Important travel, service and engineering work information for the festive period
During the festive period, train times will be amended, with no trains on certain days.
Whether you’re heading to or from work, doing some last-minute Christmas shopping, or meeting up with friends or family, you may be affected by amended timetables across the festive period. Below you will find information on how our services will be running over Christmas and New Year.
This page also provides an overview of the most significant planned engineering work that may affect your journeys during this time.
If you’re going to be travelling over the festive period, plan ahead and check your journeys on our app or at nationalrail.co.uk.
Major planned engineering work over the Christmas period
Below are details of the most significant engineering work affecting Thameslink services over the festive period:
Sunday 21 December: No Thameslink trains to or from London Bridge
There will be no Thameslink services to or from London Bridge all day on Sunday 21 December.
Trains on the Bedford to Brighton, Cambridge to Brighton or Bedford to Three Bridges routes will be diverted between London Blackfriars and East Croydon, with amended departure times and extended journey times.
Thameslink trains to or from Rainham will only run between Plumstead and Rainham.
You can find more about this closure on our planned works calendar.
Saturday 27 December - Sunday 4 January 2026: Royston to Cambridge North
Buses will replace trains between Royston and Cambridge North from Saturday 27 December until Sunday 4 January 2026.
Replacement buses will run on the following routes:
- Between Royston and Cambridge (non-stop)
- Between Royston and Cambridge (all stations)
- Between Royston and Cambridge North (non-stop)
A revised train service will operate between London King’s Cross and Royston; between Brighton via St Pancras International and Royston; and between Cambridge North and King’s Lynn.
Journeys will take longer, so please allow extra time to reach your destination.
This work is in connection with the ongoing projects to upgrade the signalling system and to prepare infrastructure for the opening of the new station at Cambridge South, which is due to open later in 2026.
Greater Anglia and CrossCountry services are also affected by these works. Please check their websites for further information.
Saturday 27 to Wednesday 31 December: London Blackfriars to Bellingham or Sutton / Wimbledon
From Saturday 27 to Wednesday 31 December, there will be no Thameslink trains between London Blackfriars and Bellingham; and between London Blackfriars and Sutton via Mitcham Junction or Wimbledon.
Replacement buses will run between:
- London Bridge and Bromley South, calling at London Bridge-Denmark Hill–Peckham Rye–Crofton Park–Catford–Bellingham–Beckenham Hill–Beckenham Junction–Shortlands-Bromley South
A revised train service will operate between Bellingham and Sevenoaks. Plan your journey on our app or at nationalrail.co.uk
For journeys to or from stations on the Sutton / Wimbledon route, please use local bus and Tube services. Paper tickets will be accepted on London Buses, London Underground and Trams to assist you in completing your journey. Use the Transport for London journey planner to plan alternative routes. Journeys will take longer so please allow extra time.
Some Southeastern services are also impacted by these works. Please visit their website for more information.
Sunday 4 January 2026: No Thameslink services through central London
On Sunday 4 January, no trains will run between St Pancras International or Finsbury Park and London Bridge / Rainham / Sutton / Wimbledon.
Sevenoaks services will be diverted to run to/from London Victoria instead of London Blackfriars.
Trains will run to an amended timetable between:
- London Kings Cross and Royston / Peterborough
- London St Pancras International and Luton / Bedford. These trains will not call at Kentish Town (paper rail tickets will be accepted on London Buses / London Underground to travel to / from Kentish Town)
- London Bridge and Brighton / Three Bridges / Horsham
- London Victoria and Sevenoaks
To travel across central London, or to or from stations between Sutton or Wimbledon, please use local bus, tube or tram services. Paper tickets will be accepted on London Buses, London Underground and Trams to complete your journey. Use the Transport for London journey planner to plan alternative routes.
For stations on the Rainham route, please use alternative Southeastern train or replacement bus services.
Harlington station car park closure: Tuesday 23 to Saturday 27 December
The station car park at Harlington will be closed from Tuesday 23 December to Saturday 27 December. This is to complete final enabling work and prepare for the station’s new footbridge to be lifted into place via crane on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
The station will still be open on 23, 24 and 27 December, along with access to the Britannia Cabs office and the station’s Parcel Lockers. This will be via a segregated walking route.
If you usually park at Harlington station, plan your travel in advance and consider using Leagrave or Luton stations instead, where car parks have the spare capacity to meet the extra demand.
Once the new footbridge is in place, the team will clear the site and prepare for the station car park’s reopening on Sunday 28 December. Work will then continue onsite into the Spring, when the existing footbridge will be removed.
Whilst these are the most impactful works taking place during the festive period, there may also be some further minor works and changes to late night or early morning trains. For full details of all upcoming engineering works, please visit our planned works calendar.
Please ensure that you plan ahead throughout this period and check before you travel on our app or at nationalrail.co.uk
