Christmas chaos set to hit rail passengers as major lines shut for engineering works
Christmas is set to be a time of delays and chaos for rail passengers this year as several major lines are set to close for the festive period.
Network Rail (NR), which manages Britain’s rail infrastructure, is carrying out up to 200 improvement projects over the holidays, starting on Christmas Eve - which falls on a Saturday.
Engineers and maintenance teams will start their work the day before Christmas and will spend four days working on upgrades before the next working day after the break.
Those hoping to catch a train from London Paddington between December 24 and December 29 to see family will have to find alternative means because of work to build the new Crossrail rail link.
That also means the Heathrow Express service between Heathrow Airport and Paddington will be suspended for six days and Great Western Railway trains will terminate at Ealing Broadway.
Improvements: Engineering works are set to take place throughout the Christmas period (PA)
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People heading back to work after Christmas will be affected by major upgrades of signalling, track and overhead lines for Crossrail’s eastern section - meaning bus replacements and diversions will be in place for services to and from London Liverpool Street from December 24 to January 2.
Work on Manchester’s Ordsall Chord scheme, to create a link between the city centre’s main train stations, means rail replacement buses and diversions will be operational for Oxford Road services from December 18 to December 28.
There will be no late-night trains between Cardiff Central, Bridgend, Newport and the Valleys on Christmas Eve due to significant work around the Welsh capital to bring new signalling and tracks into use. There will be further disruption from December 27 until January 3.
Work at New Cross, south London as part of the Thameslink programme means no Southeastern trains will operate to London Bridge and Charing Cross from December 24-28, apart from the Hastings services which will be diverted to London Bridge.
Chaos: Commuters will be forced to use buses while several lines are closed (Getty)
Passengers are advised to plan their journeys in advance using the National Rail Enquiries website.
Phil Hufton, NR’s managing director for England and Wales, said engineering work is carried out throughout the year but larger upgrades usually take place over bank holidays as up to 50% fewer passengers travel on those days.
He said: “Despite our essential upgrades, the vast majority of the rail network - more than 95% - remains unaffected and will be open for business as usual.
"This vital investment will make the railway more reliable for years to come, while improving journeys for thousands of passengers.
"There’s never a good time to impact on journeys and I’d like to thank passengers in advance for their patience.”
Top pic: Getty
