As we approach the festive season, it’s time to book your train travel to visit friends and family, or maybe to go on a little getaway! Christmas is also a key time for engineering work to take place, so it’s important to know what to expect. Here’s our guide to Christmas train travel in 2024.

What do I need to know about Christmas train travel this year?

First of all, it’s important to know when trains are running! This is a general guide to what you can expect from the rail network as a whole when it comes to Christmas train travel:

• Christmas Eve – normal service until early evening. Services will usually finish much earlier than usual
• Christmas Day – no service at all (except for a shuttle between Heathrow Terminals 2/3, 4 and 5)
• Boxing Day – limited service on some key routes, usually within major cities or to/from airports
• New Year’s Eve – normal service until mid-evening. Some services will finish earlier than usual, though trains will run into the early hours in London
• New Year’s Day – normal service with a later start than usual, with some exceptions.

Will trains run on Boxing Day?

The general rule is that most trains won’t run on Boxing Day. However, there are some exceptions across the network:

• In Scotland, there’s a fairly comprehensive service in the Central Belt between around 7am and 9pm. Local services will run across Strathclyde and beyond, as well as selected long-distance trains to Fife, Perth and Dundee
• On Merseyrail, there’ll be a special service on all lines between 9am and 7pm. Only selected stations will be open, and trains will not run beyond Hooton. Liverpool Lime Street and Moorfields will be closed. Extra trains will also run to/from Aintree
• There’ll be a half-hourly Stansted Express service to/from Tottenham Hale. You’ll need to change there for the Victoria Line to continue into Central London
• Southern will be operating trains from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport/Brighton, Sutton and a stopping service to East Croydon
• There’ll be a limited London Overground service between Stratford and Clapham Junction, and Highbury & Islington and West Croydon
• You’ll find a half-hourly Chiltern Railways service from London Marylebone to/from Oxford Parkway
• Heathrow Express will run but only between the Heathrow Terminals. You’ll need to use the Piccadilly Line to reach Central London.

Will trains run on New Year’s Day?

Most trains will operate on New Year’s Day. However, there are a couple of things to be aware of:

• Trains will not run anywhere in Scotland. The only exception is trains to/from England which will terminate at Glasgow Central or Edinburgh. LNER trains that normally go to Aberdeen and Inverness will start/terminate at Edinburgh
• Northern services in the North East will not run, except for two limited-stop return trips between Darlington and Whitby.

Will there be engineering works?

Yes, engineering works could affect your Christmas train travel plans. This is the only time of year when the rail network is guaranteed to shut down for at least a day, so it’s common for engineering projects to take place over the festive season. Here are the main ones to be aware of:

• London St Pancras to Bedford: Between 21 and 29 December, there won’t be any direct trains between Bedford and London. You’ll need to use replacement bus services to complete your journey, including for journeys from Sheffield, Derby and Nottingham. Frequent trains will run between Bedford and Luton Airport Parkway/Harpenden only
• London Paddington (High Level) will be closed on 28 and 29 December. Trains from the west will terminate at Reading or Ealing Broadway, though a small number of long-distance services will be diverted to run to/from London Euston. Elizabeth Line services from Reading will terminate at Ealing Broadway, while those from Shenfield/Abbey Wood will terminate at London Paddington
• London Liverpool Street (High Level) will be closed from 27 December to 1 January. Greater Anglia services will terminate at Stratford. Elizabeth Line services will continue to run through the low-level station as normal
• There’ll be extensive alterations to services through Cambridge from 27 December to 5 January. For much of this period, there’ll be no services running through Cambridge, and replacement bus services will be running
• There’ll be engineering works taking place in the Crewe area from 27 December to 2 January. Avanti West Coast will be running a reduced service, while London Northwestern Railway services will not run between Crewe and Stafford.

How do I get the best fares?

During the Christmas period, many Off-Peak restrictions will be eased, particularly for long-distance journeys. This means that you’ll be able to use an Off-Peak ticket at any time of day.

Of course, the best way to save on your Christmas rail travel is by booking with Railsmartr. We don’t charge any fees, so you won’t be penalised if you have to change your plans. We now do split tickets, too!

_{^{Disclaimer: All information was correct at the time of publication (10th November 2024), but is subject to change. Railsmartr is not responsible for any loss incurred as a result of the information provided. Please ensure you check your journey before you travel.}}