in Kidderminster at 18:20.
28th August 1993
- Hereford & Worcester County Council contract to operate Service 303 and Service 304 (Worcester, Ombersley and Kidderminster) is won by Stevensons of Uttoxeter Limited. Midland Red West Limited continue to operate certain peak-time journeys between Worcester and Kidderminster, plus a small number of short-working journeys between Worcester and Ombersley during the off-peak period.
22nd February 1997
- Minor timetable change to Service 303, with the 19:10 journey from Kidderminster to Worcester being withdrawn.
3rd September 2000
- Daytime Service 304 journeys are withdrawn. The Kidderminster to Ombersley section of the route is partly replaced with additional Service 303 journeys. The Worcester to Holt Fleet section of the route is partly replaced by additional journeys on Service 758 operated by Yarranton Brothers.
- Service 303 is diverted to serve Castle Street in Worcester, not Forgate Street, and is extended to service Ronkswood and Newtown Hospitals.
- Service 303 and Service 304 no longer serve The Hamptons in Ombersley.
- Service 303 and Service 304 journeys are operated using new Dennis Dart SLF vehicles with route branding for 303 “easyLINK†service.
- New Service 303 and Service 304 timetable with an overall frequency of one bus every hours running between Worcester, Ombersley and Kidderminster.
7th April 2002
County Council contracts endShow All
At the end of services on Sunday 7th April 2002 a number of contracts operated by First Midland Red Buses Limited for Worcestershire County Council came to an end after being lost in during re-tendering. At the same time, a number of minor timetables changes were also introduced on other services.
- The contract for Service 303 and Service 304 is passed to Probus Management Limited (trading as Pete’s Travel) who operate these services from Monday 8th April 2002.
- All Service 303 journeys, except the 15:11 departing from Kidderminster on Mondays to Fridays, are withdrawn.
1st September 2003
County Council contracts changesShow All
First Midland Red Buses Limited won several new contracts from Worcestershire County Council. Most of these were previously operated by Probus Management Limited (trading as Pete’s Travel), who withdrew from all of their contract work in Worcestershire at this time. Other contracts were won or lost from Herefordshire County Council.
- Full operation of Service 303 re-introduced by First Midland Red Buses Limited, running every hour Monday to Saturday between Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Worcester City Centre, Ombersley and Kidderminster. All journeys are operated under Worcestershire County Council contract which require them to be operated using low-floor vehicles.
- Service 304 is re-introduced as a variation of Service 303, with one journey only in each direction in the evenings.
30th May 2004
- Service 304 is withdrawn and partly replaced by additional journeys on Service 303.
3rd March 2013
Kidderminster and Redditch depots soldShow All
On Sunday 3rd March 2013 the operations of Kidderminster depot and Redditch depot are sold to Diamond Bus. At this time, all services operated from those sites are withdrawn by First Midland Red Buses Limited and passed to Diamond Bus.
- Service 303 is withdrawn by First Midland Red Buses Limited. Operation of the service is assumed by Diamond Bus from Monday 4th March 2013, with the same route and timetable.