Paddington station in west London will shut between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve for railway upgrade works, causing major disruption for passengers, particularly those heading to Heathrow Airport.
Network Rail, the publicly-owned body responsible for stations and tracks, said the closure is needed to upgrade a junction and install new track. As a result, the Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express will not run west of Paddington until December 31, when the link to Heathrow is restored. The Elizabeth line will not operate further west until January 4, 2027.
Impact on Services and Alternative Routes
Great Western Railway services to Wales and the West Country will be unable to access Paddington until January 4, according to Network Rail. Long-distance services will instead start and finish at Reading, while some will be diverted to London Euston. Paddington station will remain open for toilets and other facilities, and a deep clean is planned while it is shut.
In east London, Elizabeth line and Greater Anglia trains will not run between Liverpool Street and Forest Gate until January 4 due to a major track replacement project. The route closes for 10 days from Christmas Day, with engineers replacing worn-out rails. Trains will not run between Stratford and Romford, with rail replacement buses provided. Services from Liverpool Street to Cambridge via Stansted Airport are unaffected.
Wider Network Disruptions
Track closures over Christmas will allow for £152 million of improvement works, Network Rail said, with other projects planned at Birmingham New Street and Huddersfield stations. The organisation said in a statement: "Passengers will be able to travel across most of the railway network this Christmas and New Year while essential upgrade work takes place at a small number of locations."
National Rail said trains into Waterloo will be reduced with an amended timetable on Sunday December 27 and Monday December 28 due to engineering work in the Queenstown Road area. There will be no Southeastern trains to Charing Cross, Waterloo East, Canon Street or via Lewisham on those days due to work around New Cross, with a limited service to and from London Bridge and some diversions to Victoria.
Christmas Travel Advice
Network Rail reminded passengers that train services will not operate on most routes in England on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, with services likely to finish earlier than usual on Christmas Eve. On the East Coast Mainline, works in the Doncaster area mean services to the north of England and Scotland will be heavily disrupted or will not run at all, with no service from Lumo, Hull Trains or Grand Central. Rail replacement coaches will run between Newark and York, potentially adding up to two hours to journey times.
