Direct Birmingham–Manchester Airport service to start in 2027
London Northwestern Railway (LNR) is to introduce a new hourly service between Birmingham New Street and Manchester Airport from May 2027, providing a direct rail link from the West Midlands to the airport for the first time in decades.
The service will initially begin operating between Birmingham New Street and Crewe from December 13, 2026, with the extension to Manchester Airport following in May 2027. The new route will serve 17 stations, including Darlaston and Willenhall, which opened in March 2026.
From May 2027, trains will run via Wolverhampton, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe before continuing to Manchester Airport, calling at Sandbach, Holmes Chapel, Wilmslow and Styal. The full route will be 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.
The new service will remove the need for passengers travelling from the West Midlands to Manchester Airport to change trains at Crewe, Wilmslow or in central Manchester.
LNR says the service has been developed in collaboration with Network Rail, Transport for Greater Manchester, Northern and Transport for West Midlands. The operator is owned by WM Trains, which was brought into public ownership in February 2026.
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Image courtesy of London Northwestern Railway/WM Trains.
