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.

August Bank Holiday weekend 2026 (England and Wales): Saturday 29 August to Bank Holiday Monday 31 August

Please find below our specific airport-by-airport train travel information for the August bank holiday weekend (plus lots more general travel advice is available in our August Bank Holiday Travel Summary).

Heathrow Airport

Summary - Normal train service to and from Heathrow Airport all weekend.

• Elizabeth line will have a full normal service from Saturday 29 August until Bank Holiday Monday 31 August inclusive.

• Heathrow Express will have a full normal service from Saturday 29 August until Bank Holiday Monday 31 August inclusive

London Gatwick Airport

Summary - Mainly normal train service at Gatwick Airport all weekend. But you may encounter major changes if you're travelling from north of London on Sunday. There will also be some Bank Holiday Monday service level amendments.

• Gatwick Express will be running a full normal service on Saturday 29 August. On Sunday 30 August no Gatwick Express trains will operate before 07:00 and an amended service will run from 07:00 until 09:00. A normal train service will resume on Sunday from 09:00 onwards. An amended service will operate on Bank Holiday Monday 31 August

• Great Western Railway will be running a full normal service on the line between Reading and Gatwick Airport from Saturday 29 August until Bank Holiday Monday 31 August inclusive

• Southern will be running a full normal service at Gatwick Airport on Saturday 29 August. Due to early morning engineering work, Southern will be running an amended service at Gatwick Airport before 09:00 on Sunday 30 August with extended journey times. The rest of Sunday will see a normal service. An amended train service will run on Bank Holiday Monday 31 August until 23:45. After 23:45, trains will run but will be diverted and unable to call at stations between Purley and Horley via Redhill - buses will run between East Croydon / Purley and Gatwick Airport / Three Bridges / Horsham

• Thameslink will be running a normal service between London and Brighton / Horsham via Gatwick Airport on Saturday 29 August and Sunday 30 August. An amended service will run on Bank Holiday Monday 31 August until 23:45. After 23:45, trains will still run to and from Gatwick Airport but will be diverted and will not call at Coulsdon South, Merstham or Redhill. Replacement buses will run between East Croydon and Gatwick Airport and between Purley and Horley to provide connections.

London Stansted Airport

Summary - Mainly normal train service at Stansted Airport all weekend.

• CrossCountry trains between Birmingham New Street and Stansted Airport will be running between Coleshill Parkway and Stansted Airport from Saturday 29 August until Bank Holiday Monday 31 August inclusive. Replacement buses will run in the Birmingham area between Birmingham New Street and Coleshill Parkway

• Greater Anglia will be running a full normal service on the line between Norwich and Stansted Airport from Saturday 29 August until Bank Holiday Monday 31 August inclusive

• Stansted Express will be running a full normal service on Saturday 29 August and Sunday 30 August. On Bank Holiday Monday 31 August, there will be a normal service all day until 23:25, after which the 23:28 and 23:43 Stansted Airport to London Liverpool Street trains will run but will not call at Seven Sisters station. Instead, these trains will be diverted to stop at Tottenham Hale station

London Luton Airport

Summary - Mainly normal train service, but with some minor Bank Holiday Monday service level amendments. (Note: The trains to and from Luton Airport Parkway, and the station itself, may be busier than normal on Sunday - buses will be carrying customers to and from stations on the Peterborough - London Kings Cross line due to major engineering work on that line).

• East Midlands Railway will be running a full normal service on the line through Luton Airport Parkway from Saturday 29 August until Bank Holiday Monday 31 August inclusive

• Thameslink will be running a normal service on the line through Luton Airport Parkway on Saturday 29 August and Sunday 30 August. An amended train service will run on Bank Holiday Monday 31 August

Manchester Airport

Summary - Normal train service to and from Manchester Airport all weekend.

• Northern will be running a full normal service to and from Manchester Airport from Saturday 29 August until Bank Holiday Monday 31 August inclusive.

• TransPennine Express will be running a normal service to and from Manchester Airport from Saturday 29 August until Bank Holiday Monday 31 August inclusive, although there will be some changes to longer distance journeys in the Leeds area. Also on Bank Holiday Monday 31 August, some late night trains will not stop at Dewsbury.

• Transport for Wales will be running a full normal service to and from Manchester Airport from Saturday 29 August until Bank Holiday Monday 31 August inclusive.