Bus 97 in Birmingham links Church Centre and Chester Road. The route is 14.7 km long with 51 stops, and the official schedule from National Express West Midlands puts the full trip at about 48 minutes. On a weekday it runs 92 trips in one direction, and 48 on a weekend day.
Route at a glance
| Mode | Bus |
|---|---|
| Route number | 97 |
| City | Birmingham |
| Operator | National Express West Midlands |
| Start → end | Church Centre → Chester Road |
| End → start | Chester Road → Church Centre |
| Route length | 14.7 km / 14.9 km in the opposite direction |
| Number of stops | 51 / 49 in the opposite direction |
| Travel time | about 48 minutes |
| Trips per day | 92 on weekdays, 48 on weekends one way |
| Frequency | peak 7–15 · midday 7–15 · weekend 10–30 |
| First / last trip from «Church Centre» | 00:10 / 23:40 |
| First / last trip from «Chester Road» | 00:50 / 23:41 |
| Fare | 3.00 £ (fare in effect since 28 June 2026) |
| Updated | August 22, 2026 |
Route of Bus 97
Outbound: Church Centre → Chester Road
This direction has 51 stops and runs 14.7 km. The route passes Bus Mall, Pikewater Road, Denton Grove, Briddsland Road. 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 | Chester Road | 14.2 km | |
| 51 | Chester Road | 14.7 km | Terminus |
Inbound: Chester Road → Church Centre
This direction has 49 stops and runs 14.9 km. The route passes Barnard Close, Shelly Close, Pool Lane Allotments, Colonial Road. Below is the full list with the distance from the first stop.
| No. | Stop | From start | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chester Road | 0.0 km | Terminus |
| 2 | Barnard Close | 0.2 km | |
| 3 | Tulip Walk | 0.5 km | |
| 4 | Rowan Way | 0.8 km | |
| 5 | Piccadilly Close | 1.0 km | |
| 6 | Birch Croft | 1.1 km | |
| 7 | Stella Croft | 1.4 km | |
| 8 | Chelmsley Interchange | 2.2 km | |
| 9 | Winchester Drive | 2.8 km | |
| 10 | St Anne’s Church | 3.0 km | |
| 11 | Coleford Drive | 3.2 km | |
| 12 | Brickhill Drive | 3.4 km | |
| 13 | Shelly Close | 3.6 km | |
| 14 | Leominster House | 4.1 km | |
| 15 | Shirestone Road | 4.3 km | |
| 16 | Briddsland Road | 4.5 km | |
| 17 | Sheldon Hall Avenue | 5.0 km | |
| 18 | Kyngsford Road | 5.4 km | |
| 19 | Centenary House | 5.6 km | |
| 20 | Mirfield Road | 6.1 km | |
| 21 | Holbeach Road | 6.5 km | |
| 22 | The Lea | 6.7 km | |
| 23 | Queens Road | 7.1 km | |
| 24 | Pool Lane Allotments | 7.5 km | |
| 25 | Church Road | 7.7 km | |
| 26 | Stechford Police Station | 8.0 km | |
| 27 | Denton Grove | 8.3 km | |
| 28 | Richmond Road | 8.5 km | |
| 29 | Upton Road | 8.8 km | |
| 30 | Eastfield Road | 9.2 km | |
| 31 | Kenwood Road | 9.4 km | |
| 32 | Heartlands Hospital | 9.6 km | |
| 33 | Belchers Lane | 9.8 km | |
| 34 | Marchmont Road | 10.1 km | |
| 35 | Colonial Road | 10.6 km | |
| 36 | Fordrough Lane | 10.9 km | |
| 37 | Imperial Road | 11.1 km | |
| 38 | Norwood Road | 11.2 km | |
| 39 | Victoria Street | 11.3 km | |
| 40 | Bangor Road | 11.7 km | |
| 41 | Tilton Road | 12.0 km | |
| 42 | Venetia Road | 12.3 km | |
| 43 | Maxstoke Street | 12.4 km | |
| 44 | Witton Street | 12.6 km | |
| 45 | Derby Street | 13.1 km | |
| 46 | Gibb Street | 13.8 km | |
| 47 | Birmingham Coach Station | 14.1 km | |
| 48 | Park Street | 14.4 km | |
| 49 | Church Centre | 14.9 km | Terminus |
Schedule and frequency
According to the official schedule from National Express West Midlands, the route runs 92 trips in one direction on a weekday, and 48 on a weekend day.
| Direction | Weekdays | Weekends and holidays |
|---|---|---|
| From «Church Centre» | 00:10 — 23:40 | 00:10 — 23:40 |
| From «Chester Road» | 00:50 — 23:41 | 00:50 — 22:11 |
Frequency calculated from the departure table: in the morning peak buses run every 7–15 minutes, most often every 8; midday every 7–15 minutes; in the afternoon peak every 7–20; on weekends every 10–30 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 97 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 00:10 and the last at 23:40. From Chester Road they are 00:50 and 23:41.
How long does the trip from Church Centre to Chester Road take?
About 48 minutes end to end — the median of full trips in the official schedule.
How many stops does the route have?
51 outbound and 49 inbound according to the official GTFS feed. The two lists do not match exactly.
Does bus 97 run on weekends?
Yes. On weekends and holidays there are 48 trips in one direction, running from Church Centre between 00:10 and 23:40.
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)).