--- title: "Train Stations in Birmingham: Which One You Need" date: 2026-06-21 author: "Johan E. Johansson" featured_image: "https://everyrail.com/wp-content/uploads/birmingham-new-street-station.jpg" categories: - name: "Destinations" url: "/destinations.md" --- # Train Stations in Birmingham: Which One You Need Birmingham has three central train stations within a few minutes’ walk of each other, and the right one usually picks itself by operator and direction. New Street is the default for long-distance trains to London Euston, Manchester, Bristol, Plymouth, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Wales. Moor Street and Snow Hill are the stations for Chiltern Railways to London Marylebone and for the local Snow Hill Lines services west and south of the city. A fourth station, Birmingham International, sits next to Birmingham Airport and the National Exhibition Centre about 7.5 miles east of the city centre. It is not a central Birmingham station, although the ticketing can make it look like one. One date-sensitive note for 2026. Birmingham Curzon Street, the planned HS2 terminus next to Moor Street, is still under construction. Foundation piling was completed in March 2026, and no opening date has been published. Do not factor Curzon Street into a 2026 or 2027 journey. ## Birmingham’s three central train stations at a glance National Rail prints the three central stations as one ticketing group: **BIRMINGHAM STNS**. A ticket to or from “Birmingham” is valid at any of the three. But the train leaves from one specific station, so before paying, open the train details on the booking page and check the station code. BHM is New Street. BMO is Moor Street. BSW is Snow Hill. BHI is Birmingham International, out by the airport. The three central stations are close together. New Street to Moor Street is about a three minute walk through the Bullring. New Street to Snow Hill is about ten to twelve minutes on foot, but it is usually faster to hop on a Snow Hill Lines train from Moor Street for one stop. StationBest forMain operatorsWalk from New StreetBirmingham New Street (BHM)London Euston, CrossCountry trains to Manchester, Bristol, Plymouth, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Nottingham; Transport for Wales to Shrewsbury and WalesAvanti West Coast, CrossCountry, London Northwestern Railway, Transport for Wales, West Midlands Railwaymain stationBirmingham Moor Street (BMO)London Marylebone via Chiltern, Snow Hill Lines to Stratford-upon-Avon, Kidderminster, and WorcesterChiltern Railways, West Midlands Railwayabout 3 minutes via the BullringBirmingham Snow Hill (BSW)Snow Hill Lines, Colmore Business District, near St Philip’s CathedralWest Midlands Railway, Chiltern Railwaysabout 10 to 12 minutes on foot, or one stop from Moor StreetBirmingham International (BHI)Birmingham Airport (BHX), the NECAvanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Transport for Wales, West Midlands Railwaynot central; about 7.5 miles eastThe rule of thumb. London Euston, Manchester, Bristol, Plymouth, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Nottingham, and Wales leave from New Street. London Marylebone and the local Snow Hill Lines leave from Moor Street or Snow Hill. The airport and the NEC are at Birmingham International. Confirm the station on the ticket every time. ## Birmingham New Street: long-distance and cross-country trains New Street is Birmingham’s principal station and the default for most long-distance journeys. It is the busiest station in the Midlands, with 13 platforms (including 4C) and around 38.7 million entries and exits in 2023/24. Network Rail manages it. Five train operators run services from here. Avanti West Coast runs the West Coast Main Line to London Euston, with about three fast trains an hour calling at Coventry, and about one fast train every two hours extending north towards Glasgow Central, Edinburgh Waverley, or Blackpool via Wolverhampton, Crewe, and Preston. CrossCountry is at the heart of its network here, with about two trains an hour to Manchester Piccadilly, two an hour to Bristol Temple Meads (one continuing to Plymouth, with some onward to Penzance or Paignton), two an hour to Nottingham via Derby, an hourly Cardiff Central via Cheltenham and Gloucester, and an hourly Edinburgh via Leeds and Newcastle that on some days extends to Glasgow or Aberdeen. London Northwestern Railway adds another two trains an hour to London Euston via Coventry and Northampton, slower than Avanti but often cheaper. Transport for Wales runs from here to Shrewsbury and on into Mid and North Wales. West Midlands Railway covers the West Midlands suburbs. A note on the inside of the station. Platforms are split into A, B, and (on some platforms) C ends, and the gateline above the platforms is divided into coloured ticket lounges, with the colour shown on the departure board. If you are arriving or leaving the station, head for the lounge that matches your platform colour. Allow extra time for the walk between platforms. New Street is large. What to check before booking. Whether the same flow is also served by London Northwestern Railway as a slower Advance fare, because the saving against Avanti can be substantial. Some long-distance Avanti and CrossCountry services also call at Birmingham International, which can sometimes save a connection. ## Birmingham Moor Street: Chiltern Railways and the Snow Hill Lines Moor Street is the station for Chiltern Railways to London Marylebone and for West Midlands Railway services on the Snow Hill Lines. It is a Grade II listed restored building directly opposite the Bullring, about a three minute walk from New Street through a signposted underpass. Chiltern Railways runs about two trains an hour off-peak from Moor Street to London Marylebone, calling at Solihull, Dorridge, Warwick Parkway, Warwick, Leamington Spa, Banbury, and Bicester North. Journey time is around two hours. That is longer than Avanti to Euston, but the Advance fares are often cheaper and the trains are usually quieter. Marylebone is also more useful than Euston for hotels in Marylebone, Baker Street, and the Paddington area. West Midlands Railway runs the Snow Hill Lines from here: about two trains an hour to Whitlocks End via Shirley (one continuing to Stratford-upon-Avon on the North Warwickshire Line), about two trains an hour to Dorridge via Solihull (one continuing to Stratford via Lapworth), and about four trains an hour to Kidderminster via Smethwick Galton Bridge and Stourbridge Junction, of which one continues to Worcester Foregate Street. What to check before booking. Whether your booked train calls at both Moor Street and Snow Hill, because most Snow Hill Lines services do, and the choice of station can match the side of the city centre you are heading for. ## Birmingham Snow Hill: the second Snow Hill Lines station Snow Hill is the smallest of the three central stations, with three platforms. West Midlands Trains manages it, and services are provided by West Midlands Railway and Chiltern Railways. The station closed in 1972 and was rebuilt and reopened in 1987. The Midland Metro tram terminus inside the station closed in October 2015. For travellers, Snow Hill matters because of where it is. It sits at the top of Colmore Row, near St Philip’s Cathedral, and right at the edge of the Colmore Business District. If your hotel or meeting is on that side of the city centre, Snow Hill saves a walk you would otherwise make from New Street. Almost everything that calls at Snow Hill also calls at Moor Street one minute earlier. So if you are at New Street with luggage and need to reach Snow Hill, the easiest move is to walk to Moor Street and take a Snow Hill Lines train one stop, rather than make the longer walk on foot. What to check before booking. Whether your hotel is on the Snow Hill side of the city centre or the Bullring side. The walk from one to the other is fine without luggage, but heavy bags make Moor Street the smarter through-station. ## How to switch between New Street, Moor Street, and Snow Hill The New Street to Moor Street walk is about three minutes, signposted from the Bullring exit at New Street. Come out of New Street towards the Bullring, cross the road, and follow the road under the Bullring towards Moor Street Queensway. Moor Street’s restored Great Western Railway frontage is on your right. The New Street to Snow Hill walk is about ten to twelve minutes along Colmore Row, but it is usually quicker to walk to Moor Street first and take a Snow Hill Lines train one stop. Tickets for journeys to or from Birmingham are valid at any of the three central stations, so a separate change ticket within the Birmingham station group is rarely needed. When you are making a long-distance change, sometimes the smart move is to skip central Birmingham altogether. Smethwick Galton Bridge handles same-platform changes between New Street services and Snow Hill Lines services for Worcester, Stourbridge, and Solihull-area flows. Wolverhampton is the better change for Bournemouth or Reading to Manchester swaps via Avanti and CrossCountry. Cheltenham Spa is a same-platform change for the Plymouth or Bristol to Manchester or Edinburgh switch with the Cardiff to Nottingham route. What to check before booking. Whether your connection genuinely needs Birmingham. If both your trains stop at Smethwick Galton Bridge, Wolverhampton, or Cheltenham Spa, that may be the easier change. ## Birmingham International: the airport and NEC station Birmingham International is the station for Birmingham Airport (BHX) and the National Exhibition Centre. It is not in central Birmingham. The station is about 7.5 miles east of the city centre, has five platforms, and is managed by Avanti West Coast. The station code is BHI. The airport is connected to the station by a free people mover called the AirRail Link, a Doppelmayr Cable Liner shuttle that opened in March 2003. It runs across an overhead track between the railway station and the airport terminal in around 90 seconds. The AirRail Link replaced an earlier maglev shuttle that ran from 1984 to 1995. Look for the AirRail Link signs when you arrive at the station. Off-peak Monday to Saturday, Avanti West Coast runs about two fast trains an hour from here to London Euston via Coventry, and another two an hour to Birmingham New Street. There is roughly one Avanti train every two hours north to Glasgow Central or Edinburgh Waverley via Wolverhampton and Preston. CrossCountry runs about one train an hour to Manchester Piccadilly via Stoke-on-Trent and one to Bournemouth via Coventry and Reading. Transport for Wales runs about one train an hour to Shrewsbury and on into Wales. West Midlands Railway runs frequent locals between Birmingham International and New Street. What to check before booking. That your flight is from Birmingham Airport (BHX) rather than another regional airport, and that your booked train actually calls at Birmingham International rather than running through. If you are heading to a NEC event, this is your station, not New Street. ## Trains to London from Birmingham Two London terminals are in play, and they leave from different Birmingham stations. Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway run from Birmingham New Street to London Euston, with Avanti the faster of the two. Chiltern Railways runs from Birmingham Moor Street (and Snow Hill) to London Marylebone, slightly slower but often cheaper and quieter, with the bonus that Marylebone avoids the change at Euston for parts of west London. For most travellers, the sensible default is Avanti from New Street to Euston: about one hour and twenty minutes on a fast service, three an hour off-peak. Switch to Chiltern from Moor Street if you want a Marylebone arrival, a quieter train, or a much cheaper Advance fare on a less busy departure. Switch to London Northwestern Railway from New Street if you want a cheaper Avanti alternative and do not mind the longer journey via Northampton. What to check before booking. The exact departure station on the ticket. A London-bound ticket reading “from Birmingham” can leave from New Street, Moor Street, or Snow Hill depending on the operator. Check the live platform on the day, because New Street platform allocations change late. ## Tickets, fares, and rail passes at Birmingham stations Long-distance flows on Avanti, CrossCountry, London Northwestern Railway, Transport for Wales, and Chiltern Railways use dynamic Advance fares, which are usually much cheaper when booked ahead. Anytime fares are flexible and expensive. Off-Peak fares are a sensible middle ground for daytime travel. The same paper or e-ticket is valid across the relevant operator on the same route, and tickets to or from “Birmingham” are valid at the three central stations. Interrail and Eurail Global Passes cover all UK National Rail operators that serve Birmingham, including Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Chiltern Railways, London Northwestern Railway, Transport for Wales, and West Midlands Railway. Reservations are optional on most domestic services. The Caledonian Sleeper does not call at Birmingham; the nearest pick-up for the overnight to London Euston is Crewe. A few things travellers regularly trip over. Most National Railcards work on Birmingham flows, including the 16-25, Senior, Disabled Persons, Two Together, and Family & Friends Railcards, but the Network Railcard area does not extend to Birmingham, so it gives no discount on most journeys from here. West Midlands Railway also accepts the West Midlands smartcard on selected local journeys. Contactless pay-as-you-go is not yet rolled out across the Birmingham National Rail network, so book in advance or buy at the ticket office or machines. What to check before booking. That your Advance ticket is for the exact booked train, that any Railcard discount is loaded, and that pass-holder reservations (if you have made one) are issued before you leave the booking page. ## A note on HS2 and Birmingham Curzon Street Birmingham Curzon Street is the planned HS2 terminus station next to Moor Street. As of 21 June 2026, it is still under construction. The installation of 2,011 concrete piles for the foundations, between 6 and 24 metres deep, was completed in March 2026. The station’s main construction contract is being delivered by Mace Dragados under the 2021 award worth up to £570 million. No opening date has been published. The practical implication for travellers in 2026 and 2027 is simple. There is no HS2 service from Birmingham yet, and no service should be assumed in your planning. Continue to book from New Street for fast Avanti to London Euston, and from Moor Street or Snow Hill for Chiltern to London Marylebone. What to check before booking. The current HS2 update if you are planning a journey years ahead. For now, Curzon Street is a building site rather than a station.