The UK rail network will face 10 days of disruption over the Christmas 2026 period as Network Rail carries out extensive engineering works across key routes.
Station Closures at London Paddington and Birmingham New Street
London Paddington station will close for five days over Christmas, affecting intercity lines serving the west of England and Wales. Birmingham New Street station will close from Christmas Eve until 29 December to replace overhead power supplies. No trains will stop or pass through Birmingham New Street during this period, with rail replacement buses providing city centre connections.
Route Disruptions on East Coast and Great Eastern Mainlines
The east coast mainline will be partially closed on Christmas Eve, impacting travel between London, north-east
England, and Scotland. Rail replacement buses will run between Newark and York on Christmas Eve, adding two hours to journeys on LNER and other operators’ services. The Great Eastern mainline from London Liverpool Street will close for 10 days from Christmas Day for track replacement in east London. This will suspend Greater Anglia and Elizabeth line trains through the area, resulting in no direct trains between Norwich and London during the closure.
Service Alterations on Great Western, Elizabeth Line, Heathrow Express, and TransPennine
Work includes replacing a junction near Slough on lines into London Paddington. From 27 December to 4 January, most Great Western services to Wales and the west of
England will start and end at Reading, with some diverted around Oxford to London Euston. Elizabeth line services west of Paddington and Heathrow Express trains will not resume until 31 December following Christmas. TransPennine services between Leeds and Manchester will experience slowed journeys for six weeks from Christmas Day due to the closure of Huddersfield station.
Passenger Impact and Network Rail Investment
Passengers should expect significant alterations including rail replacement buses between Newark and York on Christmas Eve and no direct Norwich-London trains during the Great Eastern mainline closure. Birmingham New Street closure means no trains will operate through the station for five days. Network Rail
is investing approximately £152 million in these works to increase reliability and capacity. 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.” She added, “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.”
