Many busy railway lines will be disrupted by engineering work between Christmas and the New Year – find out which routes will be affected and plan ahead.
Network Rail says that the period between Christmas and New Year is the best time to conduct major projects as passenger numbers drop, largely due to less people commuting for work over the holiday season.
It said it will invest more than £130 million into work taking place during this period.
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Passengers who do plan to travel during this period are being urged by Network Rail to check online journey planners, and reminded that “booking ahead is essential as some lines will be very busy”.
Which routes will be affected?
Milton Keynes and Rugby: Between Christmas Day and January 5, no trains will operate between Milton Keynes and Rugby to enable a track junction to be replaced at Hanslope, Buckinghamshire.
Preston and Carlisle: The replacement of a bridge above the M6 dating back to the 1960s means there will be no services between Preston and Carlisle between New Year’s Eve and January 15.
Carlisle and Lockerbie: There will also be no trains between Carlisle and Lockerbie between New Year’s Day and January 7 because of signalling work.
Leeds and York: There will be no trains between Leeds and York between Christmas Day and January 2.
Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds and Stansted Airport: No trains will run between Cambridge North, Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds and Stansted Airport between Christmas Day and January 5.
London Waterloo: The station will be closed to trains between Christmas Day and December 28, and will have a reduced timetable between December 29 and January 4.
Dalmuir and Balloch/Helensburgh Central: No trains between Christmas Eve and January 2.
Glasgow Queen Street and Crianlarich: No trains between Christmas Eve and January 2.
Some 95% of Britain’s railways will be unaffected by engineering work, Network Rail said.
As usual, the entire network will shut down on Christmas Day, with most operators also running no trains on Boxing Day, though a handful will have a very limited timetable.
Network Rail’s chief network operator Helen Hamlin said: “The period between Christmas and New Year is the quietest on the railway and it’s the best time for us to do the major projects that will take longer than a night or a weekend to complete.
“We work with train operators to organise diversions and rail replacement buses for passengers who are travelling, but it’s still so important to plan ahead.
“That’s especially the case this year as we have some very big plans for improving the railway that will mean people may have to travel home on different routes after Christmas than the way they travelled out.”
Daniel Mann, director of industry operations at industry body the Rail Delivery Group, said: “You can use National Rail Enquiries and journey planners to check for updates, and our visual disruption maps – short videos designed to help people understand service changes and make informed travel decisions – will also be available in stations and online.
“The industry is working hard to run as many services as possible, and we kindly remind our customers to remember to treat our railway colleagues with respect during this busy time, as they work to ensure a safe and reliable service for everyone.”
