Christmas getaway: Londoners warned of festive travel disruption

Paddington station will be closed between Christmas Eve and Friday 27 December Credit: ITV News

Londoners looking to get out of the capital this Christmas are being advised to plan ahead, as disruption looms for major rail and road routes.

Planned engineering works are behind most of the delays set to hit the railways this festive season.

Work outside Victoria station will begin on Monday 23 December and run until New Years Day, meaning Southeastern services will be diverted to Blackfriars, Charing Cross and Cannon Street during that period.

Paddington station will be closed from Christmas Eve until Saturday 28 December due to HS2 work at Old Oak Common and laying new track at West Drayton. Long distance services will terminate at Reading.

And for those travelling further afield, there will be no Heathrow Express service from Christmas Eve until Saturday 28 December, although Piccadilly line trains will still be going to the airport.

Kings Cross station in December 2023 Credit: PA

At Kings Cross, most long-distance services are cancelled on Christmas Eve due to signalling work on the East Coast Main Line. Trains will run to Potters Bar, and there will be one service to and from Hull.

Network Rail has said engineering works are necessary and that it has tried to "keep disruption to a minimum".

Although the rail closures are expected to cause disruption to passengers, Network Rail said more than 96% of the rail network would remain open for "business as usual".

It said the closures were needed as part of £127m of investment work "so that passengers can benefit from better and more reliable services and facilities".

On Christmas Day there will be no National Rail services, as is the norm.

On Boxing Day Thameslink, Gatwick Express and other Southern services will not run but a Southern service will run with trains in and out of London Victoria serving Gatwick Airport, Brighton, East Croydon and Sutton.

Service changes on the London Underground will affect journeys during the festive period Credit: PA

For people staying in the capital this Christmas, Transport for London has also published details of closures and service changes that will affect journeys over the Christmas period - these are not because of engineering works.

On Christmas Eve there will be closures on the District line, London Overground, Elizabeth line and DLR. There will also be no services on the Waterloo & City line.

There will be no services on Christmas Day, as usual, and on Boxing Day there will be reduced service on the Bakerloo line, District line, London Overground and DLR and no services on the Elizabeth and Waterloo & City lines.

Drivers are being warned of traffic hotspots around the capital Credit: PA

Meanwhile on the roads, motorists have also been warned there could be "daily delays of around 40 minutes" leading up to Christmas Eve on the M25 clockwise, west of London.

The AA has issued amber traffic warnings for Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Monday 23 December, as millions take to the roads for the festive break.

A survey by the roadside assistance provider found that Friday 20 December will likely be the busiest day on UK roads, with 23.7 million journeys expected to take place across the country.

Saturday 21 and Monday 23 are also expected to be exceptionally busy with both days predicted to see around 22.7 million road journeys nationally.

According to the AA, the traffic hotspots around the capital are expected to be:

  • Friday 20 December: The M3/M25 interchange and the M25 around Heathrow Airport

  • Saturday 21 December: The M25 around Bluewater

Passengers at Heathrow can expect busier scenes in the terminal Credit: PA

Finally, air passengers travelling through Heathrow can expect a busy terminal.

The travel trade organisation Abta has estimated four million people in the UK are preparing to spend the Christmas and new year period overseas.

Heathrow airport expects this will be its busiest December on record for passenger numbers, exceeding the previous high of 6.7 million in 2023.

Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “Christmas and new year are one of the busiest times of year for overseas travel with millions heading off to spend quality time with family and friends.“Holidaymakers are either looking for some winter sun or guaranteed snow, as well as the opportunity for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves with someone else doing the hard work of cooking and clearing up after the festivities.“We’re encouraging people to plan ahead when making their journeys. Public transport and the roads will be very busy, so always leave plenty of time to arrive at your departure port to avoid any difficulties.”

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