THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride has no car park of its own. The organiser confirms that it does not offer on-site parking at Birmingham Moor Street, so every family arriving by car needs a plan before the day. Polar Express Birmingham 2026 parking therefore comes down to three choices: a Bullring car park, a drop-off close to the station, or leaving the car at home.
The stakes are higher than for most festive days out. Organisers lock the doors at the boarding cut-off and do not refund guests who arrive late. Moor Street Queensway also has a camera-enforced bus gate, where Birmingham Live has reported tens of thousands of penalties a year. This guide covers where to park, where a car can legally stop, how early to arrive and how to get everyone home afterwards.
Polar Express Birmingham 2026 at a glance
The train departs from and returns to the same station, so you only need to plan one location.
| Detail | What the organiser says |
|---|---|
| Venue | Birmingham Moor Street Station, Moor Street Queensway, B4 7UL |
| Dates | 13 dates between Sunday 22 November and Wednesday 23 December 2026 |
| Time on board | About one hour |
| Total visit | Around 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, including the gift shop |
| Arrival | At least 30 minutes before the time on your e-ticket |
| Parking | None on site; guests make their own arrangements |
| Clean Air Zone | The station is inside the zone |
| Tickets | Online only. Most dates list Classic at £63 and First Class at £78; Friday 18 December lists £56 and £71 |
Dates and departure times
The organiser’s availability page listed the following pattern when we checked it on 11 November 2026. Check it against your e-ticket, because the times can change.
| Dates | Listed departure times |
|---|---|
| Sun 22 Nov; Sat 28 and Sun 29 Nov; Sat 5 and Sun 6 Dec; Sat 12 Dec; Sat 19 Dec | 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00, 19:15 |
| Sun 13 Dec; Sun 20 Dec | 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:20, 19:15 |
| Fri 18 Dec; Mon 21, Tue 22 and Wed 23 Dec | 10:10, 12:10, 14:10, 16:10, 18:00 |
The train runs on the mainline railway, which means Network Rail has the final say on timings. As a result, the organiser warns that a booked time could move by up to about an hour earlier or later. Updates about time changes arrive by email, so check your inbox and junk folder before you set off.
Is there parking at Moor Street Station?
No. Birmingham Moor Street has no station car park, and the event does not provide one. AccessAble’s guide to the station also records no standard on-street bays and no marked Blue Badge bays outside.
For other options, the organiser’s FAQ simply points guests to Birmingham City Council’s car park directory. The nearest public parking belongs to the Bullring shopping centre. Its Moor Street car park sits beside the Selfridges building, with AccessAble placing it on Park Street, roughly 200 metres from the station. For most ticket holders, this is the obvious place to start.
Nearest car parks to the Polar Express
Bullring lists four car parks on its website. Capacity figures below come from that page.
| Car park | Spaces (Bullring figures) | Useful to know |
|---|---|---|
| Moor Street | 1,195 | The closest to Moor Street Station; next to Selfridges, off Park Street |
| Bullring Centre | 1,025 | Beneath the shopping centre; step-free access into Bullring |
| Edgbaston Street | 850 | South side of Bullring; a slightly longer walk through or around the centre |
| Grand Central | 450 | Above New Street station; open 24 hours, but no mall access between 23:00 and 06:00 |
How Bullring parking works
Bullring’s Moor Street, Centre and Edgbaston Street car parks use number plate recognition. Cameras read your plate on the way in and out, so you don’t take a ticket. Registered drivers pay automatically. Everyone else can pay by phone or by scanning a QR code in the car park, and the exit barriers also accept cards.
According to Bullring, its car parks include family spaces, bays for disabled customers and electric vehicle charging points. However, the centre’s website does not currently display a tariff or opening hours for each car park. Prices rise with the length of stay, so check the tariff board at the entrance before you commit.
Check the closing time for evening departures
This point matters most for the 18:00 and 19:15 trains. With a visit lasting up to two hours, a family on the 19:15 departure may not return to the car until after 21:00.
Third-party listings for the Moor Street car park have shown earlier closing times than the other Bullring car parks, particularly on Sundays. Those listings disagree with each other, and Bullring may extend hours in December. Confirm the closing time on the signs at the entrance or with Bullring directly. If there is any doubt, choose a car park with later hours for an evening slot.
Shopping traffic adds a further complication. Nine of the 13 Polar Express dates fall on a weekend, and all of them fall in the busiest shopping weeks of the year. Bullring car parks also serve visitors to the Frankfurt Christmas Market, so expect competition for spaces. Our guide to Birmingham Christmas Market parking lists the council car parks on the other side of the city centre if you plan to combine both.
The Moor Street bus gate and where you can drop off
Many drivers assume they can pull up outside the station entrance. In practice, the road layout makes that difficult.
The bus gate on Moor Street Queensway
Birmingham City Council introduced a bus gate on Moor Street Queensway at the end of 2020. It covers the stretch between Moor Street Station and the Carrs Lane junction, in both directions, 24 hours a day. Only buses, hackney carriages (black cabs) and cyclists may pass through. Private cars may not, and neither may private hire vehicles.
Cameras enforce the restriction, and the council issues a penalty charge notice to drivers who go through. Birmingham Live reported 44,332 offences on Moor Street Queensway between January and October 2025. The same report put the usual penalty at £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days. Follow the road signs rather than relying on a sat nav as you approach the station.
Where a car can stop
AccessAble records no designated drop-off point at the station itself. The taxi rank on Moor Street Queensway sits about 25 metres from the main entrance, but it is for licensed hackney carriages only.
The council’s bus gate scheme did include loading and drop-off bays on Moor Street, alongside the station, with a short maximum stay. Restrictions change, so read the signs on the day before you stop. Alternatively, a driver can drop passengers near the Park Street side of the Bullring and let them walk the short distance to the station.
A pre-booked car solves the driver’s problem as well as the passengers’. Your chauffeur plans the approach around the bus gate, drops you at a legal point close to the entrance and collects you from an agreed spot afterwards. If you would rather not park at all, NET’s event chauffeur service covers family occasions like this one, with the price agreed before you book.
Clean Air Zone charges for the Polar Express
The organiser states plainly that the venue is inside Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone. The zone covers every road inside the A4540 Middleway ring road, although not the Middleway itself, and it operates all day, every day.
Most modern cars meet the emissions standard and pay nothing. Drivers of non-compliant cars pay £8 per day, according to Transport for West Midlands. You can pay from six days before your visit until six days after it. Missing that window leads to a £120 penalty, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.
Nobody sends a reminder, so check your registration on the government’s vehicle checker before you travel. Grandparents and friends driving older cars in convoy should check theirs too. Our Birmingham Clean Air Zone guide explains the boundary and the payment steps in more detail.
How early to arrive at Moor Street
The organiser’s terms ask guests to arrive at least 30 minutes before the time shown on the booking or e-ticket. That allowance covers parking, check-in and boarding. Note that the ticket time marks when the experience starts, not when the train pulls away.
Why lateness costs the whole ticket
Timings are strict. Staff lock the doors at the boarding cut-off, and the terms state that the organiser need not hold the train or offer another departure. No refund applies if you arrive late because of weather, a breakdown, road closures or public transport delays.
Running late anyway? The organiser’s advice is to keep travelling, as staff will try to help on site. They cannot reopen the doors once the cut-off has passed, though.
Ticket Protection from a third party is available, but only at the time of booking. It cannot be added afterwards.
Build in a realistic buffer
Thirty minutes is the minimum at the station door, not the time to leave home. Add time for each of the following:
- Possible queues to enter a Bullring car park on a December weekend
- Finding a space and getting children, coats and bags out of the car
- Walking from the car park to the station
- A toilet stop before boarding, as the organiser says facilities on the train are limited
Weekday departures need extra thought. The 16:10 and 18:00 trains on 18, 21, 22 and 23 December coincide with the evening commute. Our Birmingham rush hour guide shows when city centre roads are slowest.
Getting to the Polar Express by train, tram or bus
Public transport removes the parking question altogether, provided the timetable suits your slot.
By train
Chiltern Railways and West Midlands Railway both serve Moor Street. Chiltern links the station with Solihull, Leamington Spa, Banbury and London Marylebone. West Midlands Railway runs local services on routes including Stratford-upon-Avon, Stourbridge Junction and Kidderminster.
Arriving at Birmingham New Street instead? Moor Street is a short, signposted walk away past the Bullring. Published estimates range from six to ten minutes, so allow longer with small children. Snow Hill is the third city centre station and also lies within walking distance.
Weekend engineering work can change timetables, and the organiser will not refund a missed train caused by rail delays. Check National Rail on the morning of travel and aim for a service earlier than you strictly need.
By tram or bus
Bull Street is a West Midlands Metro stop within a short walk of Moor Street; journey planners put it at about six minutes on foot. The tram network is being extended on this side of the city centre, so check the West Midlands Metro map for the current nearest stop. Buses stop within about 150 metres of the station, according to AccessAble. Because the bus gate keeps general traffic off Moor Street Queensway, buses and black cabs can reach the entrance when cars cannot.
Pushchairs, wheelchairs and Blue Badge parking
The heritage carriages shape what you can bring, and that affects how you travel.
- Pushchairs and car seats: Neither is allowed on board. Marshals look after them on the platform until you return.
- Wheelchairs: The carriages cannot take wheelchairs. Every guest must be able to step up into the carriage and reach a seat. Staff can help, and the organiser asks guests with access needs to get in touch before the visit.
- Toilets: Accessible toilets are available inside Moor Street Station.
- Blue Badge parking: AccessAble records no marked Blue Badge bays on the street outside. Bullring says its car parks have designated spaces for disabled customers, and its main Centre car park offers step-free access into the shopping centre.
- Assistance animals: Welcome on board with advance notice. Pets are not allowed.
Families who arrive by taxi or private hire often worry about what to do with a child car seat. With a pre-booked chauffeur, the seat simply stays in the vehicle. NET fits child seats on request; tell us each child’s age when you book.
What to wear and bring
Pyjamas are part of the tradition, and most families join in. Even so, the organiser reminds guests that part of the experience is outdoors. Bring a warm coat and an umbrella, and wear sturdy shoes rather than slippers.
This advice affects your parking choice too. A walk from a multi-storey car park on a wet December evening feels long in nightwear. Keep coats on until you reach the platform, and leave a blanket in the car for the journey home.
E-tickets arrive by email from ETIX about 14 days before your date. Have them ready on a phone before you leave, as Golden Tickets are handed out on the day.
Travelling as a group or extended family
Seats are arranged in fours around tables or in pairs, and many bookings bring three generations together. Two cars mean two parking fees, two Clean Air Zone checks and two drivers looking for spaces at the same time.
One larger vehicle keeps everyone together. NET’s Mercedes V-Class carries up to seven passengers, which suits two parents, grandparents and children in a single car. For bigger parties, we can arrange several vehicles on one schedule.
Collection deserves as much thought as arrival. The train returns to Moor Street, and the organiser estimates the whole visit at up to two hours. Agree a pick-up point and time in advance, and remember that the return could run late if the mainline is busy.
Book your Polar Express transfer with NET
National Executive Transfers is a Birmingham-based executive chauffeur company with a Mercedes fleet of S-Class, E-Class and V-Class vehicles. We operate 24 hours a day, which covers the late return from a 19:15 departure.
A return booking gives you a door-to-door journey, a chauffeur who knows the Moor Street restrictions and a price fixed before you travel. You avoid the car park queue, the bus gate and the walk in pyjamas. Call 01564 778080 or request a quote online, and give us your ticket time so we can plan the arrival with a sensible margin.
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Frequently Asked Questions
No. The organiser does not offer on-site parking, and Moor Street Station has no car park of its own. The nearest public parking is Bullring's Moor Street car park beside Selfridges.
Bullring's Moor Street car park is the closest, around 200 metres away on Park Street. Bullring Centre, Edgbaston Street and Grand Central car parks are further alternatives. Check closing times before an evening departure.
Not by driving through Moor Street Queensway. A bus gate there allows only buses, black cabs and cyclists, and cameras enforce it. Stop only where the signs permit, or drop passengers on the Park Street side of the Bullring.
The organiser's terms say at least 30 minutes before the time on your e-ticket. Add extra time for parking queues, the walk from the car park and a toilet stop.
You are likely to miss it. Doors are locked at the boarding cut-off, and the organiser gives no refund for late arrival caused by traffic, weather or public transport.
Yes. Non-compliant cars pay £8 per day, and you can pay from six days before until six days after your visit. Most modern cars are compliant and pay nothing.
No. Pushchairs and car seats stay on the platform, where marshals look after them until you return. Wheelchairs cannot be accommodated on board either.
The train ride takes about one hour. Allow between 1 hour 30 minutes and 2 hours for the full visit, including the gift shop.
