Volvo ALX400 Decline
After years of deciding to take a break from uploading buses, it is safe to say that it has been rekindled because of the huge variety within Birmingham and its ever changing thanks in no small part due to the new Clean Air Zone. It is good to be uploading these photos again and hope it may continue!
For the past 4 years saw Birmingham becoming more aware of pollution within the city centre, and in June 2017 saw initial restrictions put in place, firstly buses must be Euro 4 and above to operate frequent services under its SQPS rules; this was further toughened in Solihull who introduced their own low-emission zone in August 2018.
The biggest change of course came on 1st June 2021 when it became the second city to implement a Clean Air Zone after the city of Bath, which covers all roads with the A4540 Middleway Ring Road, although the ring road itself is not affected. Birmingham is the first to utilise a Class D Clean Air Zone whereby all vehicles must meet a minimum emissions standards. All diesels entering the city must be Euro 6 and above, or for petrol cars it must be Euro 4 and above. Anything below the minimum requirement will have to pay a daily charge of £50.
Away from this, NXWM has done a massive cascade of buses across its garages, with Acocks Green, Birmingham Central, Pensnett, Perry Barr, Walsall, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton affected.
The Clean Air Zone has effectively saw the dwindling number of ALX400-bodied Volvo B7TLs no longer being able to enter the city of Birmingham. During 2017, a number were selected to be trapped to Euro 5 specification which would enable them to continue use within Birmingham, but that is no longer the case.
Acocks Green and West Bromwich are the last garages to find these ALX400s; now operating suburban services outside of Birmingham. What's interesting is Acocks Green was very late into operating these ALX400s, only starting in 2016 and its very likely that the last examples will see their final days based here.
A number of non-compliant ALX400s could and still be found on the high-profile Outer Circle 11A/11C as well as other services around the south and south east Birmingham. 4276-4291 made the transfer to Acocks Green in April 2018 to replace the non-trapped ALX400s which only 2 remain; these were mainly used on the 5 as the route consisted of a low bridge in Hall Green which meant low-height buses had to be used, with ALX400s replacing the Wright Eclipse Geminis... The route now consists of Platinum Enviro400MMCs.
4276-4291 can now be found on any of Acocks Green's routes that don't operate in Birmingham city centre, the Outer Circle is a good bet as well as the 1/1A, 31, 72, 73.
4277 was delivered to the now closed Hockley garage in January 2002, before transferring to West Bromwich in May 2005, later going to Perry Barr in May 2006 and remained there for a further 11 years before going back to West Bromwich in June 2017 only to return to Perry Barr in December 2017 although on loan to Acocks Green, the transfer made permanent in April 2018 where she has remained ever since.
Alexander ALX400 4277 (BU51 RXB) rounds Moor Street Queensway after working 4A from Gospel Oak via Acocks Green.
Volvo ALX400 Decline
After years of deciding to take a break from uploading buses, it is safe to say that it has been rekindled because of the huge variety within Birmingham and its ever changing thanks in no small part due to the new Clean Air Zone. It is good to be uploading these photos again and hope it may continue!
For the past 4 years saw Birmingham becoming more aware of pollution within the city centre, and in June 2017 saw initial restrictions put in place, firstly buses must be Euro 4 and above to operate frequent services under its SQPS rules; this was further toughened in Solihull who introduced their own low-emission zone in August 2018.
The biggest change of course came on 1st June 2021 when it became the second city to implement a Clean Air Zone after the city of Bath, which covers all roads with the A4540 Middleway Ring Road, although the ring road itself is not affected. Birmingham is the first to utilise a Class D Clean Air Zone whereby all vehicles must meet a minimum emissions standards. All diesels entering the city must be Euro 6 and above, or for petrol cars it must be Euro 4 and above. Anything below the minimum requirement will have to pay a daily charge of £50.
Away from this, NXWM has done a massive cascade of buses across its garages, with Acocks Green, Birmingham Central, Pensnett, Perry Barr, Walsall, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton affected.
The Clean Air Zone has effectively saw the dwindling number of ALX400-bodied Volvo B7TLs no longer being able to enter the city of Birmingham. During 2017, a number were selected to be trapped to Euro 5 specification which would enable them to continue use within Birmingham, but that is no longer the case.
Acocks Green and West Bromwich are the last garages to find these ALX400s; now operating suburban services outside of Birmingham. What's interesting is Acocks Green was very late into operating these ALX400s, only starting in 2016 and its very likely that the last examples will see their final days based here.
A number of non-compliant ALX400s could and still be found on the high-profile Outer Circle 11A/11C as well as other services around the south and south east Birmingham. 4276-4291 made the transfer to Acocks Green in April 2018 to replace the non-trapped ALX400s which only 2 remain; these were mainly used on the 5 as the route consisted of a low bridge in Hall Green which meant low-height buses had to be used, with ALX400s replacing the Wright Eclipse Geminis... The route now consists of Platinum Enviro400MMCs.
4276-4291 can now be found on any of Acocks Green's routes that don't operate in Birmingham city centre, the Outer Circle is a good bet as well as the 1/1A, 31, 72, 73.
4277 was delivered to the now closed Hockley garage in January 2002, before transferring to West Bromwich in May 2005, later going to Perry Barr in May 2006 and remained there for a further 11 years before going back to West Bromwich in June 2017 only to return to Perry Barr in December 2017 although on loan to Acocks Green, the transfer made permanent in April 2018 where she has remained ever since.
Alexander ALX400 4277 (BU51 RXB) rounds Moor Street Queensway after working 4A from Gospel Oak via Acocks Green.