Getting into Birmingham early on a Sunday

[batesout]

Hi all
Looking for help.
Arriving into Birmingham around 07.30 on Sunday the 28th April.
I am getting a train from New Street at 9.03.
Is my only option a Taxi to get me there on time?
As it looks like the earliest trains from the airport to New Street is 08.55 which would mean I'd miss my train connection.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Hi all
Looking for help.
Arriving into Birmingham around 07.30 on Sunday the 28th April.
I am getting a train from New Street at 9.03.
Is my only option a Taxi to get me there on time?
As it looks like the earliest trains from the airport to New Street is 08.55 which would mean I'd miss my train connection.

Hi

Those train times look pretty useless but there is the option of getting the limited stop X1 Bus which takes around half an hour or so.

The timetable shows it leaving the airport bus interchange at 07:52 and the NEC International Station at 07:54 with an arrival into Central Birmingham of 08:25. Of course that could be a little tight if you have baggage to collect or are slightly delayed. I've linked the timetable below.

https://nxbus.co.uk/files/NX-West-M...ables/2nd-September/X1X2tt02September2018.pdf

Good luck.

 

[batesout]

No baggage to collect

 

[batesout]

Cheers

 

[Ray Finkle]

Cheers

No problem, I hope that you make it

 

[batesout]

So do I, but its a bit bizarre no 24 hr bus service for an international airport

 

[Brum X]

So do I, but its a bit bizarre no 24 hr bus service for an international airport

We do have a 24 hour bus service, its the X1 bus that Ray mentioned above.

Fare = £2.50

There is a bus that stops right outside the terminal at 07.52 with an arrival time into central Birmingham at 08.25, it is a 5 minute walk from the stop which is next to the iconic Selfridges building to New street station which is plenty of time, however the bus route cannot be responsible if your flight is delayed, however they run every 30 mins 24/7

Our buses are now contactless so no need for lots of change, just pop your debit card on the reader and off you go.
View attachment 12908

 

[Coathanger16]

Our buses are now contactless so no need for lots of change, just pop your debit card on the reader and off you go.

How does contactless work on the busses? You said scan your card when you get on - do you have to scan it again when you get off (like on the tube) or do you tell the driver where you're going and you're just paying by contactless rather than with change?

 

[Brum X]

How does contactless work on the busses? You said scan your card when you get on - do you have to scan it again when you get off (like on the tube) or do you tell the driver where you're going and you're just paying by contactless rather than with change?

Hi Coathanger,

Yes it is that simple, you get on the bus tell the driver where you are going or in this case as the max fare is £2.50 on Birmingham buses, just say £2.50 please and place your card on the reader just like you do with a chip and pin machine in a shop. The driver will then input that fare into his machine and debit your card, it is so much easier and a much better welcome for international visitors getting on at the airport.

Before we used to have contactless it used to be embarrassing at the airport when you used to get lots of visitors who had just arrived into the UK with no change (No surprise there) however in typical UK style or indeed Birmingham style, our buses operated on an exact fare basis so you had to have the exact change well who the hell has £2.50 in British money when you are from overseas. You would see the visitor having to walk down the bus asking people for change in order to get on the bus. I used to see them trying to stuff a £5 note, yes a £5 note into the money machine which then used to block the machine and then hell would let loose and a nice bit of profit for National Express. What a complete and utter palaver.

Most people these days have a debit card so it is going to be so much easier.

 

[58terminus]

You should be ok on a Sunday morning on our busses but if you have to use them any other time do not expect an orderly queue at the stop..Do NOT go upstairs or make eye contact with other passengers. Try to sit as close to the front as you can.

 

[BHXsupporter]

Wow and that's positive marketing...not!