Travelling during the Christmas and New Year festive period? Be in the know before you go!

The Christmas and New Year holiday period covered by this travel guide runs from Saturday 21 December 2024 until Thursday 2 January 2025 inclusive.

There will be lots of planned essential engineering works and upgrades taking place as Network Rail works to improve the railway. In addition, some train companies will be making changes to their timetable, and to some train times, to match services to the number of customers travelling.

Planning and checking your journey

You can plan and check your journey before you travel using the National Rail Journey Planner (below). Christmas journey information will start to show in the planner from the beginning of October onwards. Important information may show with a warning triangle as Service updates on your journey results.

There will be no National Rail services on Christmas Day as usual this year. On Boxing Day most train operators will have no service - there will only be a very limited service operated by a small number of train operators.

Please note that Journey Planner information is subject to change as timetables are still being finalised. Please continue to check your journey until you are due to set off – this will give you a chance to adjust your journey plans in advance if necessary, and avoid any last-minute disappointment.

Please check our Status and Disruptions page for up-to-date real-time information.

Find out more about your rights if a train changes.

Christmas and New Year changes being made by your train company

​​​​​​​Details of the service each train company will be providing will be listed below.

• Avanti West Coast

• c2c

• Caledonian Sleeper

• Chiltern Railways

• CrossCountry

• East Midlands Railway

• Elizabeth line

• Gatwick Express

• Grand Central

• Great Northern

• Great Western Railway

• Greater Anglia

• Heathrow Express

• Hull Trains

• Island Line

• LNER

• London Northwestern Railway

• London Overground

• Lumo

• Merseyrail

• Northern

• ScotRail

• South Western Railway

• Southeastern

• Southern

• Stansted Express

• Thameslink

• TransPennine Express

• Transport for Wales

• West Midlands Railway

Major Improvement work on your railway during Christmas and New Year

A considerable number of engineering and improvement projects will be undertaken at Christmas and New Year. The impact of this work will show in Journey Planners (although please take note of any Service Updates showing with a warning triangle on your journey).

For more information on the work taking place, you can find details of all forthcoming engineering works on our website.

Travelling to or from the Airport at Christmas?

To avoid disappointment, please plan your journey in advance to and from the airport if you're travelling by train. We don't want engineering work and the Christmas shut down to spoil your festive flight.

Christmas Eve: Journeys to and from London Luton Airport will be disrupted by major engineering work between Bedford and London. For all airports please check that your journey can be completed to or from the airport, especially if you're travelling in the late afternoon or evening. Some train operators close down early on 24 December.

Christmas Day: No National Rail services will operate anywhere in Great Britain on 25 December. There will also be no London Underground trains. You'll need to find alternative transport to and from the airport.

Boxing Day: Heathrow Airport will have no Heathrow Express or Elizabeth line services on 26 December, although London Underground services will be operating. London Gatwick Airport will have a service operated by Southern, but no Gatwick Express, Thameslink or Great Western Railway (from Reading) trains. London Stansted Airport will have Stansted Express trains between the airport and London, but no CrossCountry service. There will be no trains to or from London Luton, Manchester, Birmingham International or other airports.

After Christmas: Heathrow Airport will have no Heathrow Express services until the start of Monday 30 December, and Elizabeth line services will be disrupted by major engineering work near London Paddington. Journeys to and from London Luton Airport will be disrupted by major engineering work between Bedford and London from Saturday 21 until Sunday 29 December.

Social media

For the latest rail travel news, why not follow National Rail on X? Over 1 million people follow @nationalrailenq on X. Our social media team are available 24/7 (except Christmas Day) to answer your rail queries and supply you with the latest real-time travel updates.

Follow #ChristmasRailWorks on X for updates.