Please check before you travel during the Christmas and New Year festive period
Welcome to our Christmas and New Year Bank Holiday travel advice for 2026 / 2027.
The period covered by this guide is for Thursday 24 December 2026 until Monday 4 January 2027 inclusive.
There will be lots of planned essential engineering works and upgrades taking place as Network Rail works to improve the railway. In addition, some train companies will be making changes to their timetable, to match services to the number of customers travelling.
Planning and checking your journey
You can plan and check your journey before you travel using the National Rail Journey Planner. Important information and useful travel advice relating to your journey may show with warning symbols on your journey results.
Please be aware of the following:
- Thursday 24 December - train services on many routes will finish earlier than normal on Christmas Eve. Please don't assume that the normal timetable will be operating - check that your entire journey will be possible on this day. Our guide to the last trains departing London to major towns and cities across the country will be published here late November / early December
- Friday 25 December - there will be no National Rail services on Christmas Day as usual
- Saturday 26 December - most train operators will have no service - however, there will be a very limited train service operated by a small number of train operators (details to be confirmed)
- Monday 28 December - this year, the Boxing Day bank holiday is on a substitute day, Monday 28 December. Details of the train services that will be running are available in Journey Planners
- Thursday 31 December - train services on some routes will finish earlier than normal on New Year's Eve. Please don't assume that the normal timetable will be operating - check that your entire journey will be possible on this day
- Friday 1 January 2027 - after midnight on New Year's Eve, a number of London area routes will have special train services into the wee small hours on New Year's Day, Friday 1 January 2027. Our guide to these extra services will be published here in early December
Please note that Journey Planner information is subject to change as timetables are still being finalised. Please continue to check your journey until you are due to set off – this will give you a chance to adjust your journey plans in advance if necessary, and avoid any last-minute disappointment.