Travel by Train to the Airport on Bank Holidays

Key airport bank holiday travel information

Britain’s airports are expected to be especially busy around bank holidays. 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. There are travel summaries for Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport, London Stansted Airport, London Luton Airport and Manchester Airport below.

Our Trains to London Airports and Trains to British Airports guides will also help you go from the railway to the runway with ease.

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.

Christmas and New Year bank holiday period 2026/2027: Thursday 24 December 2026 until Monday 4 January 2027 inclusive

Please find below our airport-by-airport train travel information for the Christmas and New Year bank holiday period (lots more general travel advice is available in our Christmas and New Year Travel Summary).

Heathrow Airport

Summary - Due to major engineering work, there will be no Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express services to and from Heathrow Airport from Sunday 27 to Wednesday 30 December inclusive. London Underground’s Piccadilly line will be the only train service running between central London and Heathrow Airport on these dates. Normal services resume from Thursday 31 December onwards.

• Elizabeth line - No service on 25 and 26 December. No Elizabeth line trains will run to and from Heathrow Airport from Sunday 27 to Wednesday 30 December. Services resume on Thursday 31 December, but with changes elsewhere on the network until Sunday 3 January 2027

• Heathrow Express - No service on 25 and 26 December. No Heathrow Express trains will run to and from Heathrow Airport from Sunday 27 to Wednesday 30 December. Normal service resumes on Thursday 31 December

London Gatwick Airport

Summary - No trains will run anywhere on 25 December. Southern will be running a limited train service to and from Gatwick Airport on 26 December. There will be trains running to an amended timetable between central London, Gatwick Airport and Brighton on 24 December and between 27 December and 3 January, although some interim station stops will require replacement buses. Trains between Reading, Guildford and Gatwick Airport will be replaced by buses between Reigate and Gatwick Airport.

• Gatwick Express - Earlier than normal finish on 24 December. No service on 25 and 26 December. Half hourly trains between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport / Brighton from 27 December to 3 January. Normal service resumes from 4 January

• Great Western Railway - No service on 25 and 26 December. On 24 December, and from 27 December until 3 January buses will replace trains between Reigate and Gatwick Airport. After approximately 21:30 on Thursday 31 December, no services will run. On Friday 1 January, services will start slightly later than usual

• Southern - No service on 25 December. A limited train service will run between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport / Brighton on 26 December. Trains will run between London Victoria, Gatwick Airport and Brighton on all other days. However, there will be no trains making local stops between Purley and Horley via Redhill on 24 December, and from 27 December to 3 January - replacement buses will provide connections

• Thameslink - No service on 25 and 26 December. Trains will run between central London, Gatwick Airport and Brighton on all other days. However, there will be no trains making local stops between Purley and Horley via Redhill on 24 December, and from 27 December to 3 January - replacement buses will provide connections

London Stansted Airport

Summary - No trains on 25 December. Trains will run on 26 December between Stansted Airport and Tottenham Hale (in north London) only. Mainly normal service at the airport on all other days, although some routes will finish early on 24 and 31 December.

• CrossCountry - No service on 25 and 26 December. On 24, 27 and 28 December trains between Birmingham New Street and Stansted Airport will be replaced by buses between Birmingham New Street and Coleshill Parkway. Normal service from 29 December onwards, but there will be an early finish on 24 and 31 December

• Greater Anglia - No service on 25 and 26 December. Normal service between Stansted Airport and Norwich on all other days, but there will be an early finish on 24 December

• Stansted Express - No service on 25 December. On 26 December trains will run between Tottenham Hale and Stansted Airport only, with Tube connections between London Liverpool Street and Tottenham Hale. A largely normal service will run between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport on all other days

London Luton Airport

Summary of planned service - No trains on 25 and 26 December. Trains will run to and from Luton Airport Parkway on all other dates, but please check your train times before you travel

• East Midlands Railway - No service on 25 and 26 December. Trains will run to and from Luton Airport Parkway on all other dates, but there will be an early finish on 24 December

• Thameslink - No service on 25 and 26 December. Trains will run to and from Luton Airport Parkway on all other dates, but an amended and reduced service will generally operate

Manchester Airport

Summary - No trains on 25 and 26 December, and trains will start after 10:00 on 27 December. Trains will run to and from Manchester Airport on all other dates, but please check your train times before you travel.

• Northern - No service on 25 and 26 December. On 27 December, until 10:00 buses will replace trains between Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly. Generally a good service on all other days. But there will be early morning and late night service changes between Manchester Airport and Blackpool North on some days. There will be an early finish on 24 and 31 December

• TransPennine Express - There will be an early finish on 24 December. No service on 25 and 26 December. On 27 DFecember no trains to or from Manchester Airport until 10:00. Generally a good service during the day on all other days. But there will be changes if you're travelling further afield through Doncaster (24 December) or Huddersfield (27 December onwards)

• Transport for Wales - No service on 25 and 26 December. Generally a good service on all other days, although there will be an early finish on 24 and 31 December

Detailed train travel information is available on our Christmas and New Year Travel Summary page