Chiltern Railways Issues Festive Travel Alert with Adjusted Timetables

Chiltern Railways is urging passengers to plan ahead this festive season as services will be busy and timetables adjusted, with early finishes on certain days from Christmas Eve through to the New Year. Travelers are advised to check journeys carefully and allow extra time for travel.

On Christmas Eve, Wednesday 24 December, trains will finish earlier than usual. Key last services from London Marylebone include the 20.02 to Birmingham Moor Street, 20.06 to Oxford, 20.36 to Banbury, 20.57 to Aylesbury Vale Parkway, and 21.15 to Aylesbury. Southbound, the final trains will depart Aylesbury at 20.15, Birmingham Moor Street at 20.17, Princes Risborough at 20.34, and Oxford at 20.49.

No services will run on Christmas Day itself, Thursday 25 December. On Boxing Day, Friday 26 December, a two-trains-per-hour service will operate between 8am and 9pm on the route calling at London Marylebone, Wembley Stadium, Gerrards Cross, Beaconsfield, High Wycombe, Haddenham & Thame Parkway, Bicester Village, and Oxford Parkway, with no trains on other sections of the network.

The weekend of 27 and 28 December sees an enhanced service between Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street, including some additional and lengthened trains. However, stations including Kings Sutton, Hatton, and Lapworth will be served by rail replacement buses due to extended trains. Rail replacement buses will also run the full day between Leamington Spa, Warwick, Stratford Upon Avon Parkway, and Stratford Upon Avon, linking with trains at Leamington Spa. Engineering works will close the line between Great Missenden and Aylesbury, requiring bus replacements connecting with the Metropolitan Line at Amersham.

From Monday 29 December through Wednesday 31 December, similar enhanced services will operate on the Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street route, but trains will not call at Sudbury Hill Harrow and Sudbury & Harrow Road. Rail replacement buses will continue for Kings Sutton, Hatton, Lapworth, and the Leamington Spa-Stratford route. Between Marylebone and Amersham, no regular trains will run, with a limited shuttle linking Amersham to Aylesbury Vale Parkway, connecting to the Metropolitan Line at Amersham. New Year’s Eve sees several late-night services cancelled, with additional late-night trains scheduled after midnight.

From Thursday 1 January to Sunday 4 January 2026, the enhanced service pattern continues, including rail replacement buses where needed. Normal timetables are expected to resume on Monday 5 January.

Passengers are advised to check Chiltern Railways’ website or travel updates before setting off, particularly when travelling on busier routes or during times of engineering work.

Image: Chiltern Railways