There will be widespread travel disruption across Birmingham over the Bank Holiday weekend with the region’s rail, Metro and road network set to be effected. Roads will be closed at the weekend due to the Great Birmingham Run, which will close routes in and around Birmingham city centre and the Jewellery Quarter.
There will also be no West Midlands Metro service through Birmingham on the weekend of the Great Birmingham Run. Transport for West Midlands has confirmed that Metro tickets and passes will be valid on selected National Express bus services and West Midlands Rail services.
The rail network will also see disruption due to engineering works and later, industrial action by the ASLEF union. We’ve rounded up the impact it will have on travellers below, and advice offered so you can minimise the disruption to your journey if you do plan on using public transport.
READ MORE: Birmingham Airport Bank Holiday warning as bosses say ‘bear with us’
Great Birmingham Run – road closures
The second biggest half marathon in the UK will return to the streets of Birmingham on Sunday, May 5. The Great Birmingham Run will see more than 12,000 runners pounding the streets of Birmingham City Centre.
Organisers of The Great Run Company says that it is necessary to implement road closures from 4am on Sunday, May 5. Many streets in and around the centre of town will be closed, read the full list here.
Metro services
There will be no West Midlands Metro service through Birmingham on the weekend of the Great Birmingham Run. Planned works mean there will be no tram service between Wednesbury onward to Birmingham, and from Edgbaston back to Wednesbury over the May Bank Holiday weekend.
The Metro will operate between Wolverhampton and Wednesbury only. People who rely on the metro for day-to-day travel between Wednesbury and Birmingham will be able to use their tickets and passes on a number of replacement National Express bus services. Read the full list here.
Birmingham Airport
There are no changes to services at Birmingham Airport but a record number of holidaymakers are expected through the doors over the long weekend. Bosses have warned the terminal will be “very busy”, and that due to the on-going security building works, customers will find themselves queuing in different areas with a large number of travellers. More on that here.
Trains – line closed
Engineering work is taking place between Coventry and Birmingham New Street, closing all lines from Saturday May 4 to Monday May 6.
Replacement buses and shuttle services will run between Birmingham New Street and key West Midlands train stations. This may impact revellers attending Sidewinder Festival (5th May) at the NEC.
Disruption will be significant so West Midlands Railway have released a full schedule of replacement services on their website.
Aslef members at 16 train companies, including West Midlands Railway, will launch a six-day ban on overtime on Bank Holiday Monday, followed by strikes at different operators on three separate days between May 7 and 9.
Strikes at Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway and West Midlands Trains mean severely limited options for rail travel across the Midlands.
Read more on rail replacement services and provisions made for strikes here.
