New rail service to launch between Birmingham and Manchester Airport

Rail operator, London Northwestern Railway (LNR) will introduce a new direct service connecting Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent with Manchester Airport.

Beginning from May 2027, the hourly service will run between Birmingham New Street station and Manchester Airport station, and make calls at stations in the Black Country, Staffordshire and Cheshire, and give holidaymakers in the Midlands a direct route to the airport. Currently, those travelling to the airport from the West Midlands must change at Crewe, Wilmslow or via Manchester city centre in order to complete their journey to Manchester Airport.

The route will be rolled out in two phases. Phase one will see a new service introduced between Birmingham and Crewe from Sunday 13 December 2026; phase two will extend this service to Manchester Airport from May 2027.

Denise Wetton, integrated managing director for GBR West Midlands and LNR managing director, 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.”

Simon Elliott, network director for rail at Transport for Greater Manchester, said:

“This is a welcome announcement for Greater Manchester, strengthening direct rail links between the North of England and the Midlands and making it easier for more people to travel to and from Manchester Airport.

“Providing better rail connectivity to the airport supports our region’s economy, opening up access to jobs, tourism and international markets, while giving passengers a simpler and more sustainable way to travel.

“We have worked closely with London Northwestern Railway, Northern and Network Rail as these proposals have developed, and we look forward to seeing the benefits of this new service for passengers and Greater Manchester.”