Southern trains will face cancellations and reduced services during the Christmas week, affecting travel plans for many commuters and holiday travelers.
London: As Christmas approaches, Southern trains are changing their schedule. Many regular services will be cancelled or running less frequently.
This will affect travel from December 23 to December 27, so it’s good to plan ahead.
On Monday, December 23, trains will follow a new timetable. There’s engineering work between Norwood Junction and London Bridge, which means some lines will be closed.
Also, the last train from Uckfield to London Bridge will stop at Oxted instead. A bus will take passengers from Oxted to East Croydon.
Other trains to London Bridge will be diverted, and you can expect longer journey times on those replacement buses.
On Christmas Eve, trains will still run, but fewer will be available after 5pm, with services completely stopping by 9pm.
Christmas Day? No trains at all.
Then on Boxing Day, there will be a limited service. From about 5am to 8:30am, two trains per hour will run between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport, stopping at Clapham Junction and East Croydon.
After that, from 8:30am to 9pm, it drops to one train per hour on that route. There will also be trains to Brighton and Sutton, but again, expect fewer options.
Finally, on Friday, December 27, trains will continue to run on the amended timetable.