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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
William Mata

Christmas 2023 train travel: What timetable changes and engineering work are planned?

Network Rail

Network Rail and Transport for London have told passengers when they can expect delays and cancellations due to engineering works over Christmas.

There will be disruption on many routes between December 22 and January 2 and some train companies will be making changes to their timetable to match services to the number of customers travelling. On Christmas Day there will be no public transport at all. 

As well as the annual changes due to engineering, there is also the possibility of short-notice disruption due to industrial action.

There are currently no strikes planned for the Christmas period but Aslef has previously announced action for at the beginning of December.

Earlier in November there were a number of Underground line closed for servicing and Avanti has cut train services between Manchester and London in the lead-up to Christmas. 

Transport for London

The DLR will be closed from Canary Wharf to Poplar and Westferry from December 23 to 26.

On Christmas Eve, London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, Elizabeth line, London Overground and London Trams will finish earlier than normal. 

Also on Christmas Eve, the Elizabeth line will be reduced from Ealing Broadway to Maidenhead and will not stop at Heathrow T4. It will not run on Boxing Day. 

The Bakerloo line will not run from Queen’s Park to Harrow and Wealdstone on Boxing Day, nor will the DLR from Canary Wharf to Poplar and Westferry.

There will be a reduced service on the Elizabeth line on December 27. 

For all the Overground closures, click here. 

National Rail

These are the franchise holders that are not providing their full service on the days below. 

For full details as to what this means, visit Network Rail’s website. 

December 23

  • CrossCountry
  • London Northwestern Railway
  • Northern
  • Southeastern
  • Southern
  • TransPennine Express

Charing Cross station (AFP via Getty Images)

December 24

  • Avanti West Coast
  • c2c 
  • Caledonian Sleeper
  • Chiltern Railways
  • CrossCountry
  • East Midlands Railway
  • Gatwick Express
  • Heathrow Express
  • Hull Trains
  • LNER
  • London Northwestern Railway
  • Lumo
  • Merseyrail
  • Northern
  • South Western Railway
  • Southeastern
  • Southern
  • Thameslink
  • TransPennine Express
  • West Midlands Railway

December 25

On Christmas Day there will be no public transport at all. 

December 26

  • Avanti West Coast
  • c2c
  • Caledonian Sleeper
  • Chiltern Railways
  • CrossCountry
  • East Midlands Railway
  • Gatwick Express
  • Heathrow Express
  • Hull Trains
  • LNER
  • London Northwestern Railway
  • Lumo
  • Merseyrail
  • Northern
  • South Western Railway
  • Southeastern
  • Southern
  • Stansted Express
  • Thameslink
  • TransPennine Express

Blackfriars Tube station (PA Archive)

December 27

  • Avanti West Coast
  • C2c
  • Chiltern Railways
  • CrossCountry
  • East Midlands Railway
  • Gatwick Express
  • Heathrow Express
  • Hull Trains
  • LNER
  • London Northwestern Railway
  • Lumo
  • Northern
  • South Western Railway
  • Southeastern
  • Southern
  • Stansted Express
  • Thameslink
  • TransPennine Express
  • West Midlands Railway

December 28

  • Avanti West Coast
  • C2c
  • Chiltern Railways
  • CrossCountry
  • East Midlands Railway
  • Gatwick Express
  • London Northwestern Railway
  • Lumo
  • Northern
  • South Western Railway
  • Southeastern
  • Southern
  • Stansted Express
  • Thameslink
  • West Midlands Railway

King's Cross station in London (PA Wire)

December 29

  • c2c 
  • Caledonian Sleeper
  • Chiltern Railways
  • CrossCountry
  • East Midlands Railway
  • Gatwick Express
  • London Northwestern Railway
  • Lumo
  • Northern
  • South Western Railway
  • Southeastern
  • Southern
  • Stansted Express
  • Thameslink
  • TransPennine Express
  • West Midlands Railway

December 30

  • Avanti West Coast
  • CrossCountry
  • LNER
  • London Northwestern Railway
  • Lumo
  • Northern
  • Southeastern
  • Southern
  • Thameslink
  • TransPennine Express
  • West Midlands Railway

December 31

  • Avanti West Coast
  • Caledonian Sleeper
  • Chiltern Railways
  • CrossCountry
  • East Midlands Railway
  • LNER
  • London Northwestern Railway
  • Lumo
  • Merseyrail
  • Northern
  • South Western Railway
  • Southeastern
  • Southern
  • Stansted Express
  • Thameslink
  • TransPennine Express
  • West Midlands Railway

January 1

  • Avanti West Coast
  • c2c 
  • Caledonian Sleeper
  • Chiltern Railways
  • CrossCountry
  • East Midlands Railway
  • Gatwick Express
  • Hull Trains
  • LNER
  • London Northwestern Railway
  • Merseyrail
  • Northern
  • South Western Railway
  • Southeastern
  • Southern
  • Thameslink
  • TransPennine Express
  • West Midlands Railway

January 2

  • c2c 
  • Caledonian Sleeper
  • CrossCountry
  • East Midlands Railway
  • LNER
  • Northern
  • Southeastern
  • Southern
  • Thameslink
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