South Western Railway customers should check before travelling this Christmas and New Year

South Western Railway customers are advised to check before travelling over the Christmas and New Year period due to seasonal service alterations and major engineering works in the Woking area.  

On Christmas Eve (Tuesday, 24th December), an amended timetable will operate, with services ending earlier than usual at around 22:00. Island Line services will also end earlier than usual, before 21:00. Customers intending to travel should check their final trains.   

There will be no services on the whole network on Christmas Day (Wednesday, 25th December) and Boxing Day (Thursday, 26th December). Services will resume with an amended timetable on Friday, 27th December.  

A limited number of additional services will run from London Waterloo in the early hours of New Year’s Day (Wednesday 1st January), for customers returning from festivities in the capital. Services will call at stations in London and Surrey on the Kingston via Richmond, Twickenham via Wimbledon and Guildford via Woking routes.  

Customers should only travel to the Mayor of London's fireworks display on the South Bank if they have a ticket for the event, as anyone without a ticket will not be permitted entry. 

As well as these seasonal alterations, services will also be impacted by engineering works from Sunday, 22nd December 2024, to the end of Sunday, 5th January 2025. Buses will replace trains on some routes, so customers should allow extra time as journeys will take longer than usual.  

This includes major engineering works in the Woking area from Monday, 23rd December 2024, to the end of Sunday, 5th January 2025, significantly affecting services on the main line between London Waterloo and destinations including Southampton, Basingstoke, Portsmouth (via Eastleigh), Bournemouth and Exeter.  

Buses will replace trains between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier from Monday, 23rd December 2024, to Friday, 3rd January 2025, while services in the Westbury area will be revised between Friday, 27th December 2024 and Thursday, 23rd January 2025. 

SWR’s normal timetable will resume on Monday, 6th January 2025. Journey planners are up to date, so customers should plan ahead and check their journeys carefully if they intend to travel on these routes.  

Steve Tyler, Performance and Planning Director at South Western Railway, commented: 

“Christmas is always a busy time on the railway and due to service alterations, we recommend customers check journey planners carefully before travelling. Trains will stop running earlier than usual on Christmas Eve and, as usual, there will be no trains on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.  

“We are pleased to be running a limited number of additional services in the early hours of New Year’s Day to get people home after celebrating, but please only head to the fireworks on the South Bank if you have a ticket for the event. 

“Major engineering works will also take place in the Woking area which, due to their location on the main line, will significantly impact services on busy routes to destinations such as Southampton, Basingstoke, Portsmouth (via Eastleigh), Bournemouth and Exeter. 

“We strongly advise anyone planning to travel between Monday 23 December 2024 and Sunday 5 January 2025 to check their journey carefully and allow extra time as journeys will take longer than usual. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.” 

More information about services during the Christmas and New Year period can be found at southwesternrailway.com/christmas.