DOZENS of bus routes in Birmingham and the Black Country are set to be changed or withdrawn after a review by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM).

Twenty-eight services will be changed as of January 2025 after TfWM reviewed their contracts with operators across the West Midlands.

The Black Country will see the number 80 that runs between Moxley, Walsall and Bilston, Wolverhampton, scrapped entirely as well as the 24 between Dudley and Merry Hill replaced with an alternative service.

Services which have been identified as “key areas of change” number 14, 14A and 74a in the Dudley Borough and the 23, 30, 41 and 41A in Wednesbury and Bilston.

However, it is Solihull that will be most impacted by the changes, with 11 services to be revised, withdrawn or renumbered.

There will also be some changes made to services in Coventry as well.

TfWM has maintained that “the majority of passengers will see no or very small changes to their services” and that it is in a small number of cases where there are changes to routes and timetables.

Pete Bond, director of integrated transport services for TfWM, said: “We have, working with the bus operators, used the funding available to secure the maximum benefits for bus passengers – especially those living in areas where commercial services are not financially sustainable.

“There are changes to some services and where there is a reduction for the vast majority there are suitable alternatives. I urge people to check the TfWM website for full details ahead of January.

“Buses account for more than 232 million journeys a year in the West Midlands. They are relied upon by many residents and businesses, so it is essential we keep these services on the road.

“The bus industry is facing severe cost challenges and is increasingly reliant on subsidy support – that is why at TfWM we are developing a bus reform plan to better secure the long-term sustainability of our bus network.”

For a full list of changes, check the TfWM website.