West Midlands Railway announce major December timetable changes

West Midlands Railway has announced huge changes to its timetables this December.

The new timetable pulls into stations on Sunday, December 11. As part of these changes, timetables for some routes are changing significantly.

The changes are being made because of the national twice-yearly timetable change which will affect the departure times and frequencies on some routes.

See the changes below

Birmingham New Street – Birmingham International

• Half hourly through-services will be introduced between Birmingham New Street – Northampton – London Euston
• Long-distance services to/from London Euston will no longer call at Marston Green and customers at Marston Green are advised to change at Birmingham International for onward journeys towards London
• Both local services between Birmingham New Street – Birmingham International will continue through to Rugeley Trent Valley

Train frequency on this route from Sunday 11 December 2022:

• Two trains per hour between Birmingham New Street – Birmingham International (calling at Birmingham International, Hampton in Arden, Berkswell, Tile Hill, Canley, Coventry, Rugby, Long Buckby and Northampton (then onwards to London Euston)
• Two trains per hour between Birmingham International – Rugeley Trent Valley via Birmingham New Street (1 per hour calls at all stations, 1 per hour calls at all stations except for Adderley Park)

Birmingham New Street – Crewe via Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham New Street – Liverpool Lime Street

• A new timetable will be introduced between Birmingham New Street – Liverpool Lime Street
• An hourly service will be introduced at Acton Bridge (instead of a train every 2 hours)
• A new timetable will be introduced between Crewe – Birmingham New Street via Stoke-on-Trent for journeys heading towards Birmingham

Train frequency on this route from Sunday 11 December 2022:

• 1 train per hour between Birmingham New Street – Liverpool Lime Street (calling at Smethwick Galton Bridge, Wolverhampton, Penkridge, Stafford, Crewe, Winsford, Hartford, Acton Bridge, Runcorn, Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool Lime Street
• 1 train per hour between Birmingham New Street – Crewe via Stoke-on-Trent (calling at Tame Bridge Parkway, Wolverhampton, Penkridge, Stafford, Stone, Stoke-on-Trent, Longport, Kidsgrove, Alsager and Crewe

Birmingham New Street – Wolverhampton via Local Stations

• Services from Liverpool, Crewe and Shrewsbury will no longer call at Coseley, Tipton and Dudley Port in the morning and evening peaks

Train frequency:

• 2 trains per hour between Walsall – Wolverhampton via Birmingham New Street (calling at all stations between Walsall – Birmingham New Street), Smethwick Rolfe Street, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Sandwell & Dudley, Dudley Port, Tipton, Coseley and Wolverhampton

Birmingham New Street – Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley

• Both services between Birmingham New Street – Rugeley Trent Valley will start from Birmingham International to improve connectivity
• A 15-minute pattern will be introduced between Birmingham New Street – Walsall and Tame Bridge Parkway, meaning departures from Birmingham New Street for these stations at xx.00, xx.15, xx.30 and xx.45 minutes past the hour
• Trains to/from Rugeley Trent Valley will no longer call at Bescot Stadium, but these trains will continue to call additionally on matchdays where Walsall are playing at home

Birmingham New Street – Shrewsbury

• West Midlands Railway services between Birmingham New Street – Shrewsbury will no longer call at Sandwell & Dudley, Transport for Wales services to/from Shrewsbury will call at this station instead
• Transport for Wales services to/from Shrewsbury will no longer call at Smethwick Galton Bridge, West Midlands Railway services between Birmingham New Street – Shrewsbury will call at this station instead

Train frequency on this route from Sunday 11 December 2022:

• 1 train per hour between Birmingham New Street – Shrewsbury (calling at Smethwick Galton Bridge, Wolverhampton, Bilbrook, Codsall, Albrighton, Cosford, Shifnal, Telford Central, Oakengates, Wellington and Shrewsbury)

Lichfield Trent Valley – Birmingham New Street – Redditch / Bromsgrove

An additional early morning Longbridge – Lichfield Trent Valley service, will be departing at 6.13am (calling at all stations)

Train frequency on this route from Sunday 11 December 2022:

• 2 Four Oaks – Redditch via Birmingham New Street services per hour (calling at all stations)
• 2 Lichfield Trent Valley – Bromsgrove via Birmingham New Street services per hour (calling at all stations)