stansted to birmingham ?

Trains in the UK are privatised and different companies run on different or similar routes. Cross Country run an hourly service direct from the airport straight into Birmingham New Street which is smack in the middle of Birmingham. If you get your tickets ahead it can be as low as £9.50 for the 3 and a quarter hour journey. If you get your ticket when you walk up it is £44.40, off peak - more at the rush. It is worked by a three (usually) car class 170 Turbostar diesel train which stops at most of the market towns along the way in deep rural Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire, and Rutland - the smallest County. Seats in standard class are comfortable and there is a luggage rack in the middle of each car, perhaps safer than at the ends. Usually there are 2 toilets in a 3 car train, one large universal one and one small one. There is booked a refreshment trolley on the service but no shop or restaurant. First Class seats are plusher and larger, but no further benefits that I am aware of and they get there at the same time. ¶ The search engines show a faster route going into London, changing onto the Underground at Tottenham Hale, and then changing again at Euston for the Virgin service into New Street. If I had luggage I don't know if that would be my choice. The Virgin service from Euston is very fast, at 125 mph for much of the run, only stopping at one or two stops before Coventry, then Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street. The Pendolino tilting train has 5 standard class coaches at the front of the train and 4 first class ones at the rear, cooked food at certain times in First, a shop in the middle of standard with hot and cold snacks for the plebs. I can't speak for the services between Stansted and Tottenham Hale as I have never ridden that line. The connections would be off-putting to me unless time was a huge consideration.

Scenery on the Cross Country line is very nice, including a view across the fens of the lantern of Ely Cathedral. The train also passes through, Cambridge, Peterborough, Stamford with Burleigh House, Oakham with the Lands' End outlet, Melton Mowbray the home of the pork pie and Stilton cheese, and Leicester, as well several smaller stations. ¶ The Virgin route from Euston goes through northern London suburbs, often calling at Watford then either Milton Keynes or Rugby, sometimes non-stop to Coventry. ¶ Gayle, I hope this is of some help...

I agree with Nigel that the direct Cross Country service is the best route. The web page for the train company is http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/. The journey via London may be slightly faster on the timetable, but you have to make a trip via the Underground which will involve a fair amount of extra luggage carrying, and there's always the possibility of delays.