Passengers planning Christmas journeys to, from, or through Birmingham New Street can now check festive timetables and alternative travel arrangements ahead of a major railway upgrade.
No trains will serve the station from Thursday 24 December to Monday 28 December 2026 inclusive while Network Rail begins a £13m programme to replace overhead power lines which date back to the 1960s on the approaches to and through Birmingham New Street. Services are expected to be busier on 23 and 29 December due to this.
During the closure, trains will not run to or from Birmingham New Street. Customers should expect journeys to take longer and may need to use:
Local bus services
Rail replacement buses
Alternative rail routes where available
The nearest alternative rail stations for travel into and out of Birmingham will be:
Walsall
Sandwell & Dudley
Birmingham International
Rail replacement buses will operate between Birmingham New Street and Walsall/Sandwell & Dudley/Birmingham International to help keep people moving
A rail replacement bus service will also operate on the Cross City Line between Lichfield Trent Valley to Bromsgrove/Redditch via Birmingham New Street, with one bus per hour. Due to limited capacity and extended journey times, customers travelling on these routes are advised to use local bus services for journeys into Birmingham.
What's happening on your route?
Wolverhampton - Birmingham New Street - Walsall on the 24, 27, 28 December Shrewsbury - Birmingham New Street on the 24, 27, 28 December Rugeley- Birmingham International on the 24, 27, 28 December Cross City North - Birmingham New Street - Lichfield Trent Valley on the 24, 27, 28 December Cross City South - Birmingham New Street - Bromsgrove / Redditch / Droitwich Spa on the 24, 27, 28 December Camp Hill Line - Birmingham New Street - Kings Norton on the 24, 27, 28 December
Birmingham New Street - Worcester Foregate Street/Great Malvern/Hereford
Alternative travel options - National Express bus services West Midlands Metro before you travel - Rail Replacement Bus Information:
You require a valid rail ticket to travel on a rail replacement bus.
All of our rail replacement vehicles are fully accessible.
Animals are not permitted on rail replacement buses (except for assistance animals).
Large items of luggage and non-folding bicycles are not permitted onboard rail replacement bus services.
Food and drink may be taken onboard, however this is at the driver's discretion.
Toilets may be available onboard, although there may not be step-free access to these facilities.
All services will display the destination and 'rail replacement' wording.
Changes to your journey:
Reminder: In line with the National Rail Conditions of Travel, you will be eligible to claim Delay Repay if your journey is delayed by 15 minutes or more against the pre-advertised rail replacement timetable in operation during the above dates. You will not be eligible to claim for any difference between the arrivals in the regular timetable and the rail replacement timetable.
If you choose not to travel due to the engineering works, you're advised to contact your point of purchase to discuss refund options. Find out more here: Ticket refunds and changes - West Midlands Railway
For further information or assistance contact us: Customer services - West Midlands Railway
