Birmingham New Street prepared and ready for busy Black Friday weekend

Wednesday 26 Nov 2025

Birmingham New Street prepared and ready for busy Black Friday weekend

Region & Route:: North West & Central; | North West & Central: Central

Passengers are being urged to plan their journeys with hundreds of thousands of savvy shoppers expected to travel into Birmingham for Black Friday weekend.

Last year, nearly 230,000* people passed through Birmingham New Street for the pre-Christmas sales on Black Friday itself – about 60,000 more than a typical Friday.

This weekend is set to be one of the busiest of the year, with Black Friday deals, Cyber Saturday, the Christmas markets, Comic Con at the NEC, and numerous local football fixtures taking place across Saturday and Sunday drawing crowds in and out of the city centre.

With trains and platforms expected to be busier as a result, passengers are being urged to follow three golden rules if planning on heading into the second city by train:

Plan your journey and check before you travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk
Know your last few trains and don’t rely on the last service to get home – it will be extremely busy
Respect staff and other travellers during the season of goodwill

Elizabeth Graham, station manager at Birmingham New Street, said: “This weekend could be one of the busiest we’ve ever seen at the station, with many festivities and events happening in and around the city. Whilst great for Birmingham, it means busier trains and more people on platforms and the station concourse.

“Every year we carefully plan for and safely manage big increases in passenger numbers, but I’d please ask passengers to do their bit by following our three golden rules to make their journeys as smooth as possible.

“There will be extra staff in place across the station to provide advice and information and help keep passengers safe throughout.”

As with previous years, queuing systems may be used at exceptionally busy times to safely allow people to board their trains home.

With Christmas fast approaching, people are also being urged to think ahead and plan their journeys between 24 December and 2 January. While the majority of the rail network will be open, Network Rail will be carrying out improvement work across Britain between Christmas and New Year which may affect journeys.

Passengers can check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk

Notes to Editors

*On Friday 29 November 2024, 228,319 passengers passed through Birmingham New Street station. An average Friday usually sees the station handle around 170,000 passengers.

Contact information

Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41

Latest travel advice
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Journalists
Network Rail press office - North West & Central Region
0330 854 0100
NWCmediarelations@networkrail.co.uk

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