Warnings of skeleton service and closed rail routes through South London at Christmas
Rail passengers are being advised to plan ahead and check before they travel between Christmas Day and December 29, with rail replacement buses running on some routes and diversions on others.
Track replacement on the Thameslink route in central London means that from during that post-Christmas Day period, the line from St Pancras International to Herne Hill will be closed.
During that time, Network Rail engineers will install 1,670m of new rails on the track between Farringdon and Blackfriars.
During those four days, trains between St Albans City and Sutton via Mitcham Junction/Wimbledon will not run. Trains between Bedford/Luton and Three Bridges will also not be operating.
On Sunday, December 29, the service will only run between London Bridge and Three Bridges and at a rate of one train per hour. Trains between Bedford and Brighton will only run between London Bridge and Brighton (two trains per hour).
Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail’s Sussex Route director said: “The rails between St Pancras International and Blackfriars were installed in 2011, and after 13 years and thousands of trains passing over the track, the rails are worn and need replacing.
“With the railway closed anyway on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, engineers will get a head start on the work, ready for this crucial route to reopen.”
Jenny Saunders, Customer Service Director for Govia Thameslink Railway, said: “We know how important this time of the year is to our customers, which is why, with such a lengthy period of improvement work planned over the festive period, we want to give them as much time as possible to plan ahead.
“It really is vital to consider your options now. Thank you for your patience.”
Services to and from airports will be affected during this period with fewer trains serving Gatwick Airport and Luton Airport Parkway.
Passengers are asked to plan ahead if travelling to or from one of these airports over the festive period and check with nationalrail.co.uk for more information.
Picture: Thameslink/Network Rail