History
The number 11 is Europe's longest urban bus route and first came into existence as two routes in 1923: the no.10 ran from King's Heath to the King's Head (Hagley Road) via Cotteridge, and the no.11 from Six ways Erdington to Acocks Green and Moseley. The route was first operated as a complete circuit on 26 April 1926, the idea being to better link the suburbs of Birmingham, as most routes at that time travelled in and out of the city
The route is traversed annually by a cavalcade of vintage buses. Run by the Aston Manor Road Transport Museum, the event began in 1977 and has continued each year since with the exception of 2000, in which it was cancelled due to a national fuel shortage.
The route was upgraded in 2004 by Centro. Over £25 million was spent on CCTV coverage, bus priority measures, new shelters with electronic information displays and new low-floor buses.
AM PM Travel began operating on the service in October 2009, increasing the frequency of their route in December. Six re-furbished Volvo Olympian buses have been entered onto the new service fitted with Wi-Fi technology. AM PM Travel have since become bankrupt and no longer operate on the route.
In 2012 Joe's Travel began operating on the service using step entrance Dennis Darts.
Read more about this topic: West Midlands Bus Route 11
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