A lot is going on in Birmingham this Christmas, Twixmas and New Year. Chances are you’ll want to travel across the city, maybe even the whole West Midlands, at least once across the winter period. But unless you own a car, you may hit some stumbling blocks as Transport for West Midlands (TfL) has confirmed its winter schedules.
Even still, those with a car will have to face the traffic, and you may even be better off jumping on a bus, train, or tram – or even trying out park-and-ride or cycle hire – to get across Birmingham. So that you don’t end up stuck out in the cold, however, we’re outlining the best ways to travel, and any changes to public transport you can expect.
What changes are there to Birmingham’s transport over Christmas?
Bus
A £2 bus fare in the West Midlands makes it an incredibly cheap way to travel during the festive season. But, expect some changes to your regular timetable:
- Sunday, December 22: Normal Sunday service.
- Monday, December 23: Special timetables will operate on some services which do not usually operate on Saturdays. Please check your journey before your travel.
- Tuesday, December 24: Saturday service, however last buses will be in operation earlier than usual at around 10pm. Special timetables will operate on some services which do not usually operate on Saturdays. Please check your journey before your travel.
- Wednesday, December 25: No service.
- Thursday, December 26: Revised Sunday service on most services there is an amended Sunday service starting approximately 7am. Some services will finish between 6pm and 8pm. Certain services will operate last scheduled buses as normal. A limited number of services which usually operate on a Sunday will not operate.
- Friday, December 27: Saturday service in operation. Special tiPlease check your journey before your travel.metables will operate on some services which do not usually operate on Saturdays.
- Saturday, December 28: Normal Saturday service.
- Sunday, December 29: Normal Sunday service.
- Monday, December 30: Saturday service in operation. Special timetables will operate on some services which do not usually operate on Saturdays. Please check your journey before your travel.
- Tuesday, December 31: Saturday service in operation. Special timetables will operate on some services which do not usually operate on Saturdays. Please check your journey before your travel.
- Wednesday, January 1: Revised Sunday Service. Amended Sunday service starting approximately 7am. Some services will finish between 6pm and 8pm. Certain services will operate last scheduled buses as normal. A limited number of services which usually operate on a Sunday will not operate. Please check your journey before your travel.
- Thursday, January 2: Saturday service in operation. Special timetables will operate on some services which do not usually operate on Saturdays. Please check your journey before your travel.
- Friday, January 3: Saturday service in operation. Special timetables will operate on some services which do not usually operate on Saturdays. Please check your journey before your travel.
- Saturday, January 4: Normal services resume.
Tram
The tram network stretching from Birmingham to Wolverhampton, travelling every 12 to 15 minutes every day of the week, will be operating as normal other than:
- Wednesday, December 25: No service
- Thursday, December 26: Sunday service
- Wednesday, January 1: Sunday service
Train
Most of the UK’s railway will be open as normal over the Christmas period, but passengers can expect some changes and are advised to plan ahead:
- Monday, December 23: Train services between Birmingham New Street and Worcester Shrub Hill / Worcester Foregate Street / Great Malvern / Hereford will operate to an amended timetable with some morning and evening peak services not running. Train services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street will run to a special timetable at a reduced level of frequency.
- Tuesday, December 24: Trains between Birmingham New Street and Worcester Shrub Hill / Worcester Foregate Street / Great Malvern / Hereford will operate to an amended timetable with some morning and evening peak services not running. Train services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street will run to a special timetable at a reduced level of frequency. After 19:00 West Midlands Railway services will operate to an amended timetable at reduced frequency and will close down earlier than normal.
- Wednesday, December 25: No West Midlands Railway service.
- Thursday, December 26: No West Midlands Railway service.
- Friday, December 27: The following early morning changes will be made: 05:40 Leamington Spa to Nuneaton service will start from Coventry (at 05:56); 07:00 Birmingham Snow Hill to Leamington Spa and 07:54 Leamington Spa to Birmingham Snow Hill services will not run.
- Monday, December 30: The following alterations to train services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street will apply: 20:26 Birmingham New Street – Shrewsbury will not run; 20:52 Birmingham New Street – Shrewsbury will call additionally at Bilbrook, Codsall, Albrighton, Cosford and Oakengates.
- Tuesday, December 31: The following alterations to train services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street will apply: 20:26 Birmingham New Street – Shrewsbury will not run; 20:52 Birmingham New Street – Shrewsbury will call additionally at Bilbrook, Codsall, Albrighton, Cosford and Oakengates; 22:00 Shrewsbury – Birmingham New Street will not run; 22:40 Shrewsbury – Birmingham New Street will terminate at Wolverhampton.
- Wednesday, January 1: Train services will run to a special timetable based on Sunday service frequency on the following routes: Shrewsbury – Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton – Birmingham New Street, Birmingham New Street – Walsall – Rugeley Trent Valley, Leamington Spa – Coventry – Nuneaton. Train services will run to an amended timetable and will start up later on the following routes: Hereford / Great Malvern – Birmingham New Street, Lichfield Trent Valley / Four Oaks – Birmingham New Street – Redditch / Bromsgrove, Worcester Foregate Street / Kidderminster – Dorridge / Leamington Spa / Whitlocks End / Stratford-upon-Avon (via Birmingham Snow Hill), Stourbridge Junction – Stourbridge Town.
You can also plan your travel, as well as check out any further disruptions, by heading here.