The extensive program will disrupt several central arteries, curtailing services into London Paddington and fully closing Birmingham New Street from Christmas Eve through 29 December. Heathrow Express and western Elizabeth line trains will be suspended until 31 January, while east coast mainline passengers face replacement buses adding two hours between London, north-east England, and Scotland. Track replacements will also shut the Great Eastern mainline out of Liverpool Street for 10 days starting Christmas Day.
Key points
Travelers across Great Britain must navigate 10 days of heavy rail disruption driven by £…: Travelers across Great Britain must navigate 10 days of heavy rail disruption driven by £152m in engineering upgrades.
Major regional hubs and long-distance corridors face complete station closures, route cur…: Major regional hubs and long-distance corridors face complete station closures, route curtailments, and extended bus substitutions.
Long-term impacts will extend well into the new year with lingering shutdowns on western…: Long-term impacts will extend well into the new year with lingering shutdowns on western London routes and six weeks of slower TransPennine services.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Passengers travelling on some of Great Britain’s busiest railway lines at Christmas have been warned of significant disruption from 10 days of engineering works.
Work will close London’s Paddington station – affecting intercity trains to the west of England and Wales until January – as well as Birmingham New Street, the UK’s busiest station outside the capital, for five days over the holiday period.
Passengers travelling between London, north-east England and Scotland will have to negotiate the part closure of the east coast mainline on Christmas Eve. Direct trains from the capital to parts of Essex and Norfolk will also be cut for much of the festive period.
Network Rail said most routes would still stay open and that the Christmas period, when train services generally stop for 25 and 26 December, remained the best time to conduct essential works.
Engineers hope to use the quieter festive days to carry out about £152m of works to improve reliability and capacity.
The biggest engineering work is expected on the lines leading into London Paddington, including replacing a junction near Slough. Most…
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