Major changes to rail services and significant closures this Christmas and New Year
Published on 03rd October 2017
With Christmas and the New Year just twelve weeks away, you are advised to plan ahead as there will be major changes to rail services and significant closures throughout the festive period. From Saturday 23 December until Monday 1 January 2018, there will be changes to rail services across London and the south east while Network Rail continues to transform north-south travel through London as part of the Thameslink Programme. Southeastern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express and Southern services will all be affected as well as other train operators, with no National Rail services running on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Planning some last minute Christmas shopping? If you are planning to travel to central London over these dates, your journey will be severely impacted and you will need a plan B to complete your journey. Please check your journey before you travel. Going abroad for Christmas? A reduced timetable will run between Victoria and Gatwick Airport from 27 December to 1 January, with no trains at all on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, although a replacement bus service will be available on Boxing Day. Please allow extra time for your journey. Train services to other London airports and St Pancras International will also be affected by closures, please check your journey before you travel. Detailed travel advice Detailed travel information and advice to help you plan for these closures is now live at ThameslinkProgramme.co.uk/2017. Here you can select your home station to access bespoke information about how services at your station will be impacted by Thameslink Programme and other work over the festive period. This includes alternative journey options and information on ticket acceptance. You can also plan your journey using the National Rail website (or app) which has the full timetable details of all services from all train operators over the festive period. 2018 The New Year will begin with a new timetable in operation for Southeastern, Southern and Thameslink services. Passengers at London Bridge will be greeted by the remaining third of the new concourse and a new entrance on Tooley Street, which will open to the public on 2 January along with the newly completed platforms 1 – 5. Southeastern trains to and from Cannon Street will resume calling at London Bridge, meaning that tickets will no longer be accepted on TfL alternative routes. If you have any questions about the Thameslink Programme, please contact them at contact@thameslinkprogramme.co.uk.
