Festive Rail Travel Warning as £160m Christmas Engineering Works Begin

With Christmas less than a week away, rail passengers are being urged to prepare carefully for festive journeys as a wide-ranging programme of engineering work brings major changes to services in parts of the network.

Although most of the railway will remain open over the holiday period, more than £160m is being invested in improvement projects across Britain. Thousands of railway workers will be on duty throughout Christmas and New Year, carrying out track renewals, replacing ageing assets and upgrading signalling systems. Network Rail says the work is essential to cut delays, reduce faults and deliver a safer and more dependable railway in the long term.

The festive period is expected to be one of the busiest times of the year, particularly in the days leading up to Christmas. Many train services will finish earlier than normal on Christmas Eve, while there will be no National Rail services on Christmas Day. On Boxing Day, most operators will not run trains, although a small number of routes will operate limited services.

Passengers planning to travel are being advised to check their journeys in advance and book ahead where possible. With reduced timetables and engineering work affecting some routes, customers are also being encouraged to allow extra time and travel at quieter periods if they can.

To help customers understand where disruption is planned, Visual Disruption Map videos with British Sign Language have been introduced at stations. Developed by Network Rail and the Rail Delivery Group, the videos highlight affected areas and provide guidance on alternative travel arrangements.

Anit Chandarana, Network Rail's System Operator Group Director, said:

"With Christmas just around the corner, we know how important this time of year is for rail passengers wanting to travel on the network to visit families and friends. Major improvement work taking place across the rail network over the Christmas period will mean changes to services in some areas. That's why we have worked closely with train operators to organise diversions and replacement buses where possible. To everyone travelling, please take the time to check your journey using National Rail Enquiries or your train operator's website and book ahead if you can. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we deliver work to improve the reliability of the railway."

Daniel Mann, Director of Industry Operations at Rail Delivery Group, said:

“During the festive period, the railway continues to play a vital role in helping people connect with loved ones, enjoy days out and travel to and from work. Our colleagues across the railway will be working tirelessly to keep passengers moving, and we ask everyone to treat them with kindness and respect, as they help deliver a safe and reliable service. By doing so, and being considerate of fellow passengers, everyone can help ensure their journeys remain as smooth as possible for the rest of the year. We encourage customers to reserve seats where possible, bring only luggage that is easy to carry and fits in designated storage areas, and allow extra time for their journeys.”

A number of major projects will take place over Christmas and New Year, affecting services on key routes across the country:

• Replacement of a junction at Hanslope on the West Coast Main Line, meaning no trains between Milton Keynes and Rugby from Christmas Day to 4 January.
• Replacement of a 1960s bridge over the M6, resulting in no trains between Preston and Carlisle from 31 December to 15 January.
• Installation of new signalling at Kingmoor, north of Carlisle, meaning no trains between Carlisle and Lockerbie from 1 January to 7 January.
• Transpennine Route Upgrade works around Church Fenton, including signalling, track and power supply improvements, with no trains between Leeds and York via Church Fenton from Christmas Day to 3 January.
• Commissioning and testing of a new signalling system affecting services between Cambridge North, Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds and Stansted Airport from Christmas Day to 4 January.
• Roof refurbishment at London Liverpool Street station, meaning no trains between Stratford and Liverpool Street from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day.
• Track and points renewals around Queenstown Road in London, resulting in no trains to or from Waterloo from Christmas Day until 28 December, and a very limited service until 4 January.
• Installation of a new railway bridge at Bowling in West Dunbartonshire, meaning no trains between Dalmuir and Balloch or Helensburgh Central, or between Glasgow Queen Street and Crianlarich, from 24 December to 2 January.

Image: Network Rail