Travelling doesn’t have to be terrible. If you’re clever about how you plan your trip the journey can become something to look forward to on its own. Sometimes that looks like adding a few extra stops to a road trip, and sometimes it looks like opting for a sleeper train.
There are only two sleeper services in the UK. The Night Riviera runs from London down south, ending at Penzance, and the Caledonian Sleeper shuttles passengers between Scotland and the capital. Basically, if you don’t live in London or Scotland, your options are pretty limited, but that will soon be changing.
The Caledonian Sleeper has just announced plans to add Birmingham as a stop on half of its journeys. There are currently two routes offered by the company: the Highlander, which goes from the capital and splits off at Edinburgh towards Fort William, Aberdeen, and Inverness; and the Lowlander, between Glasgow or Edinburgh and London. It’s the Highlander services which will now go via the Midlands.
At the moment the only stops between London and Edinburgh on the Highlander line are Preston and Crewe, but from January 2026 Birmingham International will become the third. Lowlander trains will continue to stop at Watford Junction, Carlisle, Carstairs, and Motherwell for those terminating in Glasgow.
Nothing will change about the services except for the extra stop in Birmingham. According to managing director Graham Kelly ‘We are continuing to run our service in its existing and current format… in terms of the length of the trains and the resourcing on board, it will all continue to remain.’
When you spend a night onboard, you can choose a single bunk bed, a reclining chair, or a luxurious double bed with an en-suite and on-board shower. Trains leave five nights a week – no service on Saturdays – and you can book up to a year in advance. This isn’t a cheap option though; double rooms on Highlander journeys start at an eye-watering £520 for two people.
The timetable changes will come into effect from January 15 2026, and it’s hoped that they’ll add a boost in tourism for everyone. The Mayor of the West Midlands described the move as ‘a win-win for our tourism and hospitality businesses on both sides of the border’.
You can book tickets on the Caledonian Sleeper website here.
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