No Trains from Birmingham New Street Over Christmas — What It Means for Villa Fans
Birmingham New Street will run no train services over Christmas, with Aston Villa’s Boxing Day fixture against Leeds United falls squarely in the blackout.
The first phase of work will take place from Thursday, 24 December, Christmas Eve, to Bank Holiday Monday, 28 December 2026. During that period, there will be no train services to or from Birmingham New Street. Network Rail is using the shutdown to carry out a £13m overhaul of the station’s overhead power line infrastructure, a system whose core wiring has been in place since the 1960s. It is the opening phase of a three-year programme, with equivalent works scheduled over Christmas 2027 and 2028.
No Trains in the Midlands on Boxing Day
For Villa fans and Leeds United supporters travelling to Villa Park, Boxing Day presents a significant logistical problem. There are no trains running anywhere across Britain on Christmas Day (Friday 25 December), and no trains will run in the Midlands on Boxing Day (Saturday 26 December), on the day of the match. The home fixture kicks off at 12:30, meaning anyone relying on rail to reach Birmingham faces a complete absence of train services across the region, not just at New Street.
The Liverpool fixture on 30 December — a 20:15 evening kick-off — should be unaffected. Services are due to resume on 28 December, leaving two clear days for the network to return to normal before that game.
The station building will stay open throughout the works, with staff on hand and facilities including the assisted travel lounge remaining accessible. Network Rail says details of replacement travel options will be published on the National Rail website once plans are confirmed. Tickets for Christmas journeys are expected to go on sale in early October, at which point full journey information will be made available.
UTV
Get MOMS in your inbox every week, free. Sharp and informative Villa writing for supporters who can spot the clickbait from the back of the Holte. No spam. Join the astonvilla.wtf newsletter →
Independent Villa media, funded by supporters who want more of it — for less than a pint at Villa Park. Join MOMS on Patreon → for ad-free podcasts, bonus shows and a seat in Match Club.