Longest and oldest

[settlerman]

This question must have been asked before but I cant find the answer. What is the oldest route in Birmingham that is still operating to its original route give or take the odd deviation. Also what is or was the longest route in Birmingham time/distance? I was told it was the 69 route of 1999-2004 Weoley Castle-Heartlands.

[Tony]

Could very well be the 11 & 1 in that order in the West Midlands.

[MW]

The 11 has been around since the 1920s.

[Gareth]

Having purchased a copy of the new book 'Birmingham Buses - Route by route' today, The 1 from March 1916 ran to Hall Green. When the route was extended to Acocks Green it ran as the 1A until it was renumbered 1 in 1962.

There has been a 9 City to Quinton since March 1919.

Outer circle since April 1926

Inner Circle since February 1928 (once with a peak every 2 min frequency!)


Most other routes that have stayed pretty much the same were introduced from the 30's onwards with tramway abandonment and City expansion.

Great book, highly recommended!

[Stu]

Easily the 11A/C is the longest route, distance-wise, after all it is commonly referred to as the longest urban bus route in Europe.

The 'old' 69 probably wasn't far off, but was probably as long time-wise!  ;D

What about the 'old' 258 route, when it ran from Wolverhampton to Birmingham, via Wombourne, Kingswinford, Merry Hill, Blackheath and Bearwood? That was pretty long, time-wise at least, was something near 2 and a half hours.

[settlerman]

Surprised at the No 9 being that old

[Gareth]

Also interesting with the 9 is that there were lunchtime short workings for Office workers in the 5ways area to and from the City Centre.

9B to Five Ways
9C to Ivy Bush
9D to Kings Head

[Justin Tyme]

I agree that the 11 is the longest route in Birmingham by a long way - and until it was rerouted along Bearwood Road in 1986, it ran entirely inside the city boundary (unlike the 69).  The second longest was probably the 28, which ran City Centre - Dyas Road until 1980.

The oldest bus route still using its original number is the 1, which was renumbered from 9 in 1916.   However, the 24 is an older bus route - it was numbered 3 between 1905 (when it ran to Queens Park in Harborne) and about 1990, before becoming the 103 and more recently the 24.

There were other early bus routes but they were mainly replaced by tramways, which ran on all routes from the city centre except the Harborne corridor.  In fact NXWM 74 and 87 Birmingham - Dudley and 75 Birmingham - Wednesbury were Birmingham Corporation tram routes - using the same numbers - from the 1920s until buses replaced them in 1939.

[matt904102]

Surprised at the No 9 being that old

The full route to Stourbridge was the Midland Red 130. Became the 9 with the WMPTE

[Discodave]

The 50 is old isn't it seen pictures of it with halfcabs on also the 62 rednal

[Justin Tyme]

The 50 is old isn't it seen pictures of it with halfcabs on also the 62 rednal

The 50 started in 1949 - it replaced a tramway (as far as Alcester Lanes End) and part of a bus route.  The 62 started in 1952 and also replaced a tramway.  This is the case for most "main road" services in Birmingham, with the exception of Harborne, which trams never reached.