Britain’s railway is open for business over the Christmas and New Year period. Crucially, there will be no significant changes to services on the major north-south rail routes - the East Coast, West Coast and Midland main lines – throughout the festive period.
As ever, we are using the relatively quiet Christmas period to carry out a programme of major investment in the railway, some of which necessitate alterations to services. Full details of these alterations have been available on train operators’ websites and from National Rail Enquiries since late September, 12 weeks before the start of the Christmas period.
A map showing any disruptive planned improvement work taking place around the country over the Christmas and New Year period is available here, with a detailed summary for each train operating company, including any changes as a result of planned improvement work, available here.
The major pieces of work being carried out by Network Rail are:
Reading
As part of the £850M redevelopment of the railway at Reading platforms will be re-numbered, a new bridge will be slid into position and widespread platform and track improvements will be put in place.
Buses replace trains between Reading and Wokingham from Tuesday 27 to Friday 30 December. Main line services between Reading and London Paddington are unaffected.
Birmingham
As part of the redevelopment of Birmingham New Street station we will be carrying out various works including the installation of a footbridge. A reduced service will operate on local routes via Birmingham New Street on Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 December.
Stockport
We will be replacing old track and installing new, more reliable points and track crossings at Slade Lane. Replacement buses will operate on some local routes to/from Manchester Piccadilly on New Years’ Day only, with diversions on long-distance services and replacement bus connections to Stockport.
Dover/Faversham
A major project to replace and renew signalling across East Kent sees several large-scale programmes underway. Buses replace trains on many routes between Faversham, Margate, Canterbury, Ramsgate and Dover from Tuesday 27 December to Monday 2 January.
Ilford/East London
Network Rail will be installing new overhead electrical lines as part of a £200m project to replace outdated equipment on the line between London Liverpool Street and Chelmsford. Replacement buses will connect passengers with Newbury Park on the London Underground Central Line for onward journeys to Stratford/Liverpool Street on Tuesday 27 December and from Saturday 31 December to Monday 2 January.
Paisley/Edinburgh
Network Rail is moving signalling control for the stretch of track to the new purpose-built high-tech West Coast Signalling Centre as part of a UK-wide programme of resignalling.Buses replace trains on some routes to/from Glasgow Central from Tuesday 27 December to Friday 30 December. On Tuesday 27 December only, a reduced service will run between Edinburgh and Haymarket.
Oxford-Didcot
Replacement track and points will be installed on a critical junction where the Oxford line joins the Great Western Main Line. Buses replace trains between Oxford and Didcot Parkway from Tuesday 27 December to Monday 2 January.
North-south intercity routes
Major north-south intercity routes are largely unaffected by planned improvement work over the festive period:
West Coast Main Line
Normal service (apart from minor alterations to services on New Years’ Day only, with trains not calling at Stockport).
East Coast Main Line
Normal service (although no East Coast services north of Edinburgh on New Years’ Day only).
Midland Main Line
Normal service (apart from minor alterations to some train times owing to a diversion between Sheffield and Chesterfield on New Years' Day only).