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Thursday 7 May 2026

Europa League semi-final means busier trains to Villa Park tonight

Region & Route:

North West & Central

| North West & Central: Central

The UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest will bring thousands of fans into Birmingham this evening (Thursday 7 May), meaning trains and stations will be busier than normal.

The match takes place at Villa Park with kick-off at 8pm, and services are expected to be particularly busy on routes to and from Birmingham New Street, Aston and Witton in the build up to the game and immediately after the final whistle. Services from Nottingham towards Birmingham are also likely to be busier than usual.

Due to planned engineering work and the timing of the fixture, there are no CrossCountry services from Birmingham to Nottingham after the match is scheduled to finish. Fans returning to Nottingham should make alternative arrangements for their journey home to ensure as smooth a journey as possible.

Passengers are advised to plan ahead, check before they travel, and allow extra time for their journey. Anyone not travelling to the match should consider avoiding services around peak match times where possible.

Fans are encouraged to use both Aston and Witton stations to help keep people moving.

Elizabeth Graham, Network Rail’s Birmingham New Street station manager, said: “We’re expecting Birmingham New Street and trains to and from the station to be very busy this evening because of the Europa League fixture. We want everyone to get to and from the match safely, so it’s really important to plan ahead, check before you travel and allow extra time.

“Our teams will be out in the station and on the concourse to help keep people moving safely. Please be patient and treat staff with respect if you need assistance.”

Lauren Fleming, CrossCountry's events and resilience manager, said: “The timing of this fixture, combined with the impact of planned engineering work, means that there are no CrossCountry services running for fans to return to Nottingham after the Europe League match this evening. 

"We’ve been working with both clubs to ensure fans were aware about the travel advice with as much notice as possible – we’d ask those attending the game to make alternative arrangements for their journey home to Nottingham."

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at WMR, said: “We expect our services towards Aston and Witton will be busier than usual this evening due to the Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest game.

“If you plan to travel but aren’t going to the match, we’d recommend avoiding services close to the 8pm kick off where possible. For those heading to Villa Park, please check your travel before setting out and leave plenty of time for your journey.”

Passengers can plan their journey and check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk and with their train operator.