Christmas engineering works to reshape journeys across Southern and Thameslink routes
Passengers are being urged to check their travel plans in advance as Network Rail prepares to carry out a programme of engineering work across the Christmas and New Year period, aimed at improving reliability on some of the country’s busiest routes.
Engineers will take advantage of lower passenger numbers over the festive season to complete a range of infrastructure upgrades and maintenance projects. Network Rail said scheduling the work at this time helps reduce disruption while delivering long-term benefits for those using the railway throughout the year.
As in previous years, no trains will operate on Christmas Day, while only a limited service will run on Boxing Day on some Southern routes. The quieter period will allow teams to replace sections of conductor rail at East Croydon, while major junctions at Gatwick Airport and Three Bridges undergo intensive maintenance to maintain safety and performance.
Significant changes are also planned at South Bermondsey station, which will close from Saturday 27 December 2025 until Sunday 4 January 2026 while its platforms are rebuilt. The existing platforms, dating from the 1970s and constructed using precast concrete trestles, are in poor condition. During the closure, Southern services will not stop at the station and passengers are advised to use local London bus routes.
Further disruption will affect services between London Bridge and Tulse Hill from Thursday 1 January to Sunday 4 January 2026, with buses replacing trains via South Bermondsey and Peckham Rye. On Friday 2 and Saturday 3 January, services to Beckenham Junction will operate only between Tulse Hill and Beckenham Junction.
Thameslink passengers will also be affected by signalling upgrades and essential maintenance. From Saturday 27 December to Wednesday 31 December 2025, no Thameslink trains will run between London Blackfriars and Bellingham, or between London Blackfriars and Sutton via Mitcham Junction or Wimbledon. Replacement buses will run between London Bridge and Bromley South via Bellingham, and rail tickets will be accepted on local London bus, tram and Underground services.
On Sunday 4 January, engineering work will see buses replacing trains between Purley and East Grinstead, and between Oxted and Uckfield. Services between London Victoria and Reigate will operate only between Redhill and Reigate. On the same day, Thameslink services will not run between London Blackfriars and Sutton or Wimbledon.
Lucy McAuliffe, Sussex route director, Network Rail Southern Region, said:
“The festive period gives us a rare chance to make the most of lower passenger numbers to carry out vital work on the railway. The areas of track and infrastructure being worked on this Christmas are normally some of the busiest sections of railway in the country, so we will make the most of this window of opportunity to work while the railway is closed, as we aim to give passengers safer and more reliable journeys. I would like to thank passengers for their patience while these works are carried out and I would also like to thank our teams, who will be working hard throughout the festive period to deliver these railway improvements”.
Jenny Saunders, Customer Services Director for Gatwick Express, Southern and Thameslink, said:
"With Christmas just around the corner, I would like to urge all our passengers to please check online now and plan ahead for the changes being made to our services during the festive season."
Image: Network Rail