A major UK airport will get better rail links from next year

A new rail service will connect Birmingham with Manchester airport from next year.

London Northwestern Railway (LNR) has announced it will introduce a new direct train connecting the West Midlands to the country’s third-largest aviation hub.

The hourly rail service will call at stations across the Black Country, Staffordshire and Cheshire.

The route will give millions of holidaymakers a direct rail route to Manchester airport for the first time in decades.

Currently, train passengers from Birmingham New Street have to change at either Crewe or Manchester Piccadilly to get to the airport’s station on a journey that takes just under two hours.

The new route will be rolled out in two phases, with a stretch opening first between Birmingham and Crewe from 13 December. Phase two, extending the service to Manchester airport, will start in May 2027.

The 12 stations that will be served between New Street and Crewe include Wolverhampton and Stafford, while the extension next year will also see stops added at Sandbach, Holmes Chapel, Wilmslow and Styal before the airport.

Manchester airport has flights to more than 200 destinations, serving 32 million passengers every year.

Denise Wetton, a managing director for Great British Railways West Midlands and LNR, 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.”