National Express West Midlands is the main bus company serving the West Midlands region, including…read morethe city of Birmingham - having daily troubles with my buses back home in Greater Manchester with our two main operators of Go North West and mainly First Manchester, I hoped National Express who have a reputation on more inter-city coach trips rather than regional bus journeys would be better - and in a few factors they were. I found the buses to be much nicer and more modern inside than most I'm used to in the likes of Manchester and London - they still had the feature of announcing the stops which I like as this helps disabled people travel independently who might struggle with their sight, and it also helps tourists and people who might not know the area like me travel well, without relying on the drivers to offer help getting somewhere - and with the drivers seeming unhelpful and rude this was surely needed. The buses did seem to run on time based on timetables on the three or so times I used the bus services. Some routes didn't seem to work in general - from my Hilton Garden Inn hotel to Colmore Row, the bus seemed to go a longer route, where it'd go out of the way before going back which made no sense - I understand they have to pick passengers up but surely going back on themselves don't make any sense, which meant using the bus was no quicker than walking around 3/4 of a mile to where I wanted to go. I also didn't like how the buses going into the city centre just stated "Birmingham" like come on, it's a big place where are you going? The railway station? Bullring? Colmore Row? Overall, clean buses which seem modern and to run on time are rare so, despite the problems I experienced with the overall route and route planning and drivers I feel a three-star rating is in order, National Express have impressed me after a dire experience on one of their coach experiences to the point I have not used the branch since (until now) on a route from Manchester to London.

Some things in life never change. One of these is probably Erdington station. You can be almost…read moreguaranteed that as you pass through it on your way into town, you'll see some poor sod running up the ramp from the street to try and catch the train you're on (the same frequently happens at Wylde Green too). As a station, Erdington does its job and does little more (but then, what more would it need to do?) It's got a waiting room (on the Brum-bound platform) and a bus-shelter on the Lichfield-headed one. The ticket office is located on the street at the entrance to the Brum platform. As the line runs over the road, the station is high up, which is why there's the ramp for people to always be running up. The station is about 10 minutes walk from the middle of Erdington and so if you're going to Erdington from anywhere in all honesty, you're probably better off getting one of the many buses that arrive in all directions and stop right by the High Street.

It may seem a little strange to review a bus route, but this is my most used bus route in…read moreBirmingham. This route runs from the Bullring to Moseley and Kings Heath (and beyond, but I don't travel "beyond") and is incredibly regular. Travel West Midlands fares have increased somewhat since I first moved to Birmingham, but a single is now £2.20 or a daysaver (unlimited bus services) £4.20. The service runs as often as every 6 minutes (and is hardly ever empty in my experience) and actually runs for 24 hours. After 11pm or midnight, it reduces to every 1 hour. You can check the timetable online, via their app or at the stop itself (it has a electronic display which lets you know when the bus is due). To get from the Bullring to Moseley, it takes around 10 - 12 minutes (Kings Heath, around 15). The buses have always been pretty clean when I've used them. As this is a popular route, they tend to update the fleet fairly regularly and keep them all in top order. I've never had a problem with the bus breaking down mid-route (a sight which is fairly familiar on the Birmingham network). Again, I don't use the buses very often - but I will always catch the number 50 when I'm planning on having an evening out in Moseley or Kings Heath. With it's late service, it's reliable and an easy (and cheaper) way to get around.

The 50 is a legend in Birmingham…read more I don't mean the type of legend you describe your mate as when he manages to drink 12 pints and a double curry without being hospitalised. It is the "Most Regular" bus service in Europe which when you are standing waiting for one in horrible traffic seems unlikely. But during the day there is pretty much one at the Birmingham City Centre terminus by Selfridges almost non-stop. It's a legend because of the people and they are amazing. There might be someone preaching one minute someone singing another, You get spoken to by the public no matter how much you want them to leave you alone. 2014 saw it become a 24 hour service with hourly busses in the night. It hadn't had a proper night service in years, if ever. Tip: Don't sit by anyone :-)

I used to catch Diamond buses all the time, mainly because they were a much cheaper option to get…read moreto and from town when compared to West Midlands travel. But now, for 10p dearer, and the option to buy a day saver, West Midlands travel beats Diamond's (£1.80* single) service hands down; Unless you're only making one journey that is. If this bus service was more regular, I would probably use it more often, and buy a return/day saver. But at the moment, it's likely that you'll be waiting quite sometime for a return bus with Diamond, so it makes more sense to purchase a day saver ticket (£3.80*) with the consistent and reliable West Midlands service. However, particularly regarding the 17 route, there does seem to be an increase in this service, so maybe I will switch over to using them if they become more constant in other areas (such as the 50 route). Nevertheless, the only truly great fact about Diamond is the super fast time it takes to get to the city centre (mainly because nobody really catches it, so it doesn't stop very often!)

My first impressions of the Diamond buses were completely positive. I mean, eliminate flooring,…read moreleather seats, what's not to like. It's only been since I've began to buy a day-saver with the Travel West Midland buses, that Diamond have started to arrive at the completely wrong time, becoming more and more frustrating due to the fact that I'd have to spend another £1.80 just to use the bus. If all Birmingham based buses were tied to the same company this would not be an issue, but sadly, it is. These specific buses aren't as regular as Travel West Midland, so based on that fact and their ability to arrive at the worst possible points; I'm not a fan.

The new West Bromwich Bus Station is ten times better than the old station. The old station was…read morepretty embarrassing and was one of the worst bus stations I have ever seen. The station was run down and it was obvious it needed improving. Now West Bromwich Bus Station is a vast improvement from the old one. The new station has an information centre where you can get information on the different bus routes that operate within the Black Country and the West Midlands area. You can also get information on travelcards and fares. The buses that stop at West Bromwich Bus Station travel to various towns and cities in the West Midlands. There are buses that go to Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley etc. The Bus Station is also opposite the West Bromwich Central Tram Station. National Express and Diamond buses operate at West Bromwich Bus Station. Waiting for buses can be a real nightmare and I have experienced times where I have waited half an hour for a bus during the daytime when they should be coming at least every ten minutes.

As a public transport user many stations are super cold and drafty despite new builds (see Walsall…read morebus station for a concrete nightmare). West Brom bus station is perfectly located with the central tram stop across the road and it's accessibility and connection to the central shopping area through Kings Square indoor shopping centre. For a change it s a station with great signage, an information centre and really usable display boards for all the buses. With buses to Walsall running regularly and it only taking 20/30mins it is one of the better transport connections. At least with all the glass corridor designs it is much warmer and weather resistant than more open plan stations and much easier to navigate between the stops even if you are down the one end as it's such an accessible bus station. If you find your self stuck here then there could be much worse places to end up.

Once again, an English city that has multiple railway termini because, well, privatised railways…read more Then again, when it was built the only people investing in railways were private companies. However, this station is pretty massive. In fact it is so big that it is really quite easy to get lost in it. In fact, there are like four areas where you go to catch a train, and two of them don't meet (which means you have to exit, and then enter again). Anyway, this station isn't bad, and it even has a pub in it, which is cool.

Birmingham Moor Street might be one of the smaller stations in the city centre, and it might not be…read moreas big, bold and modern, while also lacking the number of railway services compared to New Street, but Birmingham Moor Street just has something I like. Its minimalistic style is beautiful and rather nice, it feels like a traditional old British railway station done well, even down to the platform numbers. It is right opposite the Bullring, I would recommend heading to a store inside there, or perhaps Subway to get some food for the train, as other than a few small stores, there isn't much on offer here especially if you are making a long journey. The station is managed by Chiltern Railways and is the terminus of their route into London Marleybone. Services are also offered by West Midlands Railway. Many of the services from this station are mainly local services, into the likes of Birmingham Snow Hill and Solihull, sadly there are no connections into Birmingham International (For the Airport and NEC). I found the staff at the station to be a little rude and unhelpful, which was a sad first interaction with Chiltern Railways. 3* - Traditional old station with a good feel to it, obviously the lack of services and unfriendly staff do let it down and I will always prefer travelling via New Street, but this isn't a bad alternative.