Birmingham New Street may be the busiest train station outside of London, but it will look oddly empty this Christmas. Between Christmas Eve (Thursday, December 24) and Bank Holiday Monday (December 28), no journeys to, from or through this key station will happen for five days due to major engineering work.
This includes local, regional and long-distance journeys, although no trains will be running anywhere across Britain on Christmas Day, or in the Midlands area on Boxing Day either. Better still, these works will continue over the same Christmas period in 2027 and 2028. The station will remain open to allow access to Grand Central and the city centre.
“I know the changes will affect Christmas journeys and I am sorry for any inconvenience caused,” said Mark Goodall, route director for Network Rail Central route. “My advice is to plan ahead, check before you travel, and allow extra time for your journeys.”
Major engineering work
The overhead line equipment that powers electric trains on the approaches to and through Birmingham New Street dates back to the 1960s and urgently needs replacing. Alongside the overhead line upgrade, ageing junction equipment and 800 metres of track at Soho will be renewed.
Travelling at Christmas
Christmas timetables are now available. Train operators—including Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, London Northwestern Railway, Transport for Wales, and West Midlands Railway—have set out alternative arrangements, including replacement buses linking New Street with Birmingham International and Wolverhampton.
Trains immediately before and after the closure are likely to be busier than normal, as are services to and from Birmingham Snow Hill and Birmingham Moor Street during the closure, with services on Christmas Eve finishing early as happens every year. Services will resume as normal on Tuesday, December 29.
Avanti West Coast
Trains will run to an amended timetable and will not call at Birmingham New Street. Replacement buses will run between Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton, and between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International.
CrossCountry
Long-distance services will be amended and/or diverted, with trains running between Coleshill Parkway and Stansted Airport; Nottingham and Cardiff Central; Edinburgh and Plymouth; and Manchester Piccadilly and Bournemouth.
- Replacement buses: Coleshill Parkway–Water Orton–Birmingham New Street.
- Replacement buses: Worcestershire Parkway–Birmingham New Street.
- Replacement buses: Tamworth–Wilnecote–Birmingham New Street.
- Replacement buses: Birmingham International–Coleshill Parkway.
- Replacement buses: Birmingham International–Worcestershire Parkway.
- Replacement buses: Wolverhampton–Worcestershire Parkway.
London Northwestern Railway
- London Euston/Northampton–Birmingham New Street: On 27 and 28 Dec, services will terminate and start at Birmingham International due to the Birmingham New Street closure; due to other engineering work on the West Coast route, the line between Northampton and Rugby via Long Buckby will be closed between 27 December 2026 and 1 January 2027. Buses will be replacing trains between Northampton and Rugby via Long Buckby.
- Birmingham New Street–Crewe/Liverpool Lime Street: trains will run between Wolverhampton and Crewe/Liverpool Lime Street only, to an amended timetable at reduced frequency. At Wolverhampton, passengers can connect with trains to Sandwell & Dudley, then replacement buses to Smethwick Galton Bridge, followed by trains to Birmingham Snow Hill, with up to five trains per hour.
West Midlands Railway
- Birmingham International–Rugeley Trent Valley: trains will run between Wolverhampton and Rugeley Trent Valley at reduced frequency, calling additionally at Willenhall and Darlaston. They will not call at stations between Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street, or at Tame Bridge Parkway. Replacement buses will link Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street.
- Shrewsbury–Birmingham New Street: trains will run between Shrewsbury and Sandwell & Dudley only, to an amended timetable at reduced frequency, calling additionally at Coseley and Tipton. They will not call at Willenhall, Darlaston or Tame Bridge Parkway; passengers for these stations should use other services.
- Wolverhampton–Walsall: trains will run between Wolverhampton and Sandwell & Dudley only, at reduced frequency. Replacement buses will run between Sandwell & Dudley and Smethwick Rolfe Street via Smethwick Galton Bridge, for trains to Birmingham Snow Hill and Birmingham Moor Street. Replacement buses will also link Birmingham New Street and Walsall.
- Lichfield Trent Valley/Four Oaks–Bromsgrove/Redditch: no trains will run. Replacement buses will operate between Lichfield Trent Valley and Birmingham New Street; between Birmingham New Street and Longbridge/Barnt Green/Bromsgrove/Droitwich Spa; and between Longbridge/Barnt Green and Redditch.
- Birmingham New Street–Kings Norton via Kings Heath: no trains will run; replacement buses will operate instead.
Transport for Wales
Trains will not run between Wolverhampton and Birmingham International. The operator advises that other transport is available between Wolverhampton and Birmingham. Passengers should check their journey for the available options.
To plan your travel this Christmas, head to the National Rail website.
