Christmas travel: plan your journey as Birmingham New Street prepares for major upgrade

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 will run as normal with a full timetable in place on Tuesday 29 December.

Christmas timetables are now available and passengers are being urged to plan ahead, check before travelling, and allow extra time as journeys will involve replacement buses, different routes, or a change at an alternative station.

The essential engineering work will affect journeys on Christmas Eve, Sunday 27 December and the bank holiday on Monday 28 December. Trains do not run at Birmingham New Street on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.

Passengers who can travel on a different date either side of the closure should consider doing so if possible, but trains immediately before and after the closure are likely to be busier than normal.

Services to and from Birmingham Snow Hill and Birmingham Moor Street during the closure will also be busier than normal, with services on Christmas Eve finishing early as happens every year.

Train operators - including London Northwestern Railway, West Midlands Railway, Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, and Transport for Wales - have set out alternative arrangements, including replacement buses linking Birmingham New Street with Birmingham International and Wolverhampton. Long-distance services will also be amended or diverted, with replacement buses providing connections on several routes.

As well as the Birmingham New Street work, major track renewal will also take place on the line between Birmingham and Sandwell and at Berkswell between Birmingham and Coventry, making use of the lines being closed and reducing the need for future disruption.

Mark Goodall, route director for Network Rail Central route, said: “Passengers want and deserve a railway they can rely on and our teams will be working over Christmas to help make journeys more reliable for years to come.

“We’re using the annual Christmas Day and Boxing Day shutdown to get as much essential work done as possible and minimise the overall disruption to passengers.

“I know the changes will affect Christmas journeys and I am sorry for any inconvenience caused. My advice is to plan ahead, check before you travel, and allow extra time for your journeys.”

Tom Painter, executive director of WMRE, said: “We understand how frustrating disruption can be, especially when people are making plans to travel over Christmas. But this major investment is essential to delivering a stronger, more reliable railway network for our region over the long term.

“We’re working closely with our transport partners to make sure passengers know what alternative travel options are available. Please check before you travel and plan ahead.”

The overhead power line upgrade is the first phase of a three-year programme, with further work planned over Christmas in 2027 and 2028. Much of the existing wiring dates back to the 1960s and needs replacing to reduce the risk of faults and improve long-term reliability.

Alongside the overhead line upgrade, Network Rail will invest £6.4m in replacing ageing junction equipment and renewing 800 metres of track at Soho. Doing both projects during the same closure will further minimise disruption while delivering smoother, more reliable journeys.

Work at Berkswell work forms part of Network Rail’s continuing collaboration with HS2 to support the construction of Britain’s new high-speed railway, with a new turnout being installed to connect the existing railway to new sidings. The sidings will provide an important rail link for transporting materials needed for future phases of HS2’s construction.

Although no trains will serve Birmingham New Street during the work, the station will remain open, allowing access to Grand Central and the city centre. Station facilities, including the assisted travel lounge and toilets, will remain available, with staff on hand to help. The Avanti West Coast first class lounge will be closed during the work.

Queueing systems will be in place at busy times to help passengers reach their replacement buses and onward connections. Please allow extra time and follow staff guidance.

Passengers should plan their journey with their train operator or at www.nationalrail.co.uk or visit www.nationalrail.co.uk/newstreetclosure for the latest advice and links to journey planners.

For West Midlands Railway visit: www.wmr.uk/newstreetclosure

For London Northwestern Railway visit: www.lnr.uk/newstreetclosure