Travel across the south of England will see major changes this Christmas and New Year as services on land and sea are reduced and road closures take effect. Passengers and drivers are urged to plan ahead to avoid disruption.
Train services will finish earlier than usual on Christmas Eve, with many lines not running on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. South Western Railway has advised that services across its network will end sooner than normal on 24 December, with major engineering work taking place between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction from 27 December to 4 January. Separate maintenance work will affect the Basingstoke to Andover and Winchester routes on 4 January.
Great Western Railway is also implementing timetable adjustments. Late-night engineering on 23 December between Bedwyn, Newbury, and London Paddington will lead to earlier replacement buses. On Christmas Eve, most trains will finish operations by 21:00. Services will remain suspended on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Additional changes include the 23:35 Reading to Gatwick Airport service on 27 December, which will terminate at Redhill, with onward connections available. Other routes will see replacement buses, early starts, and alternative terminations through New Year’s Eve and into January, with normal schedules resuming on 5 January.
Chiltern Railways will also see early finishes on Christmas Eve, with no trains operating on Christmas Day. Boxing Day services are limited to two trains per hour between London Marylebone and Oxford Parkway. From 27 December to New Year’s Eve, enhanced services will run between Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street, including some extended and additional trains. Late-night services are added on New Year’s Eve, with regular operations resuming on 5 January. CrossCountry services follow a similar pattern, with early finishes on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Passengers are advised to check updates online before travelling.
Ferry services will also be affected. Wightlink will not operate on Christmas Day, while Hovertravel services are suspended on both Christmas and Boxing Day. Red Funnel will run its vehicle ferry from Southampton at 09:00 and 12:00, and from East Cowes at 10:30 and 13:30, but its Red Jet service will not operate on Christmas Day.
Bus services in the region will operate with alterations. In Oxfordshire, the Airline service to Heathrow and Gatwick will run a limited schedule on Christmas Day, returning to normal from 27 December without night buses. First Bus in Berkshire will follow a Saturday-level timetable from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Eve, with some earlier finishes and reduced service on Christmas Day. Hampshire’s Stagecoach will run hourly specials on Portsmouth-area routes. Dorset’s First Bus Wessex and networks in Bournemouth will run special timetables, including late-night routes on 31 December.
Road closures will also impact journeys. The M27 will be closed in both directions between Junction 9 for Whiteley and Junction 11 for Fareham from 20:00 on 24 December until 04:00 on 4 January to accommodate the installation of a new concrete junction structure. National Highways has warned that significant delays are likely and alternative routes should be considered.
Travellers across the south are advised to plan carefully over the festive period, check schedules, and allow extra time for journeys whether by train, bus, ferry, or car.
