Travel by Train to the Airport at Bank Holidays
At bank holiday time there are usually lots of planned essential engineering works taking place as Network Rail works to improve the railway. This guide summarises the possible impact this work will have on your forthcoming travel plans to a major GB airport.
Travel by Train to and from your chosen Airport
Getting to the airport can often be the most stressful part of your trip, but it doesn’t have to be. Opt for the smart way to start your journey: travel by train. Whether you’re jetting off on business or embarking on a long-awaited holiday, the rail network offers regular connections to many major airports.
Our Trains to British Airports guide will help you go from the railway to the runway with ease.
Key Airport Bank Holiday Travel Information
Britain's airports are expected to be especially busy at Bank Holiday time. As many of us will be planning to get to the airport by train, please be aware of the following engineering works and service changes that may affect your travel plans.
Please find travel summaries for Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport, London Stansted Airport, London Luton Airport and Manchester Airport below.
You can check your journey to all British Airports from approximately 12 weeks before you travel using the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner.
Easter weekend 2026 - Good Friday 3 April to Easter Monday 6 April
Here is our specific airport-by-airport train travel information for the Easter weekend (lots more general travel advice can be found in our Easter Travel Summary):
Heathrow Airport: Summary - Mainly normal train service during the Easter weekend, but please be aware of a late start on Sunday.
Heathrow Express will have a full normal service on Good Friday 3 April and Saturday 4 April. Services will start later than normal at 07:20 on Sunday 5 April, with a reduced service for the rest of the day. Easter Monday 6 April will have a normal service apart from a couple of late night cancellations
Elizabeth line will have a full normal service on Good Friday 3 April and Saturday 4 April. Through services will start later than normal after 07:40 on Sunday 5 April with a reduced service sunning and some stations will not be served. Easter Monday 6 April will have a normal service apart from a few late night changes
London Gatwick Airport: Summary - Mainly normal train service, but with some Bank Holiday service level amendments.
Gatwick Express will be running a full normal service on Saturday 4 April and Sunday 5 April. An amended train service will run on Good Friday 3 April and Easter Monday 6 April
Great Western Railway will be running a full normal service on the line between Reading and Gatwick Airport from Good Friday 3 April until Easter Monday 6 April inclusive
Southern will be running a full normal service on the line through Gatwick Airport on Saturday 4 April and Sunday 5 April. An amended train service will run on Good Friday 3 April and Easter Monday 6 April
Thameslink will be running a full normal service on the line through Gatwick Airport on Saturday 4 April and Sunday 5 April. An amended train service will run on Good Friday 3 April and Easter Monday 6 April
London Stansted Airport: Summary - Mainly normal train service to and from London and Cambridge, but there are service changes further afield between Cambridge and Ely.
CrossCountry will have buses replacing trains between Ely and Stansted Airport from Good Friday 3 April until Easter Monday 6 April inclusive. Trains will continue to run between Birmingham New Street and Ely
Greater Anglia train services between Stansted Airport and Norwich will be running between Stansted Airport and Cambridge only from Good Friday 3 April until Easter Monday 6 April inclusive. Buses will be replacing trains between Cambridge and Ely, with trains running between Ely and Norwich
Stansted Express will be running a full normal service on Good Friday 3 April, Saturday 4 April and Easter Monday 6 April. On Sunday 5 April services will run as usual all day between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport. However, due to planned maintenance work, there will be no connecting train service between Stratford (London) and Tottenham Hale until after 18:00, so you will need to travel via London Liverpool Street
London Luton Airport: Summary - Mainly normal train service, but with some Bank Holiday service level amendments.
East Midlands Railway will be running a full normal service on the line through Luton Airport Parkway from Good Friday 3 April until Easter Monday 6 April inclusive. Please be aware of some late night train re-timings on Easter Monday.
Thameslink will be running a full normal service on the line through Luton Airport Parkway on Saturday 4 April and Sunday 5 April. An amended train service will run on Good Friday 3 April and Easter Monday 6 April
Manchester Airport: Summary - Mainly normal train service at the Airport, but there will be changes to some longer distance journeys on Saturday and Sunday
Northern will be running a full normal service to and from Manchester Airport on Good Friday 3 April and Easter Monday 6 April. On Saturday 4 April and Sunday 5 April trains on most routes will be running to and from Manchester Airport - however, due to engineering work north of Preston there will be no direct trains to or from Windermere or Barrow-in-Furness
TransPennine Express will be running a full normal service to and from Manchester Airport on Good Friday 3 April. On Saturday 4 April trains will run to and from Manchester Airport, but will terminate at Preston and Stalybridge on those routes. On Sunday 5 April trains will run to and from Manchester Airport, but will terminate at Preston and York on those routes. On Easter Monday 6 April trains will run to and from Manchester Airport, but Scotland services will terminate at Carlisle
Transport for Wales trains early in the morning on Good Friday 3 April will not run between Chester and Manchester Airport. Trains will run normally after approximately 06:30. A full normal train service will run to and from Manchester Airport on Saturday 4 April, Sunday 5 April and Easter Monday 6 April
Early May bank holiday weekend 2026 - Saturday 2 May to bank holiday Monday 4 May
Information will start to be published here approximately 12 weeks before travel.
Late May (Spring) bank holiday weekend 2026 - Saturday 23 May to bank holiday Monday 25 May
Information will start to be published here approximately 12 weeks before travel.
Christmas and New Year bank holiday period 2026/2027 - Wednesday 23 December 2026 until Sunday 3 January 2027 inclusive (date range subject to final confirmation)
Information will start to be published here approximately 12 weeks before travel.