Network Rail is urging passengers to plan ahead over the festive season as major engineering work is scheduled across the Christmas and New Year period. Teams will be deployed around the clock on upgrades timed for one of the quietest periods of the year, ensuring long-term improvements are delivered while minimising disruption.

Christmas Day will once again see no train services, and only a limited Boxing Day timetable will operate on selected Southern routes. Across the network, engineers will be undertaking extensive infrastructure projects, including the replacement of conductor rail at East Croydon. Critical junctions at Gatwick and Three Bridges will also undergo heavy maintenance to keep services reliable heading into 2026.

One of the most significant closures affects South Bermondsey, where platforms dating back to the 1970s will be rebuilt between Saturday 27 December 2025 and Sunday 4 January 2026. During this time, Southern trains will not call at the station and passengers will need to use local London bus routes. Further changes will take effect from 1 to 4 January, when buses replace Southern trains between London Bridge and Tulse Hill, with additional alterations affecting Beckenham Junction services on 2 and 3 January.

Thameslink passengers will also experience alterations as signalling upgrades and maintenance work take place. From 27 to 31 December 2025, trains will not operate between London Blackfriars and Bellingham or between London Blackfriars and Sutton via Mitcham Junction or Wimbledon. Rail replacement buses will run between London Bridge and Bromley South via Bellingham, while tickets will be accepted on London Bus, Tram and Underground services. On Sunday 4 January, further engineering work means buses will replace trains between Purley and East Grinstead and between Oxted and Uckfield, while the London Victoria–Reigate service will operate only between Redhill and Reigate.

Lucy McAuliffe, Sussex route director for 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, added:

"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