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With Christmas just a week away, thousands of people living in the city will soon begin their annual journeys home for the holidays. This period is one of the busiest for London’s transport network, with services under heavy pressure in the lead-up to Christmas Day.
While travel in and out of the capital will run as normal until December 25, Network Rail has scheduled several engineering projects from then through early January. These works will affect services at some of London’s busiest stations and may result in longer journey times. Here’s a summary of the key disruptions to be aware of:
Passengers travelling between London and Scotland are being advised to use LNER or Lumo services on the East Coast Main Line. Avanti West Coast services to and from London Euston will face major disruption due to a partial closure of the West Coast Main Line.
The disruption is caused by engineers replacing a railway junction at Hanslop Junction, where tracks split between the Rugby and Northampton routes. During this period, rail replacement buses will operate between Milton Keynes Central and Rugby or Northampton.
London Victoria Station
Saturday, December 27 – New Year’s Eve
No Southeastern trains will operate to or from Victoria as essential power, track and signalling upgrades are carried out.
David Davidson, Chief Operating Officer of Southeastern Railway, explained that quieter holiday periods are used to complete crucial maintenance work to improve safety and reliability. He urged passengers to plan ahead and check their journeys, as some routes will be affected even though most of the rail network remains open.
In addition, Southeastern services will not run to or from London Charing Cross or London Waterloo East on New Year’s Day or Friday, January 2, 2026.
London Waterloo Station
Saturday, December 27 – Sunday, December 28
No trains will operate to or from Waterloo over the weekend following Christmas due to major upgrade works near Queenstown Road in Battersea. Around 350 engineers will be working on track and points improvements. During this time, services will start or finish at Clapham Junction or other alternative stations.
Monday, December 29 – Friday, January 2
A reduced service will operate at Waterloo, with some routes starting or ending at different stations and making fewer or altered stops. Passengers are advised to check the National Rail journey planner before travelling.
Saturday, January 3
A further reduced and amended service will run between Barnes and Clapham Junction. Some trains will instead start or terminate at Woking, Basingstoke or Clapham Junction rather than London Waterloo.
