Back in Birmingham, reconnecting with your favourite experiences, flavours, and places to explore? You could easily spend the whole day here and still not see it all.

But here’s a secret… Birmingham just got bigger!

Three new railway stations have opened, each unlocking one of the city’s most exciting neighbourhoods and ensuring for the first time in over 80 years that rail travel to Stirchley, Kings Heath and Moseley is possible.

So the only question is: Which location will you visit first?
 

 

Stirchley

Choose Pineapple Road Station to go off menu and expand your palate

Hop off in Stirchley, where a run of independents - cafés, bars and kitchens ensure the food and drink scene here is one of the best in the city.

Start with satisfying your appetite: a friendly local might nudge you towards Caneat for one of Brum’s most flavoursome brunches -  Eat Vietnam for bold, fresh ingredients, or Riverine Rabbit for something a little special without the pretence.

You’ll quickly see (or more aptly taste) why Stirchley has earned its celebrated reputation.

Next you could sip the day away at Couch, recently crowned the UK’s best cocktail bar, How about laid-back drinks and street food at Anjuna Lounge, fantastic wines and small plates at Cork & Cage or craft beers straight from the source at Birmingham Brewing Company or Attic Brew Co.?

Make sure your phone’s charged - this is the kind of place you’ll want to capture and share with the group chat. You know they’ll ask where it is. You’ll tell them… eventually.

Kings Heath

Alight at Kings Heath Station for laid back vibes and transformative nights

Start with a wander through artisan craft markets and unwind in the neighbourhood’s much-loved independent bookshop and coffee shops and bakeries – along the way grab one of Pause’s best java blends and a delicious French pastry or loaf from Levain and Cherry.

Next, make sure you get a prime al fresco spot on York Road and settle in!  This pedestrianised street is lined with independent cafés, and bars that spill out onto the pavement, giving Kings Heath its easy-going sociable energy.

King Heathens might recommend The Juke and Schooners for local independent pours.  Or to select a glass of one of the finest wines from Grace and James' extensive collection – don’t forget the out of this world cheese and sizeable olives!

For larger plates get one of Brum’s best curries at Shylet Spice, tapas at Byzantium, a work-of-art pizza from Smoke and Ash or Blow Water for some exciting Hong Kong inspired plates.

Then there’s The Hare & Hounds - Kings Heath’s cultural heartbeat. A Grade II-listed landmark on the High Street, it’s part traditional pub, part legendary live music venue, and central to the area’s identity.

By day, it’s a place to drop in for a drink or a bite in its warm, characterful bars. But by night, it transforms. Two intimate gig spaces upstairs have hosted everyone from early-career indie acts to major names, with a legacy that includes UB40’s first ever performance.

Fancy something more sedate?  Make a beeline for Hops & Scotch - this real ale pub has won CAMRA’s ‘Pub of the Year’ for four years in succession! Cheers!

And when the evening gets the better of you, don’t worry: your ride home is already taken care of.

Your train carriage now awaits.

Moseley Village

Hop off at Moseley Village Train Station for festival vibes and village life

Ahh, Moseley – a neighbourhood whose bog is often said to have inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s vision of the Shire in The Lord of the Rings.

From Ents to events, festivals like the renowned Moseley Folk Festival and Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul transform its beautiful private park into a magical environment for music lovers. For a few days each summer, the park come alive with music drifting through the trees, the scent of street food in the air, and neighbours and strangers sharing stories over setlists and sunsets.

Beyond its festivals, Moseley’s charm lasts all year round. Independent cafés like Maison Maysi and Bloom are local favourites, while characterful pubs such as The Fighting Cocks, Patrick Kavanagh’s (Pat Kavs), The Prince of Wales, and The Cuban Embassy add to its festival atmosphere.

The food scene is just as vibrant, with flavours from around the world. New arrivals like Amore, Jollof What?, Dough & Fire, and May’s sit comfortably alongside long-standing favourites including Ponte Di Legno, Zindiya, Sabai Sabai, and La Plancha.

There are far too many to list in full - Moseley is best discovered one place at a time, with plenty of hidden gems still waiting to be found.

It’s the kind of location where you can easily imagine Bilbo wandering past the high street (or perhaps on the top deck of the 50 bus) , taking it all in and deciding to stay a while.

 

Three distinct neighbourhoods, each with its own character. Discover a bigger, better-connected Birmingham - explore one in depth or move easily between all three.

These places have always been part of our story - quietly cherished and known to those in the know. We’d have happily kept them our little secret for longer, but with the arrival of the new stations, it’s time to share.

But shhhh, not too much eh?
 


All of the new stations sit within the Transport for West Midlands Zone 3 fare area and are served by around two trains per hour, with evening services operating hourly between 20:57 and 22:57, providing reliable and accessible connections throughout the day.

Discover all of Birmingham's vibrant neighbourhoods by train on West Midlands Railway