December 22nd 2024.
The holiday season is upon us and that means the annual Christmas getaway is in full swing at train stations across the UK. However, this year may prove to be more challenging for train travelers as some of the busiest stations in the country will be closed for engineering works.
Since 2019, this will be the first Christmas where travelers won't have to deal with Covid restrictions or rail strikes. But that doesn't mean everything will run smoothly, as major stations and popular routes will be closed for necessary maintenance. Here's Metro's comprehensive list of all the stations and lines that will be affected this Christmas.
One of the busiest stations, London Liverpool Street, will be closed for eight days starting from Christmas Day until January 2. Network Rail has confirmed that this closure is due to important engineering works. This will undoubtedly cause delays and cancellations for those trying to visit loved ones or return home after the festive celebrations. On average, 260,000 passengers travel through this station during this time of the year. To ease the inconvenience, Greater Anglia trains, including the Stansted Express, will be diverted via Stratford, which will serve as the temporary London terminus. Passengers can then take the Central or Jubilee line to reach central London. London Overground services in the area will also be affected, with trains starting and terminating at London Fields. This includes services from Chingford, which do not usually stop at this station.
Those traveling from this area are advised to take the Victoria line from Walthamstow Central or Seven Sisters, or use local bus routes as there may be fewer Overground services during this time. Moving on to another busy station, London Paddington, which was opened in 1838 and is one of the most famous stations in the country, will also be closed for three days between December 27 and 29 due to necessary engineering works. This will affect those traveling from the capital to the West Country, as trains from South Wales and Bristol usually terminate at Paddington. Great Western Railway has announced plans to divert these long-distance trains to Euston during this period.
St Pancras, the eighth busiest train station in the country, will also see some disruptions due to construction work. There will be no trains running on the Midland Main Line from the station to Luton, Leicester, Derby, Nottingham, and Sheffield between December 21 and 29. This will result in longer journey times for those traveling in and out of the capital during this time. Additionally, the Thameslink line will also be affected, with no trains running between St Pancras and Harpenden.
The closure of St Pancras will lead to increased traffic at London Euston, especially with the added closures at Paddington and Liverpool Street. Cambridge railway station will also be closed from Christmas Day until January 5, 2025, for engineering works. This includes no trains running on the link from Cambridge to Royston, Audley End, Cambridge North, or Bury St Edmunds. Thameslink and Great Northern trains will also be affected during this time.
The Avanti West Coast service during this Christmas period will also face some disruptions. Crewe, one of the UK's interchange stations, will have no trains running through it on December 27, and fewer trains than usual will be running until January 5 due to resignalling work. This will result in longer journey times for those traveling to Preston, Glasgow, and Edinburgh from the north of England. Furthermore, trains from London Euston to Birmingham and Manchester will be reduced from three to two per hour.
It's important to plan ahead and check for updates before traveling this Christmas. Network Rail has assured that 95% of the train network will be running as normal. Helen Hamlin, Network Rail's director of system operations, explains that the holiday season provides a unique opportunity to carry out major works that would otherwise take many weekends and cause more disruption. She also assures that the roads may be busier during this time, but it's actually one of the quietest periods on the railway, allowing for necessary improvements to be made with minimal inconvenience to passengers and freight.
In addition to the station closures, there is also a strike planned by members of the RMT union on Avanti West Coast trains on New Year's Eve, January 2, and Sundays between January 12 and May 25. This will affect routes such as London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly, as well as London to Glasgow and Edinburgh. While the earlier industrial action was called off, this new strike may cause further disruptions for travelers during the holiday season.
So although it may still be a few months away, it's always best to plan ahead and stay informed about any closures or disruptions before embarking on your Christmas journey.
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