BirminghamWorld readers picked the No. 50 as one of the best bus routes in the city. So, we on the National Express West Midlands (NXWM) 50 service from Moor Street to Alcester Lanes End for Catch the Bus Month and to meet one of its drivers, Herbie Rose.
The No. 50 is is seven miles long, with 38 stops from the city centre to Druids Heath and 37 back. It normally takes around 40 minutes to complete the journey end-to-end but might take longer at peak-times. The bus is in its 74th year having started on 2nd October 1949 and was introduced by Birmingham City Transport as a direct replacement for Moseley Road tram routes.
The No. 50 is is seven miles long, with 38 stops from the city centre to Druids Heath and 37 back. It normally takes around 40 minutes to complete the journey end-to-end but might take longer at peak-times. The bus is in its 74th year having started on 2nd October 1949 and was introduced by Birmingham City Transport as a direct replacement for Moseley Road tram routes.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 I'm on the number 50 bus, National Express and it goes from Moore Street to Druid's
00:11 Heath and we rode the bus today which goes through also Kings Heath, Moseley and there
00:18 are some amazing stops on the way.
00:21 We spoke to Herbie Rose who's one of the elite drivers with National Express and he drives
00:27 the number 50 and this is what he had to say.
00:30 Hello, my name is Herbert, Herbert Rose but people call me Herbie and I've been working
00:39 for National Express for just over 10 years.
00:44 I actually passed in December of 2012 which was just before Christmas so it was a lovely
00:51 Christmas present but I started at Yardley Wood Garage in January 2013 so it's just over
01:02 10 years.
01:06 The job itself has been really rewarding for me.
01:12 I love driving and I like meeting people and this job for me offers both.
01:25 I'm a regular driver on the 50 route.
01:32 My day basically starts with me going into the garage, checking the bus, making sure
01:42 that everything's okay, taking the bus to the start of the route and generally spending
01:54 about maybe 4 hours in a go, 4, 4 and a half hours to 5 hours generally driving.
02:03 Then I have a break and another 4 hours or so more driving.
02:13 The 50 route itself is a really, really busy route.
02:19 We tend to have our regular customers who you tend to get to know.
02:28 We tend to get to meet a lot of interesting people from all walks of life.
02:33 The 50s are quite regular.
02:35 I know sometimes it might be hard to believe sometimes but they are quite a regular service
02:41 so you may have been aware on your journey itself that there is possibly I would imagine
02:50 about 15 buses on route which is quite a good number.
02:58 I think the service is roughly around every 5 minutes.
03:05 So I think the frequency is a good thing really.
03:12 The buses are fairly new as well so they are quite comfortable as well.
03:18 So that's another thing.
03:19 Both for myself as a driver and as a passenger as well.