Travelling by train this Christmas? Here's what you need to know with some of the busiest routes passing through the West Midlands

Three of the  busiest routes pass through the West Midlands, with Birmingham New Street to London Euston coming in at number one according to the Trainline

The capital features on all the top five, with London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly, which calls at Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Stafford being second busiest and London Euston to Milton Keynes Central third.

In fifth is the only one to feature a Scottish destination - Edinburgh Waverley to London Kings Cross which also passes through the West Midlands - this route also saw the the highest number of early bookers this time last year with 54.1 per-cent of passengers booking more than two weeks in advance

The survey says the  Saturday before Christmas has consistently been the busiest day to travel by train for the past two years. Demand is typically highest in the late morning, with the single busiest hour last Christmas falling between 10am and 11am on Saturday 21 December. 

At the other end of the scale, New Year’s Day was the quietest day to travel by train last year, so if you’re looking for the perfect moment to visit family, or return home after festive celebrations, that day might be a good bet.

The data also shows that early mornings and late evenings remain the quietest times to travel over the festive period, with passenger numbers dropping sharply later in the day. 

On 1 January this year for example, the number of passengers travelling fell by more than half between 4-5pm and 5-6pm. 

Passengers should note, however, that train services typically do not begin until sometime between 5am and 6am.

The Trainline has also published its top tips for stress-free Christmas train travel: They are:

 1) Book in advance: Limited numbers of advance tickets are still available for some of the most popular routes over the Christmas break, so there’s still a chance to save if you book now; 

2) Use a digital Railcard: Railcards can save customers up to one-third off many train journeys across the UK

3)  Split tickets: Splitting a journey into multiple tickets can be cheaper than buying a single through ticket - SplitSave helps to automatically find cheaper combination

4)   Travel with others: Groups of three to nine people travelling together may be able to save up to 34% with GroupSave on eligible Off-Peak services.

5) Look out for deals: Seasonal and year-round offers, including Family Travelcards and Kids for a Quid, can help cut costs further.

Sarah Helppi, UK Country Director at Trainline, said: “Christmas is one of the busiest times of year on the rail network, but our data shows there are clear ways for people to travel more smoothly and save money. 

"Booking early and travelling at quieter times of day can make a real difference, helping customers enjoy a stress-free journey this festive season. 

"Even if plans do have to change, our latest Way to Train features are on hand to help our customers feel in control of their journeys.”