The majority of trains across the West Midlands and on the Chiltern main line will run as normal this Christmas – but passengers should still check before they travel as some journeys will be affected by planned work.
Maintenance and HS2-related work will take place over Christmas and the New Year, but with limited impact in the West Midlands and Chiltern areas.
However, work being carried out elsewhere on the rail network will affect some long distance journeys from the West Midlands with passengers being advised to plan ahead and check before they travel. The same work could mean some services, particularly between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street, could also be busier than normal.
West Midlands Railway passengers are advised of the following changes to services:
- 28 December: Services between Worcester and Kidderminster/Bromsgrove will be operated by rail replacement buses until 4pm.
- Overnight 31 December – 1 January 2026: Routes between Birmingham and Lichfield Trent Valley/Tame Bridge Parkway will be operated by rail replacement buses from 10pm on 31 December until 10am on 1 January.
HS2 construction work will also impact some services on routes into London and Birmingham:
- 25–29 December: No Chiltern Railways services between London Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway due to HS2 work on the Small Dean Viaduct. Replacement buses will run between Amersham and Aylesbury.
- 23–29 December: CrossCountry services between Water Orton and Coleshill Parkway will be disrupted as HS2 engineers install sections of the new Water Orton Viaducts. Rail replacement buses will operate to Birmingham New Street.
Denise Wetton, director for Network Rail Central route, said: “Christmas and New Year are generally quieter times for rail travel, which allows us to carry out essential work and upgrades which will affect fewer passengers than if completed at other times of the year.
“Trains will continue to run across the majority of the West Midlands and Chiltern areas this year, with just a small number of routes affected. However, work elsewhere will affect long distance journeys and could mean certain services may be busier than normal. As always, make sure you plan your journey and check before you travel for the latest information.”
Further afield, on the West Coast Main line between Euston and Rugby, a significant £26 million upgrade at Hanslope Junction, near Milton Keynes, will begin on Christmas Eve until the morning of 5 January.
The work which involves replacing 130 pieces of track, strengthening track foundations, and overhauling points, switches and crossings, will improve reliability and reduce disruption for the 3,300 weekly passenger and freight services on this line.
As a result, journeys to and from London Euston will be affected from Christmas Eve until the morning of 5 January, meaning trains between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street could be busier than normal.
In Cumbria, no trains will run on the West Coast Main Line from Oxenholme to Carlisle between 1 January and 14 January 2026 while a new £60m bridge which carries the railway over the M6 at Penrith is replaced.
Passengers can get all the information they need from www.nationalrail.co.uk or from their train operator.
Image credit: Network Rail
