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Thursday 27 Aug 2026

West Midlands passengers urged to plan ahead for bank holiday travel

Region & Route:

North West & Central

| North West & Central: Central

Passengers travelling over the bank holiday weekend are being urged to plan ahead as some journeys will be impacted by engineering and improvement work.

The majority of the railway is open as normal with a full timetable in place but journeys between Wolverhampton and Stafford and Birmingham New Street and Coleshill Parkway will be changed because of work taking place.

Birmingham city centre is expected to be busier than usual with Birmingham Weekender bringing free music, dance, street theatre, performances and entertainment to locations including Birmingham New Street station, the Bullring, and Victoria Square.

Aston Villa, Coventry City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Walsall also have home fixtures over the weekend. 

To be prepared for any changes, all passengers are being reminded to check before they travel, allow extra time, and plan their journeys in advance.

Martin Colmey, route director for Network Rail Central route, said: “We’re expecting Birmingham to be very busy this bank holiday weekend, with Birmingham Weekender bringing more people into the city and a number of home football fixtures.

“The vast majority of the railway is open as normal but I'd urge all passengers to check before they travel, allow extra time and plan ahead — especially if they are travelling through Birmingham New Street or between Wolverhampton and Stafford.

“All work is planned to cause the least disruption to the fewest number of people, and is always vital to keep the railway safe and reliable across the region. I’d like to thank everyone in advance for their patience.”

From Saturday 29 August to Monday 31 August, HS2-related work will close the railway line between Birmingham New Street and Coleshill Parkway while engineers install part of the new Saltley Viaduct near Water Orton.

The existing structure is being rebuilt to make space for Britain’s new high-speed railway into Birmingham, while also improving facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.

During the three-day closure, some CrossCountry journeys will take longer than usual, with rail replacement buses operating between Birmingham New Street, Water Orton and Coleshill Parkway.

On Sunday 30 August, planned track improvements between Wolverhampton and Stafford will mean no trains can run between the two, with rail replacement buses in use as well as some journeys being diverted and taking longer.

Passengers can plan their journeys and get the latest travel information at www.nationalrail.co.uk or with their train operator.