No trains will run to or through Birmingham New Street from 24 to 28 December 2026. What that means for Shropshire, plus buses and park and ride at Christmas.
The biggest change to Christmas travel from Shropshire this year is in Birmingham. Birmingham New Street will have no trains at all from Thursday 24 December to Monday 28 December 2026, Network Rail has confirmed. Anyone in Shropshire who normally travels to, from or through Birmingham over Christmas needs another plan.
The quick answer
- Birmingham New Street: no trains 24 to 28 December, reopening Tuesday 29 December.
- No trains anywhere on Christmas Day, and none in the Midlands on Boxing Day, Saturday 26 December.
- Christmas timetables go into journey planners from early October. Last trains on Christmas Eve have not been published yet.
The Birmingham New Street closure
Network Rail announced the closure on 22 September 2026. It is the first phase of a £13m, three-year renewal of the overhead power lines through the station, much of which dates from the 1960s. Further closures are planned for Christmas 2027 and 2028.
National Rail’s closure page sets out the days that matter to passengers:
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Thursday 24 December | No trains to, from or through New Street |
| Friday 25 December | No trains anywhere in Britain |
| Saturday 26 December | No trains in the Midlands |
| Sunday 27 December | No trains to, from or through New Street |
| Monday 28 December (bank holiday) | No trains to, from or through New Street |
| Tuesday 29 December | Services resume |
Network Rail says journeys “will take longer and may involve dedicated rail-replacement buses or using the local bus network”. The station building itself stays open, with staff, toilets and the assisted travel lounge.
What is not yet known is where Shropshire’s Birmingham trains will turn back, and whether replacement buses will run. National Rail says alternative routes will be published on the closure page “as plans are finalised”.
London and the north
There is no direct train from Shropshire to London, as our Shrewsbury to London trains page explains, so every trip to the capital involves a change. Over the closure, check the journey planner for a route that avoids New Street before you buy.
Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year
National Rail’s Christmas and New Year 2026/27 summary covers Thursday 24 December to Monday 4 January. So far it says:
- Christmas Eve: services on many routes will finish early. A guide to last trains is promised for late November or early December.
- Christmas Day: no National Rail services.
- Boxing Day: most operators will run nothing.
- Monday 28 December: the substitute bank holiday. Services are “to be confirmed”.
- New Year’s Eve: services on some routes will finish early.
Operator-by-operator pages, including West Midlands Railway’s, will be added “from the beginning of October onwards”.
Buses: what happened last time
Shropshire Council has not published its Christmas 2026 bus arrangements. Its last full notice, published on 10 December 2024, is the best guide to the shape of it. These were the 2024/25 arrangements, not this year’s.
- No local buses on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day.
- Most Arriva, Minsterley Motors and Diamond routes ran a Saturday timetable from 23 December to 4 January. That included the Shrewsbury town services, the X5 and 53 to Oswestry, the 64 to Market Drayton, the 435 to Ludlow and the 511 to Whitchurch.
- Shrewsbury Park and Ride ran a Saturday timetable for the fortnight: first bus 8am, last bus back 6.30pm.
- Ludlow Park and Ride ran as normal apart from the three closed days.
- Connect On-Demand closed its phone booking line at 2pm on Christmas Eve until 2 January. The app stayed open.
Shrewsbury Park and Ride
The standing rule matters at Christmas. The council’s operating times page says there is no service on Sundays or most bank holidays. On this year’s calendar that rules out Christmas Day, Sunday 27 December, Monday 28 December and New Year’s Day before any Christmas changes are announced.
The return fare is £2, or £1 for concessionary pass holders after 9.30am. Accompanied under-16s travel free.
Parking
Shropshire Council has not announced any Christmas parking concession for 2026, and our search of its newsroom found none from recent Christmases. Normal charges are on our parking in Shropshire page.
Still to be confirmed
| What | Expected |
|---|---|
| Christmas train timetables in journey planners | Early October |
| Operator pages on National Rail | From early October |
| Alternative routes around New Street | When plans are finalised |
| Last trains on Christmas Eve | Late November or early December |
| Shropshire Council bus notice | Early to mid December, going on 2024 |
Have your say