London Northwestern Railway (LNR) is set to introduce a direct hourly service between Birmingham New Street and Manchester Airport from May 2027.
The service will call at stations across the Black Country, Staffordshire and Cheshire, providing a direct rail connection between the West Midlands and Manchester Airport for the first time in decades.
The rollout will take place in two phases. From 13 December 2026, LNR will introduce a Birmingham New Street–Crewe service calling at 12 stations, including Darlaston and Willenhall, which opened in March 2026.
From May 2027, the service will be extended to Manchester Airport, calling at Sandbach, Holmes Chapel, Wilmslow and Styal.
The new route will remove the need for passengers travelling from the West Midlands to change trains at locations such as Crewe, Wilmslow or Manchester when travelling to the airport.
Rail Minister, Lord Hendy, said:This new direct service is a clear example of public ownership delivering for passengers. Whether you're jetting off on holiday or travelling for work, connectivity like this is exactly what our railways should be providing. A direct, hourly service between Birmingham, the Potteries and Manchester Airport will save passengers time, boost access to opportunities and give passengers an easier way to travel to one of the UK's biggest airports. This is what Great British Railways will be all about: a simpler, more joined-up network that works for passengers whilst boosting growth, jobs and homes.
LNR was brought into public ownership in February 2026. The operator says the new service will provide additional capacity and improve connectivity between the Midlands, Staffordshire, Cheshire and Greater Manchester.
Manchester Airport handled more than 32 million passengers in the last year and serves more than 200 destinations.
Chris Woodroofe, managing director at Manchester Airport, said:We're proud to serve more than 32 million passengers every year, including millions from the West Midlands and Staffordshire in the last 12 months.
This new service is great news for them, but also for long-haul travellers from the region who might currently fly indirectly from other airports, or face a long journey to the South East.
This service will create the first direct rail link between the West Midlands and Manchester Airport for decades and open up more options for people to reach us by public transport. In turn, it gives those travellers access to our huge global network of destinations, unrivalled in the UK outside London.
The service has been developed in collaboration with Network Rail, Transport for Greater Manchester, Northern and Transport for West Midlands.
