Greater Anglia issues travel advice for Christmas and New Year

Rail passengers are reminded to check before they travel this Christmas and New Year, so they are aware of earlier last train times on Christmas Eve, and timetable changes due to bank holidays and engineering works.

London Liverpool Street station will be closed for eight days while Network Rail continues to work to replace the ageing roof panels. Work within the Bishopsgate tunnel will also be taking place to undertake essential maintenance on this key structure on the approach to the London terminal.

Many services to/from London will terminate at or start from Stratford with connections to/from central London via the Elizabeth line and London Underground services.

On days when London Liverpool Street station is closed, ticket acceptance has been arranged on the Elizabeth Line and Central Line between Stratford and London Liverpool Street, on the Victoria Line between Tottenham Hale and King’s Cross St. Pancras, and on the Circle, Hammersmith & City Line, and Metropolitan Lines between King’s Cross St. Pancras and London Liverpool Street.

In addition, engineers will also be delivering a vital renewal project for the ageing signalling systems across the wider Cambridge area and bring into service new signalling equipment that will enable Cambridge South station to open in 2026.

Customers can find all train times using the journey planner on the Greater Anglia website or app.

On Christmas Eve, there will be an early shutdown with most services finishing by 22:00.

There will be no services on Christmas Day, and only a revised Stansted Express service will run on Boxing Day between Tottenham Hale and Stansted Airport.

Although most services will be running between 27 and 31 December, there will be some service amendments, followed by a bank holiday timetable on New Year’s Day, with normal services resuming on Monday 5 January across the majority of the network. So, with a number of changes across the network planned over the Festive period, customers are advised to check before they travel.

Martin Beable, Managing Director, Greater Anglia, said:

“While most of our services will be running over the festive period, so that people can continue to travel across East Anglia and beyond, engineering work is taking place and will affect passengers travelling on both main lines to and from London and in the Cambridge area.

“Since the railway tends to be much quieter over this period, Network Rail uses it to carry out essential upgrade work that will help Greater Anglia to continue operating a very punctual and reliable service for customers in 2026.

“We apologise for the inconvenience caused by the service alterations, and we urge passengers to check before they travel as some journeys may take longer than normal.”

Passengers should be aware that some services will also be retimed. Details can be found via the journey planner on the Greater Anglia website or app. Key alterations to Greater Anglia services over the Christmas and New Year period are as follows:

Wednesday 24 December

On Christmas Eve Tuesday 24 December an early shutdown of services will apply. Trains will cease operation by 22:00, with reductions in service from 19:00.

The exception is the Stansted Express between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport.

The last train to Stansted Airport will be the 23:21 London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport, arriving at 00:12.

The last train from Stansted Airport will be the 22:43 Stansted Airport to London Liverpool Street, arriving at 23.34.

Thursday 25 December

No Greater Anglia services will operate on Christmas Day.

Friday 26 December

Only a reduced Stansted Express service will run.

Stansted Express services will start/terminate at Tottenham Hale. Customers are encouraged to use the Victoria line to/from Tottenham Hale.

No other services will operate.

Saturday 27 December