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One of Britain’s busiest train stations will close over Christmas as major railway upgrades will prevent trains from running.
Birmingham New Street will be shut for five days from 24 to 28 December, meaning passengers will not be able to catch trains to and from the station between Christmas and New Year.
No National Rail services operate on Christmas Day, and most trains will run on a reduced service on dates around Christmas and New Year.
Birmingham New Street will not operate any local, regional, or long-distance journeys during this time. Trains will resume on Tuesday, 29 December.
National Rail said that more details on alternative travel options, journey times, rail replacement buses and advice on using other transport providers will be available closer to the time.
The closures are part of a £13m upgrade to the overhead power lines that keep electric trains moving on the approaches to and through the station.
The works will improve long-term service reliability at the station, used by over 36 million passengers a year.
Martin Colmey, route director for Network Rail Central route, said: “Birmingham New Street is at the heart of the rail network, supporting millions of local, regional and national journeys every year.
“Much of the overhead line equipment dates back to the 1960s and needs to be replaced. This £13m investment has been carefully planned to make the railway more reliable.
“There is never a good time for this type of work and we have done all we can to reduce its impact as much as possible. Christmas is a quieter time, but we know it will affect journeys at an important time of the year.
“We want to make people aware as early as possible so they can plan ahead. As soon as tickets are available to buy for Christmas travel, there will be clear, detailed information to help passengers plan their journeys and make informed decisions.”
Many people walk through Birmingham New Street station for easier access to various sections of the city. Others may enter the station only to look around the Grand Central shopping floor above the station concourse, which also has direct access to the Bullring shopping centre.
For these reasons, the station building itself will not be shut down during the engineering works.
Further work is expected at Birmingham New Street over the same Christmas period in 2027 and 2028, as the upgrades continue.
Read more: Railway bridge construction project cost more than London Eye and Millennium Bridge
