You're joking right? This is a website full of students, most people can't even afford the trains and have to get coaches. Of course, you realise just about everybody would have to travel THROUGH LONDON to get on a coach to the midlands, from pretty much anywhere in the country?
you can get to birmingham from anywhere without having to go through london generally man
it IS the second city after all
edit: and midlands to me means birmingham fuck everywhere else in the midlands they dont count