Bus 97A in Birmingham links Church Centre and Birmingham International Station. The route is 18.6 km long with 56 stops, and the official schedule from National Express West Midlands puts the full trip at about 57 minutes. On a weekday it runs 40 trips in one direction, and 41 on a weekend day.
Route at a glance
| Mode | Bus |
|---|---|
| Route number | 97A |
| City | Birmingham |
| Operator | National Express West Midlands |
| Start → end | Church Centre → Birmingham International Station |
| End → start | Birmingham International Station → Church Centre |
| Route length | 18.6 km / 19.0 km in the opposite direction |
| Number of stops | 56 / 55 in the opposite direction |
| Travel time | about 57 minutes |
| Trips per day | 40 on weekdays, 41 on weekends one way |
| Frequency | peak 30 · midday 30 · weekend 20–36 |
| First / last trip from «Church Centre» | 01:30 / 23:10 |
| First / last trip from «Birmingham International Station» | 00:05 / 23:17 |
| Fare | 3.00 £ (fare in effect since 28 June 2026) |
| Updated | August 22, 2026 |
Route of Bus 97A
Outbound: Church Centre → Birmingham International Station
This direction has 56 stops and runs 18.6 km. The route passes Bus Mall, Norwood Road, Church Road, Shelly Close. Below is the full list with the distance from the first stop.
| No. | Stop | From start | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Church Centre | 0.0 km | Terminus |
| 2 | Bus Mall | 0.3 km | |
| 3 | Allison Street | 0.8 km | |
| 4 | Birmingham Coach Station | 1.1 km | |
| 5 | Gibb Street | 1.3 km | |
| 6 | Fazeley Street | 1.6 km | |
| 7 | Derby Street | 2.0 km | |
| 8 | Witton Street | 2.5 km | |
| 9 | Maxstoke Street | 2.7 km | |
| 10 | Venetia Road | 3.0 km | |
| 11 | Tilton Road | 3.2 km | |
| 12 | Bangor Road | 3.5 km | |
| 13 | Victoria Street | 3.6 km | |
| 14 | Pikewater Road | 3.8 km | |
| 15 | Norwood Road | 3.9 km | |
| 16 | Imperial Road | 4.1 km | |
| 17 | Fordrough Lane | 4.4 km | |
| 18 | Colonial Road | 4.6 km | |
| 19 | Marchmont Road | 4.9 km | |
| 20 | Belchers Lane | 5.3 km | |
| 21 | Heartlands Hospital | 5.5 km | |
| 22 | Kenwood Road | 5.8 km | |
| 23 | Eastfield Road | 6.1 km | |
| 24 | Upton Road | 6.3 km | |
| 25 | Richmond Road | 6.6 km | |
| 26 | Denton Grove | 6.8 km | |
| 27 | Stechford Police Station | 7.2 km | |
| 28 | Church Road | 7.5 km | |
| 29 | Pool Lane Allotments | 7.8 km | |
| 30 | Queens Road | 8.0 km | |
| 31 | The Lea | 8.3 km | |
| 32 | Holbeach Road | 8.7 km | |
| 33 | Mirfield Road | 9.1 km | |
| 34 | Centenary House | 9.5 km | |
| 35 | Kyngsford Road | 9.8 km | |
| 36 | Sheldon Hall Avenue | 10.1 km | |
| 37 | Wheatlands Croft | 10.4 km | |
| 38 | Briddsland Road | 10.6 km | |
| 39 | Shirestone Road | 10.7 km | |
| 40 | Leominster House | 11.1 km | |
| 41 | Shelly Close | 11.3 km | |
| 42 | Brickhill Drive | 11.7 km | |
| 43 | Coleford Drive | 12.0 km | |
| 44 | Winchester Drive | 12.4 km | |
| 45 | Pine Square | 12.5 km | |
| 46 | Stella Croft | 12.8 km | |
| 47 | Birch Croft | 13.2 km | |
| 48 | Rowan Way | 13.5 km | |
| 49 | Whitebeam Road | 13.9 km | |
| 50 | Coleshill Road | 14.6 km | |
| 51 | Bickenhill Lane | 15.5 km | |
| 52 | Elmdon Trading Estate | 15.9 km | |
| 53 | Morris Way | 16.1 km | |
| 54 | Ingenuity House | 16.4 km | |
| 55 | Birmingham Airport Bus Terminal | 17.8 km | |
| 56 | Birmingham International Station | 18.6 km | Terminus |
Inbound: Birmingham International Station → Church Centre
This direction has 55 stops and runs 19.0 km. The route passes Birmingham Airport Bus Terminal, Winchester Drive, The Lea, Colonial Road. Below is the full list with the distance from the first stop.
| No. | Stop | From start | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham International Station | 0.0 km | Terminus |
| 2 | Birmingham Airport Bus Terminal | 1.2 km | |
| 3 | Morris Way | 2.1 km | |
| 4 | Elmdon Trading Estate | 2.4 km | |
| 5 | Bickenhill Lane | 2.9 km | |
| 6 | Coleshill Road | 3.6 km | |
| 7 | Heath Farm | 3.9 km | |
| 8 | Barnard Close | 4.3 km | |
| 9 | Tulip Walk | 4.5 km | |
| 10 | Rowan Way | 4.8 km | |
| 11 | Piccadilly Close | 5.0 km | |
| 12 | Birch Croft | 5.2 km | |
| 13 | Stella Croft | 5.4 km | |
| 14 | Chelmsley Interchange | 6.3 km | |
| 15 | Winchester Drive | 6.9 km | |
| 16 | St Anne’s Church | 7.1 km | |
| 17 | Coleford Drive | 7.2 km | |
| 18 | Brickhill Drive | 7.4 km | |
| 19 | Shelly Close | 7.7 km | |
| 20 | Leominster House | 8.1 km | |
| 21 | Shirestone Road | 8.4 km | |
| 22 | Briddsland Road | 8.6 km | |
| 23 | Sheldon Hall Avenue | 9.0 km | |
| 24 | Kyngsford Road | 9.4 km | |
| 25 | Centenary House | 9.6 km | |
| 26 | Mirfield Road | 10.1 km | |
| 27 | Holbeach Road | 10.6 km | |
| 28 | The Lea | 10.8 km | |
| 29 | Queens Road | 11.2 km | |
| 30 | Pool Lane Allotments | 11.5 km | |
| 31 | Church Road | 11.8 km | |
| 32 | Stechford Police Station | 12.1 km | |
| 33 | Denton Grove | 12.4 km | |
| 34 | Richmond Road | 12.6 km | |
| 35 | Upton Road | 12.8 km | |
| 36 | Eastfield Road | 13.2 km | |
| 37 | Kenwood Road | 13.4 km | |
| 38 | Heartlands Hospital | 13.7 km | |
| 39 | Belchers Lane | 13.9 km | |
| 40 | Marchmont Road | 14.2 km | |
| 41 | Colonial Road | 14.7 km | |
| 42 | Fordrough Lane | 15.0 km | |
| 43 | Imperial Road | 15.1 km | |
| 44 | Norwood Road | 15.2 km | |
| 45 | Victoria Street | 15.4 km | |
| 46 | Bangor Road | 15.7 km | |
| 47 | Tilton Road | 16.0 km | |
| 48 | Venetia Road | 16.3 km | |
| 49 | Maxstoke Street | 16.5 km | |
| 50 | Witton Street | 16.7 km | |
| 51 | Derby Street | 17.1 km | |
| 52 | Gibb Street | 17.8 km | |
| 53 | Birmingham Coach Station | 18.1 km | |
| 54 | Park Street | 18.5 km | |
| 55 | Church Centre | 19.0 km | Terminus |
Schedule and frequency
According to the official schedule from National Express West Midlands, the route runs 40 trips in one direction on a weekday, and 41 on a weekend day.
| Direction | Weekdays | Weekends and holidays |
|---|---|---|
| From «Church Centre» | 01:30 — 23:10 | 01:30 — 23:00 |
| From «Birmingham International Station» | 00:05 — 23:17 | 00:05 — 23:17 |
Frequency calculated from the departure table: in the morning peak buses run every 30 minutes; midday every 30 minutes; in the afternoon peak every 30–38; on weekends every 20–36 minutes.
Fare and payment
A single ride costs 3.00 £ — fare in effect since 28 June 2026. The same fare applies to National Express buses in Birmingham.
A single journey on a National Express bus costs £3.00 and is valid on one bus for one journey only — it gives no transfer. A multi-operator nBus day ticket costs £5.50 and works on every operator in the scheme.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a ride on bus 97A cost?
3.00 £ for a single ride — fare in effect since 28 June 2026.
When do the first and last trips run?
From Church Centre the first is at 01:30 and the last at 23:10. From Birmingham International Station they are 00:05 and 23:17.
How long does the trip from Church Centre to Birmingham International Station take?
About 57 minutes end to end — the median of full trips in the official schedule.
How many stops does the route have?
56 outbound and 55 inbound according to the official GTFS feed. The two lists do not match exactly.
Does bus 97A run on weekends?
Yes. On weekends and holidays there are 41 trips in one direction, running from Church Centre between 01:30 and 23:00.
Every route number with its termini, operating hours and travel time is collected in the Birmingham buses overview.
Data current as of August 22, 2026. Schedule and termini — National Express West Midlands. Fares — National Express West Midlands. Stop list, schedule and route geometry come from the official GTFS feed (Bus Open Data Service (BODS)).