Birmingham city
Transport
Partly because of its inland central location, Birmingham is a major transport hub on the motorway, rail, and canal networks. The city is served by a number of major motorways and probably the best known motorway junction in the UK: Spaghetti Junction.
The National Express UK headquarters are located on Birmingham's Eastside, alongside the newly developed Birmingham Coach Station, which forms the national hub of the company's coach network.
The nearest airport is Birmingham International Airport, located in the Borough of Solihull to the east of the city. As of 2009, the airport is the sixth busiest by passenger traffic in the United Kingdom.
Local public transport is by bus, local train and tram. The number 11A and 11C ('A' denotes anti-clockwise and 'C' denotes clockwise in relation to the journey's direction around the city) outer circle bus routes are the longest urban bus routes in Europe, being 26 miles long with 272 bus stops. Bus routes are mainly operated by National Express West Midlands, which accounts for over 80% of all bus journeys in Birmingham, however, there are around 50 other, smaller registered bus companies.
The extensive bus network allows passengers to travel to and from various districts of the city, while there are longer bus routes which take passengers to areas further afield such as Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Halesowen, Stourbridge and the Merry Hill Shopping Centre. The only towns in the West Midlands conurbation that currently lack a direct public transport link with Birmingham are Sedgley, Kingswinford, Wednesfield and Willenhall.
The city's main railway station, Birmingham New Street, is at the centre of the national railway network. Birmingham Snow Hill station, another major railway station in the city centre, is also a terminus for the Midland Metro which operates between the station and Wolverhampton, also serving the nearby towns of Bilston, Wednesbury and West Bromwich. There are plans to extend the Midland Metro route further into Birmingham city centre.Birmingham has a large rail-based park and ride network that feeds the city centre. see Birmingham Rail Stations
Birmingham is also notable for its expansive canal system, and the city is often noted for having more miles of canal than Venice. The canals fed the industry in the city during the Industrial Revolution. Canalside regeneration schemes such as Brindleyplace have turned the canals into tourist attractions.
Transport
Partly because of its inland central location, Birmingham is a major transport hub on the motorway, rail, and canal networks. The city is served by a number of major motorways and probably the best known motorway junction in the UK: Spaghetti Junction.The National Express UK headquarters are located on Birmingham's Eastside, alongside the newly developed Birmingham Coach Station, which forms the national hub of the company's coach network.
The nearest airport is Birmingham International Airport, located in the Borough of Solihull to the east of the city. As of 2009, the airport is the sixth busiest by passenger traffic in the United Kingdom.
Local public transport is by bus, local train and tram. The number 11A and 11C ('A' denotes anti-clockwise and 'C' denotes clockwise in relation to the journey's direction around the city) outer circle bus routes are the longest urban bus routes in Europe, being 26 miles long with 272 bus stops. Bus routes are mainly operated by National Express West Midlands, which accounts for over 80% of all bus journeys in Birmingham, however, there are around 50 other, smaller registered bus companies.
The extensive bus network allows passengers to travel to and from various districts of the city, while there are longer bus routes which take passengers to areas further afield such as Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Halesowen, Stourbridge and the Merry Hill Shopping Centre. The only towns in the West Midlands conurbation that currently lack a direct public transport link with Birmingham are Sedgley, Kingswinford, Wednesfield and Willenhall.
The city's main railway station, Birmingham New Street, is at the centre of the national railway network. Birmingham Snow Hill station, another major railway station in the city centre, is also a terminus for the Midland Metro which operates between the station and Wolverhampton, also serving the nearby towns of Bilston, Wednesbury and West Bromwich. There are plans to extend the Midland Metro route further into Birmingham city centre.Birmingham has a large rail-based park and ride network that feeds the city centre. see Birmingham Rail Stations
Birmingham is also notable for its expansive canal system, and the city is often noted for having more miles of canal than Venice. The canals fed the industry in the city during the Industrial Revolution. Canalside regeneration schemes such as Brindleyplace have turned the canals into tourist attractions.
