The operator of Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express trains is urging passengers to plan ahead and check before they travel over Christmas and New Year.
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is running a seasonal timetable, and because Network Rail will be carrying out engineering work, services will be different from usual.
No trains will run between Havant and Southampton from Sunday 24 December to Friday 29 December. Several Southern services in South London, and some Thameslink services, will also be affected on some days.
As usual, Christmas Eve services will finish early, and no trains will run on Christmas Day. A special Southern service will run on Boxing Day, between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport, Brighton, East Croydon and Sutton.
Sunday 24 December (Christmas Eve)
- services between Brighton and Southampton diverted to run between Brighton and Fratton
- replacement buses between Havant and Southampton
- amended timetable on some Thameslink services
- Sunday service until 5pm on all other Southern and Thameslink routes, along with Gatwick Express; gradual close-down of the network, with last trains arriving at their final destinations by 9.00pm.
Monday 25 December (Christmas Day)
- no Southern, Thameslink or Gatwick Express services.
Tuesday 26 December (Boxing Day)
A special Boxing Day service will operate (all frequencies are each way):
- 5.00-8.30am and 9.00-11.00pm: London Victoria to Gatwick Airport (two trains per hour)
- 8.30am-9.00pm: London Victoria to Three Bridges (one train per hour); London Victoria to Brighton (one train per hour); London Victoria to Sutton via Selhurst and West Croydon (two trains per hour); London Victoria to East Croydon via Crystal Palace (two trains per hour)
- Thameslink, Gatwick Express and other Southern services will not run.
Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 December
- services between London Victoria and Southampton will divert to run between Victoria and Fratton
- services between Brighton and Southampton will divert to run between Brighton and Fratton
- buses replace trains between Havant and Southampton
- owing to engineering work in the Norwood area:
- buses replace trains between Crystal Palace and West Croydon via Norwood Junction
- reduced service between London Victoria and Crystal Palace
- trains on the Caterham and Tattenham Corner routes will only run between Purley and Caterham / Tattenham Corner
- amended / reduced timetable between London Bridge / London Victoria and Epsom / Dorking / Horsham
- trains which usually run between Reigate and London Victoria will only run between Reigate and Redhill
- no trains between London Bridge and Beckenham Junction
- amended timetable on some Thameslink services
- Saturday service on all other Southern and Thameslink routes, and on Gatwick Express
- overnight Thameslink service will run between Bedford and Three Bridges.
Friday 29 December
- services between London Victoria and Southampton will divert to run between Victoria and Fratton
- services between Brighton and Southampton will divert to run between Brighton and Fratton
- buses replace trains between Havant and Southampton
- amended timetable for some Thameslink services
- Saturday service on all other Southern and Thameslink routes, and on Gatwick Express.
Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 December
- normal services on Southern and Gatwick Express
- amended timetable for some Thameslink services
- normal service on all other Thameslink services, with an overnight service between Three Bridges and Bedford on Sunday
Monday 1 January 2024
- Sunday service on Southern and Gatwick Express
- amended timetable for some Thameslink services
- normal service on all other Thameslink services, with an overnight service between Three Bridges and Bedford.
GTR's Customer Services Director Jenny Saunders said: “We've worked closely with Network Rail to provide as full a service as possible for customers travelling over the festive period, and we thank customers for their understanding. Please check your journeys throughout the period, including the week before Christmas when we expect services to be particularly busy. Do please also allow plenty of extra time, especially where services are finishing early or replacement buses are running.”
