Direct train link between Manchester Airport and Birmingham to open in May 2027

A new direct train service operated by London Northwestern Railway linking Birmingham to Manchester Airport will open in May 2027.

The new train will call at: Birmingham New Street, Tame Bridge Parkway, Darlaston, Willenhall, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Stone, Stoke-on-Trent, Longport, Kidsgrove, Alsager, Crewe, Sandbach, Holmes Chapel, Wilmslow, Styal and Manchester Airport.

At the moment, people travelling to Manchester Airport from the West Midlands tend to change at Crewe, Wilmslow or via Manchester city centre in order to complete their journey to Manchester Airport.

Officials confirmed that the route will be rolled out in two phases.

Phase one of the project will run between Birmingham and Crewe; 12 stations including Darlaston and Willenhall will be added to the line, and will open in March 2027.

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Afterwards, phase two will extend the service to Manchester Airport from May 2027.

During phase two, four stations will be added to the line: Sandbach, Holmes Chapel, Wilmslow and Styal.

Denise Wetton, integrated managing director for Great British Railways West Midlands, said: “We are excited to launch this new service which will provide direct connectivity to Manchester Airport from the West Midlands for the first time in decades.

“Through close collaboration with Network Rail, Transport for Greater Manchester, Northern and Transport for West Midlands, we are excited to open up greener, simpler travel options for visitors to the airport, making rail the best choice for holidaymakers in the West Midlands.

"Not only that, this new route will deliver extra services for our existing customers across Birmingham, the Black Country and Staffordshire, providing more choice for when you travel. We look forward to inviting passengers on board, starting from December.”

Chris Woodroofe, managing director at Manchester Airport, said: "We're proud to serve more than 32 million passengers every year, including millions from the West Midlands and Staffordshire in the last 12 months.

"This new service is great news for them, but also for long-haul travellers from the region who might currently fly indirectly from other airports, or face a long journey to the South East.

"This service will create the first direct rail link between the West Midlands and Manchester Airport for decades and open up more options for people to reach us by public transport. In turn, it gives those travellers access to our huge global network of destinations, unrivalled in the UK outside London."

Richard Parker, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “I'm delighted to see new rail connections between the West Midlands region and Greater Manchester, offering more sustainable transport options for those travelling abroad, and improving connectivity across both regions. This new route also delivers additional services for those travelling within the West Midlands, including to our new stations in Willenhall and Darlaston. I look forward to seeing the first new services run soon."