Details revealed on £1.75bn Birmingham rail plan

Plans to turbo-charge rail services in Birmingham could include more services to the East Midlands and cities south of the region.

The Midlands Rail Hub Alliance will launch an 8 week consultation on a £1.75bn project to upgrade rail services into Moor Street, plans which could reduce congestion at New Street by switching some services across the city.

The rail hub scheme will add up to 300 additional trains on the rail network per day into or out of Birmingham and provide faster, more frequent, or new rail links for over 50 locations including: Nottingham, Leicester, Bromsgrove, Nuneaton, Worcester, Hereford, and Cardiff.

The proposals, which are at an early stage, will include:

• Three additional trains per hour to towns and cities South West of Birmingham
• The reinstatement of two additional Cross City line trains per hour (meaning there would be six trains per hour in total)
• Four additional trains per hour towards the East Midlands, one of which will also serve the North East, subject to future funding decisions

The consultation runs from Monday, 6 July and is open until Friday, 28 August.

Mark Cuzner, Midlands Rail Hub Alliance Director, said: “These proposals represent a key element of the wider vision for the Midlands Rail Hub and its transformational potential to enable growth, improved connectivity, and opportunities for millions of people.

“The consultation we are launching today is an opportunity for the residents, businesses and communities of Birmingham to gain early insights into the proposals, speak to the team who are driving this forward and, most importantly, to provide their views and feedback to shape our detailed plans.”

Denise Wetton, Network Rail’s Central route director, said: “Midlands Rail Hub is a transformational project which would change the landscape of the railway in Birmingham and provide huge benefits across the city, region, and Britain.

“Not only will it improve journeys, but it will also connect people with new opportunities, create new jobs and access to careers, and be a catalyst for much-needed house building in the region.

“This consultation is an opportunity to ask questions, find out more, and contribute to future plans and I am excited to see the outcome and how it influences what happens next.”

Rail Minister, Lord Hendy, said: “The Midlands Rail Hub will be transformational for Birmingham and the wider region – delivering faster, more frequent journeys for millions of passengers.

“With £123 million of Government investment behind it, this is a project that will create jobs, open up new opportunities, and help deliver the homes and growth across the Midlands. I encourage residents, businesses and communities to get involved and have their say in this consultation.”

Feedback gathered during the consultation will be used to help shape the final, detailed proposals which will be subject to a second consultation in summer 2027. The Midlands Rail Hub Alliance then expects to submit a Transport and Works Act Order application to the Secretary of State for Transport in early 2028.

The Midlands Rail Hub Alliance is a partnership between AtkinsRéalis, Laing O’Rourke, Network Rail, Siemens Mobility and VolkerRail.