Birmingham Pullman

The Birmingham Pullman was operated by the Blue Pullman and introduced by British Rail on 12 September 1960. Departures from Wolverhampton Low Level station at 7:00 am, with pickups at Birmingham Snow Hill at 7:30 am, Solihull at 7:40 am and Leamington Spa at 8:00 gave an arrival time at London Paddington of 9:35 am.^[2] A second departure left Birmingham Snow Hill at 2:30 pm, with an arrival at London Paddington of 4:25 pm.

The return services departed London Paddington at 12:10 pm, arriving in Birmingham Snow Hill at 2:05 pm. The evening train left Paddington at 4:50 pm and arrived back at Birmingham Snow Hill at 6:55 pm, and Wolverhampton Low Level at 7:20 pm.

On 15 August 1963, a replacement service for the Birmingham Pullman train, hauled by British Rail Class 52 D1040 Western Queen, ran into freight wagons near Solihull, killing all three men in the cab.^[3] It was found to be a signaller's error.^[4]

With the electrification of the West Coast Main Line in 1966, the service was withdrawn and the trains were transferred to Oxford, Bristol, and South Wales.