Travelling by bus

Our Edgbaston campus is a major hub for the South Birmingham bus network and boasts ten direct bus routes, making it easy to get to where you want to go. With discounted student passes available, travelling by bus is good for your bank balance too.  

Enjoy free bus travel with National Express West Midlands between Monday 9 December and Friday 13 December. For more information, please visit our news page.

Bus routes

Local routes 61, 63, 41, 48, 76, X21, X22, 19, 20, 20A directly serve campus, linking the University to the city centre, local train stations and neighbourhoods. The circular 11A and 11C routes also run nearby. 

National Express (NX) is the main service provider. It's easy to buy single tickets, passes, and excellent value group tickets through the mTicket app or via contactless on the bus – just tap and go. 

Ride for less

To help you get around, you can benefit from exclusive discounted bus passes with National Express West Midlands, accessable through the University of Birmingham student bus pass portal only. 

There are two types of pass available, both offering 20% savings:

• Student four-week ticket – 28 days of travel on all buses in the West Midlands. This pass is ideal if you know you're going to be using the bus for a finite amount of time, or want to try it out.  
• Monthly direct debit ticket – travel on all buses in the West Midlands for a minimum of nine months. Payments are taken automatically from you bank account and will end when you ask National Express to cancel the ticket. This pass is perfect for you if you'll be travelling around Birmingham regularly for at least nine months (e.g., postgrads and commuter students). 

You can buy the above pass types elsewhere (e.g., on the NX mTicket app). However, you will not receive the 20% discount.

Once you've selected your ticket, you can choose whether to have it on the mTicket app or added to your Swift card. You'll also need to set your ticket start date. If you've selected the nine-month pass, this will be the date each month that money is taken from your account via direct debit. You'll need to pay for the first month up-front too. 

To collect your ticket through the mTicket app, you will need to create an account with your @bham.ac.uk email address. If you’ve opted to upload your ticket onto your Swift card, the easiest way to access it is through the TfWM or Swift Collector app. Open the app and hold your card against the back of your phone until you see your chosen ticket appear on screen.

Need help with booking? Get in touch with our Sustainable Travel team below. 

Booking support