| Tracline 65 | |
|---|---|
 MCW Metrobus on the guided section of the route inShort Heath in October 1984 | |
| Overview | |
| Operator | West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive West Midlands Travel |
| Vehicle | MCW Metrobus |
| Predecessors | Route 65 |
Tracline 65 was a bus route inBirmingham, England which included the firstguided busway in the United Kingdom.
The existing route 65 bus route was upgraded as part of an experiment to improve bus services, by theWest Midlands Passenger Transport Executive. A 600-metre section of concrete-edged guideway was installed on Streetly Road in theShort Heath area, a few miles fromErdington village, at the northern terminal of the route. Located in a central reservation once used byBirmingham Corporation trams, it was segregated from the carriageway used by other vehicular traffic. At the southern end of the trackway, buses used ordinary roads to reach the city centre.[1][2]
FourteenMCW Metrobus Mark II buses were acquired and fitted with guide wheels, which ran along the guideway's concrete edges. The vehicles were painted in a distinct livery, unique to Tracline 65, being silver with black and red detailing. It began operating in 1984.[2][3] The trial ended in 1987 and all buses had their guide wheels removed and returned to normal services; the last withdrawn on 26 April 2008. The buses retained their distinctive destination display and gap in the front wheel arch where the guide wheels had been. One, fleet number 8110, is preserved atAston Manor Road Transport Museum.[4]
Media related toTracline 65 at Wikimedia Commons
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52°31′48″N1°51′31″W / 52.52999°N 1.85856°W /52.52999; -1.85856
