Campaigners fighting to reinstate an axed bus route to a Black Country hospital will hand over a petition to travel bosses tomorrow.

More than 1,000 people have put their names to a campaign to restore the 261 service to Dudley’s Russells Hall Hospital and those spearheading the bid will present the petition to representatives from National Express West Midlands. Wall Heath councillors Dave Tyler, Lynn Boleyn and Kathryn Shuttleworth will hand over the document at the HQ in Graham Street, Birmingham.

The number of signatures reached four figures this week as protestors take the fight to the bus company, which axed the route in April claiming it was “not financially viable.”

Passengers say it is a vital service for patients and their relatives in Wall Heath, Swindon and Wombourne.

The ditching of the 261 means people living in these villages now have to get two buses when travelling to and from the hospital.

The response to the petition is no surprise given the level of public feeling on the issue. Hundreds of furious residents packed into a meeting with travel bosses before the route was axed.

Councillor Boleyn said the bus network was struggling to cope without the service, causing great inconvenience to passengers.

She said: “The new system doesn’t seem to be working. You ask people waiting for connections and it’s taking ages to get to the hospital.

“There’s also been a case of someone on crutches having to change buses.”

The campaigners have asked the bus company to consider extending the 205 bus route – which runs from Russells Hall to Kingswinford – into Wall Heath, creating a direct route to the hospital, if it is not possible to reinstate the 261.

Other suggestions include reintroducing the 261 with subsidies from Dudley Council and others.

The withdrawal of the service was part of a review to make buses in the borough more reliable.