Travellers from the West Midlands are about to get a much easier route to the departure lounge. London Northwestern Railway has confirmed a new direct train linking Birmingham New Street with Manchester Airport, the first time in decades the two have been connected without a change.
The rollout comes in two stages. The first section, running between Birmingham and Crewe, starts on 13 December 2025. From May 2027, the service extends all the way to Manchester Airport's station, with additional stops at Sandbach, Holmes Chapel, Wilmslow and Styal along the way.
Today, anyone heading from Birmingham New Street to the airport by rail has to switch trains at Crewe or Manchester Piccadilly, and the trip still takes close to two hours. The new route will run hourly and call at 17 stations, threading through the Black Country, Staffordshire and Cheshire. Stops include Tame Bridge Parkway, Darlaston, Willenhall, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Stone, Stoke-on-Trent, Longport, Kidsgrove, Alsager and Crewe before the Manchester-side stations.
The payoff is significant for holidaymakers. Manchester Airport offers flights to more than 200 destinations and handles around 32 million passengers a year, but until now it has been awkward to reach by train from the West Midlands. A direct service means a single ticket, no platform-change stress with luggage, and a greener alternative to driving or being dropped off.
There's a bonus for existing rail users too. LNR says the route will add extra services for communities across Birmingham, the Black Country and Staffordshire, improving everyday frequency as well as airport access. The project has been developed with Network Rail, Transport for Greater Manchester, Northern and Transport for West Midlands.
Why it matters: millions of people in the West Midlands currently fly from Birmingham or drive to Manchester to catch long-haul and European flights. With a one-seat ride to one of the UK's biggest hubs, travellers gain far more choice of destinations and fares — and from December, even those only travelling as far as Crewe or Stoke get the benefit of the new timetable.
Story first reported by The Independent Travel.