Passengers on some of Great Britain's busiest railway lines have been warned of significant disruption over Christmas from 10 days of engineering works, including closures at London Paddington and Birmingham New Street and disruption to east coast mainline services.
Network Rail said most routes would remain open, and the Christmas period, when services generally stop on 25 and 26 December, remains 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 into London Paddington, including replacing a junction near Slough. Most Great Western services to Wales and the west of England will start and finish at Reading, with some diverting around Oxford to London Euston from 27 December until 4 January. Elizabeth line services west of Paddington and Heathrow Express services will not resume after Christmas until 31 January.
Birmingham New Street will be closed from the start of Christmas Eve until 29 December to replace overhead power supplies, with no trains stopping or passing through. Rail replacement buses will serve the city centre.
On the east coast mainline, work at Doncaster will mean trains between London, north-east England and Scotland are partly replaced by rail replacement buses from Newark to York, adding two hours to journeys.
The Great Eastern mainline out of London Liverpool Street will be closed for 10 days from Christmas Day for track replacement, meaning no Greater Anglia or Elizabeth line trains will run through the area, and no direct trains from Norwich to London. TransPennine services between Leeds and Manchester will be slowed for six weeks from Christmas Day with the closure of Huddersfield station.
Anit Chandarana, Network Rail’s group director, system operator, said: “Christmas is a time when many people want to be with family and friends, and most of the railway will be open to help them get there. We have worked with train operators to keep services running wherever we can on the busiest travel days and to provide alternative journey options where work affects the usual route. We are sorry that some passengers will face disruption. The days between Christmas and new year are by far the quietest of the year and give us the best opportunity to complete major projects such as the power supply upgrades at Birmingham and Paddington. Our teams will do everything they can to keep people moving, and we urge passengers to check their journeys before setting off.”
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Passengers planning Christmas travel may face significant delays and need to re-plan journeys.
- The engineering works represent a £152m investment to improve rail reliability and capacity.
- The closures affect key intercity routes and commuter lines, impacting travel across southern and central Britain.
Background
Network Rail, the public body responsible for the railway infrastructure in Great Britain, schedules major engineering works during the Christmas period each year, when passenger numbers are lowest. The works detailed for 2026-27 are among the largest in recent years, with a focus on London Paddington, Birmingham New Street, and east London.
What to Watch
- The reopening of London Paddington for Great Western services on 4 January, and Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express on 31 January.
- The impact of the east coast mainline work on Christmas Eve travel.
- Whether the TransPennine work extends beyond the six-week period.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedAnit Chandarana said: “Christmas is a time when many people want to be with family and friends, and most of the railway will be open to help them get there. We have worked with train operators to keep services running wherever we can on the busiest travel days and to provide alternative journey options where work affects the usual route.”UK news | The Guardian: “Network Rail’s group director, system operator, Anit Chandarana, said: “Christmas is a time when many people want to be with family and friends, and most of the railway will be open to help them get there. We have worked with train operators”
- SupportedChandarana said: “We are sorry that some passengers will face disruption. The days between Christmas and new year are by far the quietest of the year and give us the best opportunity to complete major projects such as the power supply upgrades at Birmingham and Paddington. Our teams will do everything they can to keep people moving, and we urge passengers to check their journeys before setting off.”UK news | The Guardian: ““We are sorry that some passengers will face disruption. The days between Christmas and new year are by far the quietest of the year and give us the best opportunity to complete major projects such as the power supply upgrades at Birmingham and Paddington. Our teams will do everything”
- SupportedRailway engineering work over Christmas will cause 10 days of disruption.UK news | The Guardian: “Railway engineering work over Christmas will cause 10 days of disruption.”
- SupportedLondon Paddington work affects trains into January.UK news | The Guardian: “Work will close London’s Paddington station – affecting intercity trains to the west of England and Wales until January”
- SupportedBirmingham New Street will be shut for five days.UK news | The Guardian: “Birmingham New Street, the UK’s busiest station outside the capital, for five days over the holiday period.”
- SupportedPassengers on some of Great Britain's busiest railway lines have been warned of significant disruption from 10 days of engineering works.UK news | The Guardian: “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.”
- SupportedEngineers hope to carry out about £152m of works to improve reliability and capacity.UK news | The Guardian: “Engineers hope to use the quieter festive days to carry out about £152m of works to improve reliability and capacity.”
- SupportedMost Great Western services to Wales and the west of England will start and finish at Reading, with some diverting around Oxford to London Euston from 27 December until 4 January.UK news | The Guardian: “Most Great Western services to Wales and the west of England will start and finish at Reading, with some services diverting around Oxford to London Euston, from 27 December until 4 January.”
- SupportedElizabeth line services west of Paddington and Heathrow Express services will not resume after Christmas until 31 January.UK news | The Guardian: “The work also means Elizabeth line services west of Paddington and Heathrow Express services will not resume after Christmas until 31 January.”
- SupportedBirmingham New Street will be closed from the start of Christmas Eve until 29 December, with no trains stopping or passing through and replacement buses serving the city centre.UK news | The Guardian: “Birmingham’s main station, New Street, will be closed from the start of Christmas Eve until 29 December to replace overhead power supplies. No trains will stop or pass through, with rail replacement buses serving the city centre.”
- SupportedWork at Doncaster means trains between London, north-east England and Scotland will be partly replaced by buses from Newark to York, adding two hours to journeys.UK news | The Guardian: “Work at Doncaster means trains between London, north-east England and Scotland will be partly replaced by rail replacement buses from Newark to York, adding two hours to journeys.”
- SupportedThe Great Eastern mainline will be closed for 10 days from Christmas Day, with no Greater Anglia or Elizabeth line trains running through the area and no direct trains from Norwich to London.UK news | The Guardian: “The Great Eastern mainline out of London Liverpool Street will be closed for 10 days from Christmas Day for track replacement in east London, meaning no Greater Anglia or Elizabeth line rains will run through the area, with no direct trains from Norwich to London.”