Train operators are urging passengers to plan ahead for their journeys over the festive season.

Advance tickets are now available to buy for journeys throughout the Christmas and New Year period.

Passenger numbers tend to be lower during this period than during the rest of the year, so Network Rail takes the opportunity to carry out improvement work, which requires closures of some sections of the railway and disruption to journeys.

Work to be carried out this year includes upgrades to the West Coast mainline and the replacement of roof panels at London Liverpool Street station.

Surveys of passengers travelling over the festive period showed that their main reasons for doing so were shopping trips, visiting friends and relatives and commuting, as their top three reasons.

Last year, the period between mid-December and the New Year saw around 20% of places on train services booked in advance.

Monday, 30 December, was the most popular day for rail travel between Christmas and New Year.

The Rail Delivery Group is encouraging passengers to check whether the service they wish to travel on requires a seat reservation before travelling, and advises that booking as early as possible will help them to secure the best options.

It is also urging passengers to only bring luggage that they can carry comfortably and to use bags that fit in designated storage areas.

Network Rail and the Rail Delivery Group have developed a new series of Visual Disruption Map videos, which focus on areas with planned engineering works.

There are eight videos, each of which is equipped with British Sign Language (BSL).

“The period between Christmas and New Year sees lower passenger numbers compared to other times of the year, making it the best time for us to carry out major projects that take longer than a night or weekend to complete.

“We work closely with train operators to organise diversions and rail replacement buses for passengers who are travelling, but it’s still so important to plan ahead. That’s especially the case this year, as people may have to travel home on different routes after Christmas than the way they travelled out.

“So, to everyone travelling, please take the time to check your journey using National Rail Enquiries or your train operator’s website. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we deliver work that will ultimately improve the reliability of the railway.”

Network Rail’s Chief Network Operator Helen Hamlin