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West Midlands Railway

The local and regional trains around Birmingham: the Cross-City line, the Snow Hill lines and routes out to Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury, Walsall, Worcester, Hereford, Coventry and Nuneaton. New Class 730 electric and Class 196 diesel trains replaced most of the older fleet between 2022 and 2024, and five stations opened in 2026. It's run with LNR and has been publicly owned since February 2026.

2026Current operator since
566 miles (911 km)Route miles, all of West Midlands Trains
116Stations served
72.8 millionJourneys a year, all of West Midlands Trains, ORR (2025–26)

Facts

Current operator since
1 February 2026
Main stations
Birmingham New Street, Birmingham Snow Hill
Type
Suburban and regional train brand
Depots
Tyseley, Birmingham (Class 172s and 196s), Soho, west of Birmingham (electric trains)
Main routes
Birmingham's Cross-City line, from Lichfield Trent Valley through Birmingham New Street to Redditch and Bromsgrove; the Snow Hill lines, from Worcester, Kidderminster and Stourbridge Junction through Birmingham Snow Hill and Moor Street to Dorridge, Leamington Spa, Whitlocks End and Stratford-upon-Avon; Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury; Birmingham to Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley (the Chase line); Birmingham New Street to Worcester and Hereford; Birmingham to Northampton via Coventry; Leamington Spa to Coventry and Nuneaton; Birmingham New Street to Kings Norton over the reopened Camp Hill line; and the Stourbridge Town branch.
Stations managed
151, for all of West Midlands Trains (LNR and West Midlands Railway)
Operating company
WM Trains Ltd, owned by DfT Operator (public ownership since 1 February 2026). It runs West Midlands Railway alongside LNR.
Class 730 Aventra, schematic side elevation, 2 cars
Class 730 Aventra · Bombardier Transportation (now Alstom), Derby

Routes 11 routes · 116 stations

Birmingham New Street – Hereford 10
Birmingham New Street – Hereford: schematic, not to scale Birmingham New StreetBirmingham New Street UniversityUniversity BromsgroveBromsgrove Droitwich SpaDroitwich Spa Worcester Foregate StreetWorcester Foregate Street Malvern LinkMalvern Link Great MalvernGreat Malvern ColwallColwall LedburyLedbury HerefordHereford
Worcester Foregate Street – Stratford-upon-Avon 36
Worcester Foregate Street – Stratford-upon-Avon: schematic, not to scale Worcester Foregate StreetWorcester Foregate Street Worcester Shrub HillWorcester Shrub Hill Droitwich SpaDroitwich Spa HartleburyHartlebury KidderminsterKidderminster BlakedownBlakedown HagleyHagley Stourbridge JunctionStourbridge Junction Lye (West Midlands)Lye (West Midlands) Cradley HeathCradley Heath Old HillOld Hill Rowley RegisRowley Regis Langley GreenLangley Green Smethwick Galton Bridge HLSmethwick Galton Bridge HL The HawthornsThe Hawthorns Jewellery QuarterJewellery Quarter Birmingham Snow HillBirmingham Snow Hill Birmingham Moor StreetBirmingham Moor Street BordesleyBordesley Small HeathSmall Heath TyseleyTyseley Spring RoadSpring Road Hall GreenHall Green Yardley WoodYardley Wood ShirleyShirley Whitlocks EndWhitlocks End WythallWythall Earlswood (West Midlands)Earlswood (West Midlands) The LakesThe Lakes Wood EndWood End DanzeyDanzey Henley-in-ArdenHenley-in-Arden Wootton WawenWootton Wawen WilmcoteWilmcote Stratford-upon-Avon ParkwayStratford-upon-Avon Parkway Stratford-upon-AvonStratford-upon-Avon
Worcester Foregate Street – Leamington Spa 31
Worcester Foregate Street – Leamington Spa: schematic, not to scale Worcester Foregate StreetWorcester Foregate Street Worcester Shrub HillWorcester Shrub Hill Droitwich SpaDroitwich Spa HartleburyHartlebury KidderminsterKidderminster BlakedownBlakedown HagleyHagley Stourbridge JunctionStourbridge Junction Lye (West Midlands)Lye (West Midlands) Cradley HeathCradley Heath Old HillOld Hill Rowley RegisRowley Regis Langley GreenLangley Green Smethwick Galton Bridge HLSmethwick Galton Bridge HL The HawthornsThe Hawthorns Jewellery QuarterJewellery Quarter Birmingham Snow HillBirmingham Snow Hill Birmingham Moor StreetBirmingham Moor Street BordesleyBordesley Small HeathSmall Heath TyseleyTyseley Acocks GreenAcocks Green OltonOlton SolihullSolihull Widney ManorWidney Manor DorridgeDorridge LapworthLapworth Hatton (Warks)Hatton (Warks) Warwick ParkwayWarwick Parkway WarwickWarwick Leamington SpaLeamington Spa
Lichfield Trent Valley HL – Redditch 24
Lichfield Trent Valley HL – Redditch: schematic, not to scale Lichfield Trent Valley HLLichfield Trent Valley HL Lichfield CityLichfield City ShenstoneShenstone Blake StreetBlake Street Butlers LaneButlers Lane Four OaksFour Oaks Sutton ColdfieldSutton Coldfield Wylde GreenWylde Green Chester RoadChester Road ErdingtonErdington Gravelly HillGravelly Hill AstonAston DuddestonDuddeston Birmingham New StreetBirmingham New Street Five WaysFive Ways UniversityUniversity Selly OakSelly Oak BournvilleBournville Kings NortonKings Norton NorthfieldNorthfield LongbridgeLongbridge Barnt GreenBarnt Green AlvechurchAlvechurch RedditchRedditch
Lichfield Trent Valley HL – Bromsgrove 23
Lichfield Trent Valley HL – Bromsgrove: schematic, not to scale Lichfield Trent Valley HLLichfield Trent Valley HL Lichfield CityLichfield City ShenstoneShenstone Blake StreetBlake Street Butlers LaneButlers Lane Four OaksFour Oaks Sutton ColdfieldSutton Coldfield Wylde GreenWylde Green Chester RoadChester Road ErdingtonErdington Gravelly HillGravelly Hill AstonAston DuddestonDuddeston Birmingham New StreetBirmingham New Street Five WaysFive Ways UniversityUniversity Selly OakSelly Oak BournvilleBournville Kings NortonKings Norton NorthfieldNorthfield LongbridgeLongbridge Barnt GreenBarnt Green BromsgroveBromsgrove
Birmingham New Street – Shrewsbury 17
Birmingham New Street – Shrewsbury: schematic, not to scale Birmingham New StreetBirmingham New Street Smethwick Rolfe StreetSmethwick Rolfe Street Smethwick Galton BridgeSmethwick Galton Bridge Sandwell & DudleySandwell & Dudley Dudley PortDudley Port TiptonTipton CoseleyCoseley WolverhamptonWolverhampton BilbrookBilbrook CodsallCodsall AlbrightonAlbrighton CosfordCosford ShifnalShifnal Telford CentralTelford Central OakengatesOakengates Wellington (Shropshire)Wellington (Shropshire) ShrewsburyShrewsbury
Birmingham New Street – Northampton 14
Birmingham New Street – Northampton: schematic, not to scale Birmingham New StreetBirmingham New Street Adderley ParkAdderley Park StechfordStechford Lea HallLea Hall Marston GreenMarston Green Birmingham InternationalBirmingham International Hampton-in-ArdenHampton-in-Arden BerkswellBerkswell Tile HillTile Hill CanleyCanley CoventryCoventry RugbyRugby Long BuckbyLong Buckby NorthamptonNorthampton
Nuneaton – Leamington Spa 7
Nuneaton – Leamington Spa: schematic, not to scale NuneatonNuneaton Bermuda ParkBermuda Park BedworthBedworth Coventry ArenaCoventry Arena CoventryCoventry KenilworthKenilworth Leamington SpaLeamington Spa
Stratford-upon-Avon – Leamington Spa 6
Stratford-upon-Avon – Leamington Spa: schematic, not to scale Stratford-upon-AvonStratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon ParkwayStratford-upon-Avon Parkway WilmcoteWilmcote BearleyBearley ClaverdonClaverdon Leamington SpaLeamington Spa
Birmingham New Street – Kings Norton 5
Birmingham New Street – Kings Norton: schematic, not to scale Birmingham New StreetBirmingham New Street Moseley VillageMoseley Village Kings HeathKings Heath Pineapple RoadPineapple Road Kings NortonKings Norton
Stourbridge Town – Stourbridge Junction 2
Stourbridge Town – Stourbridge Junction: schematic, not to scale Stourbridge TownStourbridge Town Stourbridge JunctionStourbridge Junction

Schematic, not to scale. Ringed stations are interchanges. Each strip is one service route with its stops in order. Where fast and stopping trains share a route, the strip shows the one with most stops, and a route whose stops all lie on a longer one is left out. Station order from TfL open data.

StationZoneInterchanges
Birmingham New Street
University
Bromsgrove
Droitwich Spa
Worcester Foregate Street
Malvern Link
Great Malvern
Colwall
Ledbury
Hereford
Worcester Shrub Hill
Hartlebury
Kidderminster
Blakedown
Hagley
Stourbridge Junction
Lye (West Midlands)
Cradley Heath
Old Hill
Rowley Regis
Langley Green
Smethwick Galton Bridge HL
The Hawthorns
Jewellery Quarter
Birmingham Snow Hill
Birmingham Moor Street
Bordesley
Small Heath
Tyseley
Spring Road
Hall Green
Yardley Wood
Shirley
Whitlocks End
Wythall
Earlswood (West Midlands)
The Lakes
Wood End
Danzey
Henley-in-Arden
Wootton Wawen
Wilmcote
Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway
Stratford-upon-Avon
Acocks Green
Olton
Solihull
Widney Manor
Dorridge
Lapworth
Hatton (Warks)
Warwick Parkway
Warwick
Leamington Spa
Lichfield Trent Valley HL
Lichfield City
Shenstone
Blake Street
Butlers Lane
Four Oaks
Sutton Coldfield
Wylde Green
Chester Road
Erdington
Gravelly Hill
Aston
Duddeston
Five Ways
Selly Oak
Bournville
Kings Norton
Northfield
Longbridge
Barnt Green
Alvechurch
Redditch
Smethwick Rolfe Street
Smethwick Galton Bridge
Sandwell & Dudley
Dudley Port
Tipton
Coseley
Wolverhampton
Bilbrook
Codsall
Albrighton
Cosford
Shifnal
Telford Central
Oakengates
Wellington (Shropshire)
Shrewsbury
Adderley Park
Stechford
Lea Hall
Marston Green
Birmingham International
Hampton-in-Arden
Berkswell
Tile Hill
Canley
Coventry
Rugby
Long Buckby
Northampton
Nuneaton
Bermuda Park
Bedworth
Coventry Arena
Kenilworth
Bearley
Claverdon
Moseley Village
Kings Heath
Pineapple Road
Stourbridge Town

Stations, zones and interchanges from TfL open data (2026-10-07). National Rail interchanges are listed where TfL groups the stations together.

Fleet

ClassUnitsFormation and notes
Class 730 Aventra483-car Class 730/0: the Cross-City line, and Birmingham to Wolverhampton and Walsall
Class 196 Civity2612 two-car (196/0) and 14 four-car (196/1): Shrewsbury, Hereford, Leamington to Nuneaton and the Camp Hill line
Class 172 Turbostar3924 two-car and 15 three-car: the Snow Hill lines
Class 139 (Parry People Mover)2single-car railcars on the Stourbridge Town branch, run and maintained by Pre Metro Operations

History 12

  1. West Midlands Trains, owned by Abellio, JR East and Mitsui, takes over from London Midland and launches the West Midlands Railway name for its trains in and around Birmingham.
  2. A £680 million deal is signed for new trains: Class 196 diesels from CAF and Class 730 electrics from Bombardier.
  3. Eight Class 172/0s from London Overground join the fleet, and Leamington Spa to Nuneaton trains run through Coventry from 20 May.
  4. A National Rail Contract replaces the franchise.
  5. The first Class 196 carries passengers, from Shrewsbury to Birmingham New Street; the Hereford line follows in 2023.
  6. The first Class 730/0 carries passengers in the West Midlands, from Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton; the trains take over Wolverhampton to Walsall the next day.
  7. Class 730s start running on the Cross-City line.
  8. The last Class 323s run on the Cross-City line after 30 years; most of the fleet goes to Northern.
  9. A £70 million rebuild of Tyseley depot, home of the Class 172s and 196s, is completed.
  10. West Midlands Railway passes into public ownership, run by WM Trains Ltd for DfT Operator.
  11. Darlaston and Willenhall stations open, between Walsall and Wolverhampton, the first trains to call there since 1965.
  12. The Camp Hill line reopens to passengers, with new stations at Moseley Village, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road, closed since 1941.

Sources 31

How we source figures →

unverified route strips: TfL's route data has no Chase line (Birmingham to Walsall, Cannock and Rugeley Trent Valley) and no trains through Darlaston and Willenhall, so 14 stations West Midlands Railway serves (Walsall, Bescot Stadium, Tame Bridge Parkway, Hamstead, Perry Barr, Witton, Bloxwich, Bloxwich North, Landywood, Cannock, Hednesford, Rugeley Town, Darlaston and Willenhall) are neither drawn nor counted. The Birmingham New Street to Hereford strip is its regular hourly pattern from the May 2026 timetable, as shown on a rail user group's station boards; a few trains also call at Barnt Green or Worcester Shrub Hill, route strips: Birmingham to Northampton is a West Midlands Railway timetable 'also operated by London Northwestern Railway' (2025); it is drawn here and left off LNR's page. Birmingham to Crewe, which LNR's 2026 page lists as timetable 'WMR 8' but WMR's 2025 page said LNR operated, stays on LNR's page as part of its Liverpool route, route strips: Leamington Spa to Stratford-upon-Avon via Claverdon is drawn from TfL's data for West Midlands Trains; no West Midlands Railway source seen confirms it runs that route, Class 172s: 39 units, 24 two-car and 15 three-car (West Midlands Railway, March 2025). The split of the two-car units into eight 172/0s (ex-London Overground, 2019), four 172/1s (ex-Chiltern, 2021) and twelve 172/2s is Wikipedia's, ORR counted 169 diesel vehicles for all of West Midlands Trains in March 2025, fewer than the 179 that the 172s (93), 196s (80) and LNR's three Class 150s (6) add up to; some may have been out of use, Class 730/0 seats: 199 (LNR's fact sheet, Rail Engineer) or 201 (West Midlands Railway, 2024), LNR's Class 350s, used by West Midlands Railway between Wolverhampton and Walsall until February 2024, are said (Wikipedia) to work the Birmingham to Northampton trains; not confirmed, so they aren't in this fleet, depots: Soho is described as West Midlands Trains' electric depot (Rail Engineer, 2024), but no source seen says outright that it maintains the Class 730/0s; the Class 139s' shed at Stourbridge Junction isn't sourced

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