Birmingham's iconic National Express West Midlands No. 11 bus route is celebrating 100 years of service this weekend. Known as one of the longest bus routes in Europe, it has been running along the outer circle of the city since 1926.
A Century of Service
The 27-mile route, which operates both clockwise and anti-clockwise, will mark its centenary on Sunday, April 26. It covers more than 260 bus stops, serves 233 schools, colleges, and universities, passes 40 pubs, 19 retail centres, six hospitals, and one prison, making approximately 36,000 journeys every day.
The route also links 15 commercial centres and passes notable landmarks such as Cadbury World in Bournville and Villa Park. A full circuit on the 11 service can take up to three hours to complete.
Cultural Impact
The No. 11 route has inspired a song by The Woodbines in 1999, a dance by Kenneth Reid from the Birmingham Scottish country dance group, and West Midlands author Jonathan Coe's satirical bestseller titled 'Number 11'.
Adam Rideout, head of customer experience and marketing at National Express West Midlands, said: "Bus is by far the most popular form of public transport here in the West Midlands, and our iconic 11 service has long been a Brummie favourite since it first started some 100 years ago.
"With buses running up to every 10 minutes and single adult tickets still only £3, and a day ticket allowing passengers to explore the region with unlimited travel on the day for only £5.20, it remains a very popular route that connects our customers in a number of key areas around the city and is part of the city's transport history."
Anniversary Celebrations
Transport Museum Wythall is celebrating the 100th anniversary with special trips on different buses from various eras along the 11 route. These celebrations will take place over the late May bank holiday weekend.
