Britons warned of Christmas travel chaos as major London station shuts

Thousands of Britons could face significant travel disruption over the Christmas period, as London’s busiest train station will shut for over a week.

Network Rail confirmed that from December 25 to January 2, London Liverpool Street, which served more than 80 million passengers between 2022 and 2023, will be closed for improvement works, potentially throwing travel plans into chaos for those heading to or from the capital over the festive season.

Greater Anglia trains, including the Stansted Express, will be diverted to Stratford station during the closure, while London Overground services will also see significant changes.

Trains running from Chingford will terminate at London Fields, with reduced services operating – only two trains per hour to Chingford and one per hour to Enfield Town and Cheshunt.

The planned works at Liverpool Street include renewing the shed roof panels, increasing ticket gates on platforms 1-10, and making necessary improvements within Bishopsgate Tunnel.

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Network Rail has advised passengers to check for service alterations on their train operator’s website or through National Rail Enquiries in the coming weeks.

London Paddington, which provides access to the West Country and trains to Heathrow Airport, will also be closed for three days from December 27-29 as part of Network Rail’s work on the new station at Old Oak Common.

Commuters travelling via London St Pancras will also be impacted by ongoing work on the Midland Main Line from December 21-29.

No Thameslink trains will run between St Pancras and Harpenden, and there will be no East Midlands Railway services between the Central London terminus and Bedford.

This could particularly affect those travelling to London Luton Airport, which is normally just 30 minutes away by train.

Despite these closures, Network Rail confirmed that 95 percent of the railway network will still operate normally during the festive period.

Helen Hamlin, Network Rail’s Director of System Operations, said the Christmas season provides a rare opportunity for these large-scale projects.

She added: “The festive period is a unique opportunity, when fewer people are travelling, to do big pieces of work to make services better, more punctual, and more reliable.”

Passengers are advised to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys during this period of disruption.