National Express West Midlands to host Black Country Bus Bash this weekend
National Express West Midlands is hosting a Black Country Bus Bash and inviting families along for a day of fun, food and an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at a local bus depot.
Between 10am and 4pm on Saturday, the region’s biggest bus operator is opening the doors of its Wolverhampton Park Lane depot to the public.
For a suggested £1 donation to support the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity and the Georgina Ward at Russells Hall Hospital, which is part of the Dudley Group NHS Charity, visitors can browse vintage and modern bus vehicle displays, hop on a state-of-the-art National Express West Midlands DriVR simulator to find out what it’s like to drive a bus, and also enjoy a kids’ favourite - the famous bus wash ride.
Food and drink refreshments will be available throughout the day and a number of stalls will be present on-site, providing bus enthusiasts and fans with an opportunity to buy rare bus memorabilia.
Jeet Sanghera, senior operations manager at National Express West Midlands, said: “Last year’s Open Day was a huge success and this year we’re laying on a bigger and better Black Country Bus Bash at our Wolverhampton depot.
“It is set to be a great day with something for everyone. There will be a large display of new and old buses, free bus wash rides for the kids and people can hop on our amazing bus simulator to see what it’s like to drive a bus.
“We’re also putting on a free shuttle bus from Wolverhampton bus station to our depot at Park Lane so I’d encourage everyone to come along and enjoy the day with us, while supporting two local organisations that do great things here in our community.”
Jon Cottrell, senior partnerships executive at Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, said: “A huge thank you to National Express West Midlands for choosing to support our lifesaving charity. Our advanced pre-hospital emergency service relies solely on the support of local people and businesses to maintain its daily operations.
“We’re really looking forward to attending the Black Country Bus Bash, where people can enjoy a day out while celebrating two fantastic causes.”
Nithee Patel, head of fundraising at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, added: "We are delighted to have been chosen by National Express West Midlands as one of the nominated charities for their upcoming Black Country Bus Bash.
“Our charity supports the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Russells Hall Hospital and Corbett and Dudley Guest Outpatient Centres.
“The work the charity supports is incredibly important for our patients and their experience of our services and our staff wellbeing. The proceeds from this event will have a huge impact by enabling us to help our patients in the Georgina Ward with those extra comforts that go above and beyond what the NHS can provide”.
National Express West Midlands is running a free shuttle bus service to its Wolverhampton Park Lane depot on the day of the Black Country Bus Bash. The shuttle bus timetable is available online here.
Anybody interested in becoming a bus driver can also find out more about recruitment and training opportunities on the day, with driver trainers and the National Express UK recruitment team on hand to answer any questions.
