Travel tips for infrequent travellers at Christmas

Christmas and New Year's services

Check train times before you travel during the festive period

Last updated: Thursday 19 December 2024

Major engineering work and timetable changes will affect travel on our network over the Christmas period and into the new year.

The table below shows our service levels and where engineering work will affect our network.

Christmas Eve to Boxing Day

Services will end earlier than usual on Christmas Eve (Tuesday 24 December) with the last train leaving London Waterloo at 2203.

There will be no services on Christmas Day (Wednesday 25 December) or Boxing Day (Thursday 26 December).

Additional services on New Year’s Day

On New Year’s Day (Wednesday 1 January) there will be additional services after midnight from London Waterloo to Guildford via Woking, Kingston via Richmond, Twickenham via Wimbledon, and Woking.

Engineering work

Full details of all engineering work, including details of rail replacement bus services, can be found on our Planned Improvements page.

Emergency engineering work takes place in the Clandon area between Saturday 21 and Tuesday 24 December. Train services between Effingham Junction and Guildford will resume on Thursday 27 December.

Major engineering work will affect trains via Woking on Sunday 15 December 2024 and between Monday 23 December 2024 and Sunday 5 January 2025. For more information please visit our dedicated page here.

Engineering work will also affect services to Lymington Pier and Westbury.

Date	Service
Friday 20 December	Normal weekday service
Saturday 21 December	Normal Saturday service
Sunday 22 December	Normal Sunday service Buses replace trains between: - Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier - Effingham Junction/Epsom and Guildford - Petersfield and Portsmouth Harbour - Motspur Park and Chessington South - Virginia Water and Weybridge
Monday 23 December	Amended Saturday service Buses replace trains between: - Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier - Effingham Junction/Epsom and Guildford - Woking and Farnborough - Woking and Aldershot
Tuesday 24 December	Amended Saturday service Services will end earlier than usual for Christmas Eve. The last trains of the day will depart from London Waterloo by 2203. On the Island Line, the last train from Ryde Esplanade will depart at 2000 and the last train from Shanklin will depart at 2030. Buses replace trains between: - Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier - Effingham Junction/Epsom and Guildford - Woking and Farnborough - Woking and Aldershot Rail replacement bus services will end earlier than usual.
Wednesday 25 December (Christmas Day)	No service
Thursday 26 December (Boxing Day)	No service
Friday 27 December	Amended Saturday service Buses replace trains between: - Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier - Woking and Farnborough - Woking and Aldershot There will be no SWR service to Westbury
Saturday 28 December	Normal Saturday service Buses replace trains between: - Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier - Woking and Farnborough - Woking and Aldershot There will be no SWR service to Westbury
Sunday 29 December	Normal Sunday service Buses replace trains between: - Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier* - Woking and Farnborough - Woking and Aldershot There will be no SWR service to Westbury *Services will be amended. Please see Plan My Journey for more details.
Monday 30 December	Amended Saturday service Buses replace trains between: - Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier - Woking and Farnborough - Woking and Aldershot There will be no SWR service to Westbury
Tuesday 31 December (New Year’s Eve)	Amended Saturday service Buses replace trains between: - Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier - Woking and Farnborough - Woking and Aldershot There will be no SWR service to Westbury
Wednesday 1 January 2025 (New Year’s Day)	Additional trains will run after midnight from London Waterloo to: - Guildford via Woking (0045) - Kingston via Richmond (0100) - Twickenham via Wimbledon (0115) - Kingston via Richmond (0130) - Woking (0135) - Guildford via Woking (0145) - Kingston via Richmond (0200) - Woking (0210) - Twickenham via Wimbledon (0215) - Kingston via Twickenham (0230) - Guildford via Woking (0245) - Kingston via Richmond (0300) - Woking (0310) - Guildford via Woking (0315) - Kingston via Richmond (0330) - Guildford via Woking (0345) - Kingston via Richmond (0400) - Twickenham via Wimbledon (0415) - Kingston via Richmond (0430) - Guildford via Woking (0445) After the above services, a Sunday service will run on our network Buses replace trains between: - Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier - Woking and Farnborough - Woking and Aldershot There will be no SWR service to Westbury
Thursday 2 January	Amended Saturday service Buses replace trains between: - Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier - Woking and Farnborough - Woking and Aldershot There will be no SWR service to Westbury.
Friday 3 January	Amended Saturday service. Buses replace trains between: - Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier - Woking and Farnborough - Woking and Aldershot There will be no SWR service to Westbury.
Saturday 4 January	Saturday service Buses replace trains between: - Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier - Woking and Basingstoke - Woking and Aldershot There will be no SWR service to Westbury
Sunday 5 January	Sunday service Buses replace trains between: - Aldershot and Weybridge - Andover and Woking - Basingstoke and Weybridge - Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier - Leatherhead and Dorking - Winchester and Woking - Weybridge and Guildford There will be no SWR service to Westbury