Welcome to the Midland Branch

If you're interested in buses in any part of Central England, we can help you get more from your hobby.

• We produce a Branch Bulletin every month
• We arrange operator visits most months between April and October
• We hold meetings most months between November and March
• We welcome people of all ages and interests

Our Branch Bulletin

We are particularly proud of our monthly Midland Branch Bulletin.  It contains comprehensive details of bus service changes and developments made by every operator large and small throughout the Midlands, along with photos and regular Route Observations. 

To download a free sample Midland Branch Bulletin click here.

Visits

During the Summer and Autumn we go out on visits to bus operators - from the largest to the smallest - throughout the Midlands and beyond. Most visits are to garages where we can see and photograph vehicles, and we include calls at towns to see buses in service. We also normally do a Route Tour each year, travelling around by service buses for a day in order to get a feel for an area's operations and vehicles.

What is an Omnibus Society visit like? In April 2026 we visited three major operators in our area.  The first was Johnsons of Henley-in-Arden, whose interesting coach fleet now consists mainly of Irizars, Scania 410s and Yutongs.

After a good look round the depot and photographs taken, we travelled to National Express Coventry.  We were welcomed here by the NX Head of Communications, Amy Poole. Having completed the safety formalities, we were treated to a tour of the garage and the administration offices, which now feature a Driver Simulator.  The entire double deck fleet here is electric, and we observed a few of the remaining single deck diesels on the pits awaiting inspection before transfer to other National Express garages in the West Midlands.

We then went to Stagecoach Midlands, visiting Nuneaton and Rugby depots.  We were greeted by the company's Commercial Director, Patrick Stringer, and we were able to see the work done to put electric chargers in at both garages.  A special treat for us was a marvellous trip on the company's Volvo B10M/Alexander 20215, from its heritage fleet, between Nuneaton and Rugby.

Adding to all this, staff from the operators were on hand to answer our many questions.  We saw alot and learned alot - which is what it is all about!

We hope you will be tempted to join us. To see our visits programme click here.

A Midland Branch visit in action. Here we are with Stagecoach Midlands 20215 and staff in Nuneaton garage [courtesy of Steven Knight Media]

Meetings

During the Winter and Spring we hold meetings in Derby, in Birmingham or online using Zoom. Most meetings include a talk by guest speakers on a wide range of bus-related subjects. We have interesting talks from Senior Managers in the bus industry, other industry professionals and enthusiasts, including our members.  If you are an OS member you can access YouTube videos or PDF versions of our Zoom speaker talks on our Meetings Notes page.

Friends

Meetings and visits also give you the chance to meet fellow bus enthusiasts - and make new friends. We have almost 200 members with interests in all aspects of the hobby, so whatever your particular interest you will find people who share it with you.  We will make you welcome.

The Area We Cover

The Midland Branch covers Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands.

East Midlands Bus Enthusiasts Group

The East Midlands Bus Enthusiasts Group (EMBEG) is associated with the Omnibus Society, and works very closely with the Midland Branch. EMBEG arranges its own meetings and visits, supplementing our activities, and Midland Branch members are most welcome to take part in them.  If you would like more information about EMBEG and its activities, please contact us - see below.