WYTHALL’S Transport Musuem is celebrating the 75th anniversary of Birmingham’s iconic 50 bus service this Spring bank holiday weekend.
The Transport Museum, on Chapel Lane in Wythall, will pay tribute to the long-running 50 bus service by providing free bus rides to Kings Heath and back on historic buses that have served the route since the late 1940s.
The frequent 50 bus service, operated by National Express West Midlands, connects Druids Heath and Birmingham city centre via the Maypole, Kings Heath, Moseley and Highgate. It turns 75 this year, having first started running in 1949.
The special trips are part of Transport Museum Wythall’s anniversary celebrations over the late May bank holiday weekend.
The Museum will also be host to a number of other activities and memorabilia stands including models and photographs.
Ed Rickard, network director for National Express UK and Ireland, said: “Bus is by far the most popular form of public transport in the West Midlands and our 50 service has long-been a Brummie favourite.
“We hope families and friends will go along to the museum and enjoy a trip down memory lane.”
Malcolm Keeley, Collections Manager at Transport Museum Wythall, said:
“The Transport Museum Wythall is delighted to be celebrating its 75th birthday while wondering just how many millions of passengers the 50 has carried during all those years.”
The 50 service originally terminated at the Maypole and in 1981 it was extended to Druids Heath, with the seven-mile journey taking around 40 minutes from the beginning to the end.
Thanks to National Express West Midlands continued participation in the Government’s £2 fare cap scheme, bus users can continue to enjoy discounted single fares until the end of 2024.
National Express West Midlands runs the 50 service out of its Yardley Wood depot, with over 5 million passengers using it each year. It has 38 stops from Birmingham city centre to Druids Heath, and 37 stops in the other direction.
In 1997, the 50 service was the first National Express West Midlands route to have a fleet of low-floor double deckers.
Visit www.wythall.org.uk and www.nxbus.co.uk for more information.
