Planned Train Disruptions and Engineering Works

As well as regular engineering and improvement works, long term projects are also taking place across the network in 2021 / 2022. These may cause some changes to your journey.

New Street Resignalling Project (from January 2021- Summer 2022)

Network Rail are carrying out essential upgrade works to the signalling equipment at Birmingham New Street over an 18 month period, starting on Sunday 24 January 2021. During this time, a rolling plan of platform closures will take place at Birmingham New Street.

• A full timetable will continue to run during this time, but trains will arrive at / depart from different platforms than usual at Birmingham New Street.
• Your train may not arrive at / depart from the usual platform at Birmingham New Street.

Plan ahead, and allow extra time to check your platform on station departure boards, or in journey planning apps

Listen out for announcements at stations & on board services.

Book assistance in advance

If you require assistance with your journey please book in advance here

Why is the work taking place?

Signals help us to keep trains moving safely, and it's essential that this equipment is regularly maintained / upgraded. The works taking place at Birmingham New Street will help build a safe, modern and more reliable railway.

You can find out more about the project here

Perry Barr Station Redevelopment (From May 2021 - May 2022)

What's happening?

From Monday 10 May 2021, Perry Barr Railway Station will be closed for a large refurbishment project. This means trains will not call at the station during this time, and passengers will not be able to get on or off trains from this station.

The closure is part of a large regeneration plan for the area, being built on the existing site. The current station will be demolished to make way for a new, modern and more accessible station for Perry Barr, scheduled to reopen in May 2022.

Alternative Travel Arrangements

Customers are advised to access the rail network from Witton Station whilst Perry Barr Station is closed.

Rail passengers with West Midlands Railway season tickets, nTrain zonal tickets on a Swift card and single or return tickets that are marked with Perry Barr or Witton will be able to use their train tickets on local National Express West Midlands’ buses (listed below) to travel to/from Witton and Hamstead rail stations.

• 11A/11C Perry Barr – Witton Station
• 54/54A Hamstead Station - Perry Barr Station

The above rail tickets may also be used to travel to/from Birmingham City Centre, Aston or Walsall on the buses listed below. Train tickets can only be used to travel by bus to/from the destinations permitted on the train.

• 51 Birmingham - Aston - Perry Barr - Walsall
• 52 Perry Barr Station - Birmingham
• 33, 907, 934, 935, 936, 937/937A, 997 Perry Barr (Wellhead Lane) - Aston - Birmingham

Please note, the time of travel on the bus must match the permitted time on the train ticket. For example, off peak tickets cannot be used before 9.30am on a weekday.

Refunds & Season Tickets

Season ticket holders for Perry Barr Station (Zone 2 season tickets) will be able to use their season ticket for travel to/from Witton Station or any other Zone 2 station. For a full list of Zone 2 stations please visit our network map.

If passengers prefer to be issued with a refund then you can find information on our full refund process on our Season Ticket refunds and Non-Season Ticket refunds pages.

Accessibility Information

National Express West Midlands Bus services between Perry Barr Station and Witton Station are fully accessible. If you require assistance when travelling on our services, then you can book in advance by clicking here.

Find out more about the Perry Barr Station redevelopment project on the What’s New Perry Barr page.

Essential engineering and improvement works are taking place across the network in September. As a result, there will be some changes to services on some routes.

If you’re travelling with us in September, please check the dates and routes impacted below.

Check your train times before you set out here

Hereford / Worcester – Birmingham New Street

As a result of station upgrade works at University station, changes to services will be in place on the following dates:

Sunday 5 September, Sunday 19 September (until 11.25 AM) and Sunday 26 September:

• Trains between Birmingham New St – Worcester / Hereford will be diverted to run to/from Birmingham Snow Hill instead (they will run to amended times and will not call at University or Bromsgrove)
• Rail replacement buses will be running between Birmingham New St – Droitwich Spa (also calling at University and Bromsgrove
• Rail replacement buses will also be running on the Cross City line between Birmingham New St – Redditch / Bromsgrove
• All of our rail replacement transport is fully accessible

Crewe – Stoke-on-Trent – Stafford

As a result of essential engineering and improvement works, service changes will be in place on the following dates:

Sunday 5 September

• Rail replacement buses will be running between Crewe – Stafford via Stoke-on-Trent
• All of our rail replacement transport is fully accessible

Rail replacement pick up & drop off points for Pottery stations:

• Alsager: Buses towards Stoke pick up opposite the Alsager Arms public house, buses towards Crewe pick up outside the Alsager Arms public house
• Kidsgrove: Buses pick up and drop off from on the approach to the station
• Stoke-on-Trent: Buses pick up and drop off from in front of the station
• Stone: Buses towards Stoke pick up from Crown Street bus stop, buses towards Crewe pick up from Poste of Stone Public house

Cross City (Lichfield – Birmingham – Redditch / Bromsgrove)

As a result of essential engineering works, and station upgrade works at University station, changes to services will be in place on the following dates:

Saturday 4 September

• Services from Lichfield Trent Valley will be retimed to depart earlier than normal

Sunday 5, Sunday 19 and Sunday 26 September

• Rail replacement buses will be running between Birmingham New St – Redditch / Bromsgrove
• On Sunday 5 September and Sunday 19 September Cross Country services will not call at University
• All of our rail replacement transport is fully accessible

Wolverhampton – Walsall and Chase Line (Birmingham – Walsall – Rugeley)

As a result of essential engineering and improvement works, service changes will be in place on the following dates:

Wednesday 1 & Thursday 2 September (after 21.50), Monday 6 – Thursday 9 September (after 21.50) and Tuesday 14 September (after 21.40)

• Rail replacement buses will be running between Walsall – Rugeley Trent Valley
• All of our rail replacement transport is fully accessible

Sunday 12 & Sunday 19 September

• Wolverhampton – Walsall services will run between Wolverhampton – Birmingham New St only
• Trains will be running between Birmingham New Street – Rugeley Trent Valley via a diversionary route (they won’t be able to call at Duddeston, Aston, Witton, Hamstead and Tame Bridge Parkway)
• Rail replacement buses will be running between Birmingham New St – Tame Bridge Parkway (calling at Duddeston, Aston, Witton, Hamstead)
• All of our rail replacement transport is fully accessible

Essential engineering works are taking place across our network in August impacting the following routes / stations:

Chase Line (between Birmingham – Rugeley)

Sunday 1 August

• Accessible buses replace trains between Hednesford – Rugeley Trent Valley

Monday 2 – Thursday 5 August

• ­After 21.20, trains between Birmingham New St – Hednesford / Rugeley Trent Valley will not run, or will run between Birmingham New St – Walsall only
• Accessible buses will run between Birmingham New St – Walsall and between Hednesford – Rugeley Trent Valley

Saturday 7 & Sunday 8 August

• Accessible buses replace trains between Hednesford – Rugeley Trent Valley

Monday 9 – Thursday 12 August

• ­After 21.20, trains between Birmingham New St – Hednesford / Rugeley Trent Valley will not run, or will run between Birmingham New St – Walsall only
• Accessible buses will run between Birmingham New St – Walsall and between Hednesford – Rugeley Trent Valley

Sunday 15 August

• Accessible buses replace trains between Hednesford – Rugeley Trent Valley

Monday 16 – Thursday 19 August

• ­After 21.20, trains between Birmingham New St – Hednesford / Rugeley Trent Valley will not run, or will run between Birmingham New St – Walsall only
• Accessible buses will run between Birmingham New St – Walsall and between Hednesford – Rugeley Trent Valley

Monday 23 – Thursday 26 August

• ­After 21.20, trains between Birmingham New St – Hednesford / Rugeley Trent Valley will not run, or will run between Birmingham New St – Walsall only
• Accessible buses will run between Birmingham New St – Walsall and between Hednesford – Rugeley Trent Valley

Tuesday 31 August

• ­After 21.20, trains between Birmingham New St – Hednesford / Rugeley Trent Valley will not run, or will run between Birmingham New St – Walsall only
• Accessible buses will run between Birmingham New St – Walsall and between Hednesford – Rugeley Trent Valley

Nuneaton - Leamington Spa via Coventry

Sunday 1, Saturday 7, Sunday 8 & Sunday 15 August

• Accessible buses replace trains between Bermuda Park – Nuneaton

Cross City (Lichfield – Redditch / Bromsgrove)

Sunday 8 August

• Accessible buses replace trains between Birmingham New St – Redditch / Bromsgrove

Saturday 14 & Saturday 21 August

• Trains from Lichfield Trent Valley – Bromsgrove which depart Lichfield Trent Valley at 49/50 minutes past the hour will be retimed slightly to depart at 45 minutes past the hour

Sunday 22 August

• The 22.01 and 22.31 Lichfield Trent Valley – Redditch services will depart 5 minutes earlier than usual

Snow Hill / Hereford lines (Hereford / Worcester – Birmingham / Stratford-upon-Avon

Sunday 8 August

• Trains between Birmingham New St – Worcester Shrub Hill / Worcester Foregate St / Hereford will run to an amended timetable (subject to some minor retiming)
• Customers are advised to use accessible rail replacement buses between Birmingham New St - Bromsgrove

Chase Line (between Birmingham / Walsall – Rugeley)

Saturday 31 July

Fully accessible buses replace trains between Hednesford and Rugeley Trent Valley.

Nuneaton – Leamington Spa via Coventry

Saturday 31 July

Fully accessible buses replace trains between Bermuda Park – Nuneaton.