West Midlands Bus route 11

The West Midlands Bus route 11, also called the Birmingham Outer Circle, is a long bus journey that goes around the city of Birmingham. It covers a distance of 27 miles (43 km) and follows the A4040 road, with a small part going through Bearwood using other roads. The buses on this route are run by National Express West Midlands.

For many years, the route worked in two directions: clockwise (called 11C) and anti-clockwise (called 11A). But since July 2021, the route was changed. Now, 11A buses stop at Perry Barr and then come back as 11C buses to Acocks Green. The 11C buses stop at Erdington and return as 11A buses to Acocks Green.

Since bus services were allowed to be run by different companies in 1986, many businesses have tried to offer bus rides on parts of this route. Some of these companies include Falcon Travel, Serverse Travel, Birmingham Motor Traction, AM PM Travel, Joe's Travel, GRS Travel, and Discount Travel Solutions.

History

Route 11 used to be the longest urban bus route in Europe, just a bit shorter than Coventry's route 360, until that route stopped running in 2016. It started in 1923 with two separate routes: one from King's Heath to the King's Head (Hagley Road) through Cotteridge, and another from Six Ways Erdington to Acocks Green and Moseley. On 26 April 1926, it became a full circle route to connect Birmingham's suburbs better, since most buses back then only went in and out of the city center.

The route was run by Birmingham City Transport until 1969 when the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive took over. In 1986, the bus services were handed to West Midlands Travel, which is now National Express West Midlands. Every year, special old buses travel the route in an event started by the Aston Manor Road Transport Museum in 1977, except in 2000 when there wasn't enough fuel. In 2004, the route got upgrades like security cameras, special bus lanes, new bus stops with digital displays, and new buses that are easier to get on and off.

Over the years, different companies tried running parts of the route, but most stopped. In July 2021, the route was split into two pieces because of road work, and as of April 2025, it is still split. Some people think it might be permanent now.

Route

The West Midlands Bus route 11, also called the Birmingham Outer Circle, is a long 27-mile (43 km) trip around Birmingham. It can take up to three hours to finish a full circle and carries around 50,000 people each day. The route has 266 stops and passes many places such as schools, hospitals, shops, and parks. It even goes by Cadbury’s factory in Bournville, one of the biggest chocolate factories in the world.

Because of roadwork delays at Perry Barr, the bus service was split into two parts starting on July 4, 2021. This change is still happening as of April 2025. The buses now have different end points depending on their direction, making the trip a bit different than before. The route includes stops at places like Acocks Green, Hall Green, Sarehole Mill, and many others along the way.

In popular culture

The bus route inspired many creative works. A Birmingham band called Woodbine wrote a song titled "Outer Circle" about the route in 1999. In 2001, some musicians from Birmingham held a concert based on the bus route.

On November 11, 2008, a humourist named Jon Bounds spent eleven hours travelling the route and shared his journey online using Twitter, Facebook, and a blog. In 2009, a Birmingham resident named Kevin Beresford made a calendar featuring the route. The route also inspired a Scottish country dance created by Kenneth Reid, which is performed worldwide. Additionally, Birmingham writers created a collection of short stories inspired by the route.