Are you planning to take the train home for either Christmas or New Year’s? Here’s the best time to make your journey.

During the end of December and beginning of January, travelers can expect railway trips to be disrupted once again as Network Rail shuts down lines and stations for maintenance work.

The organization has announced that work will occur from December 24, 2023 to January 2, 2024, resulting in crucial upgrades and regular maintenance across the country’s railway system. These efforts aim to provide a more efficient and dependable railway for the future.

Furthermore, the HS2 project will result in the closure of the Great Western main line from 24 to 27 December.

According to Network Rail, the majority of the railway will remain operational as per usual.

The following are the main railway construction projects during the holiday season and the final travel dates before Christmas that you must take in order to reach home for the festivities via train.

To ensure you are home for Christmas, please plan to travel to or from London before 23 December. The East Coast main line, which links London King’s Cross to Yorkshire, northeast England, and Scotland, will be closed at its southern endpoint on 24 December.

On Christmas Eve, there will be no trains running to or from King’s Cross. LNER trains will either begin or end at Peterborough or St Neots. A bus connection will be available at St Neots for travel to Bedford and then on to London via Thameslink. Hull Trains will be redirected to start or end at London St Pancras International.

It is recommended to travel earlier on Christmas Eve, as all trains will cease operation by 10pm, except for the Stansted Express. The latest departing train from the airport in Essex is at 11.59pm, making it the latest departure in the entire UK.

Passengers traveling from London to Colchester, Ipswich, and Norwich have grown accustomed to holiday closures, and the year 2023 is no different. Construction will occur between Shenfield and Witham in Essex, causing disruptions to the route from December 27th to January 1st.

The connection between Stansted Airport and Cambridge will be unavailable from December 27th to January 1st.

Please depart from London Victoria before 22 December. From 23 December to 1 January, the main transportation center in the city will be unavailable, as well as Brixton station. Trains will be redirected to and from Blackfriars, Cannon Street, and Charing Cross.

Finish trips before 9pm on Christmas Eve, as all services will stop at that time.

Take a trip on any route that includes the Southampton Airport-Southampton-Bournemouth segment before December 23rd. Starting on Christmas Eve, passengers of South Western Railway and CrossCountry will be affected by the closure of the main Southampton Airport-Southampton-Bournemouth line from December 24th to 29th. From December 30th to January 1st, the focus shifts to the London-Portsmouth line, which will be shut down between Guildford and Petersfield.

Please arrange your travel to and from London before 23 December. The construction of the new HS2 station at Old Oak Common in west London will result in the closure of the Great Western main line from 24 to 27 December. During this time, there will be no Great Western Railway (GWR) trains operating between London and Cardiff, Bristol, the Cotswolds, Devon, and Cornwall.

There are currently no major rail engineering projects scheduled, but there will be no train service to and from London at Newport, Cardiff, and Swansea due to the closure of Paddington station from December 24th to 27th. There will be no trains running on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.

Anticipate large numbers of people on Christmas Eve and December 27 because Paddington station will be closed. The train company states: “Trains between London Marylebone and Oxford are predicted to be heavily crowded as they will be the sole direct services between London and Oxford.”

The primary interruption in December will occur leading up to New Year’s Eve on the evening of December 30th due to construction between London Euston and Rugby. This will result in a reduced schedule and longer travel times. On New Year’s Day, there will be significant disruptions with no train service between Milton Keynes Central and Rugby, as well as between Preston and Carlisle.

On December 27th, the main line between Kettering and Leicester will be closed, causing a major disruption.

The primary interruption is scheduled for December 30th to January 1st, during which the following lines will be closed:

On Christmas Eve, there will be full trips from York to Darlington. However, on December 24th, all trips from Leeds to York will be redirected, resulting in longer travel times and potential cancellations.

The primary disturbance is scheduled for December 30-31, during which TPE trains will not be operating on the Manchester-Preston and Huddersfield-Leeds routes.

The routes from Preston to Carlisle and continuing to Edinburgh are not operational on New Year’s Day.

Please plan to arrive or depart from Glasgow Queen Street before early evening on December 24th as the station will be closing at 8pm.

Between now and December 31, there will be considerable efforts towards connecting Glasgow Queen Street with Perth, Stirling, Aberdeen, and Inverness via train lines. Traveling during this time may require switching trains and longer journey times.

There will be no ScotRail trains running on January 1st.

The section of track between Lagan Junction and Yorkgate Station in North Belfast will be unavailable from Christmas Day until 3 January, causing disruptions to train services between the capital, Larne, and Derry/Londonderry.

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