All the changes to Birmingham city centre National Express bus services as routes divered for tram works

A number of bus services in Birmingham city centre will be diverted from their usual routes in April due to tram works being carried out.

From Sunday, April 7, certain bus routes that currently serve the city centre - that you can see below - will be diverted to different stops in the city centre. This will be to allow the Midland Metro Alliance to continue work on the Eastside Metro Extension that will see an extend track laid in nearby Lower Bull Street, through Albert Street.

If you usually get on or off your bus by New Street Station, Moor Street Station, or Priory Queensway, in Birmingham city centre, your bus route is still operating, but the stop you need to use to get off or on the bus may change.

From Sunday April 7, nearby Albert Street will also be closed to vehicular traffic during the works and the taxi ranks in the area will temporarily relocate to Corporation Street, opposite the Square Peg.

Which bus services will be affected?

See below a list of affected routes/stops affected:

2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 16, 16A, 23, 24, 33, 45, 47, 51, 61, 63, 65, 66, 67, 68, 82, 87, 97, 822, 907, 907A, 934, 935, 936, 937, 937A, 997, 997S, X21, X22, X51, X64 & FD.

How will I know which bus stop to use?

From April 7, passengers who usually get off at bus stops in the city centre by New Street Station, Moor Street Station, or Priory Queensway will need to check their journeys in advance online on the TfWM journey planner, here, to see which bus stop they can get on or off at.

This next phase of the Metro extension will also see a temporary tram stop installed outside of the Clayton Hotel, allowing passengers to use this section of the route as early as 2025/26.

The changes will be in place from April 7, 2024 when track works will get underway in Moor Street Queensway. Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) say these works are expected to last until approximately Autumn 2024.

What has National Express and others said about the changes?

A National Express West Midlands spokesperson said: “From Sunday 7 April 2024, there will be changes to bus services and bus stop locations around Birmingham city centre during Metro extension works on Moor Street Queensway. 

“All National Express West Midlands bus services will continue to run during the works and customers are advised to check our website nxbus.co.uk for full details of changes to bus services and bus stops ahead of April 7.”

Anne Shaw, Executive Director of TfWM, said: “The expansion of the Metro to the east of the city is an exciting scheme which will help transform and support the regeneration of Digbeth by improving connectivity and making the most out of HS2. While there will inevitably be some disruption as work starts on Moor Street Queensway later this spring we are working with the council and bus operators to ensure that this is kept to minimum.

Maria Ion, Project Director, said: “There will be some unavoidable changes to bus stop locations, however, we will be working hard to ensure that disruption is kept to a minimum during the works. Moor Street Queensway will remain open, with one lane of traffic in each direction, at all times, to help keep the network moving.”