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Public Transport in London Over Christmas and New Year

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Planning a trip to or from London over the festive period? Wondering which trains, tubes and buses are running in the city over Christmas and New Year? Here’s what you need to know

If you are expecting to use public transport in London between Christmas 2023 and New Year 2024, you’ll need to be aware of the changing schedules. As well as a series of national holidays during this period which see most Transport for London (TfL) services either reduced or stopped altogether, there’ll be planned engineering works across a number of Tube and bus lines which may affect your journeys.

Keep reading for key info about public transport in London during the Christmas and New Year holidays, as well as advice on travel alternatives and updates on National Rail services and Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charges.

Tube schedules for Christmas and New Year 2023

According to the TfL website, we can expect planned work, closures and service changes to affect Tube journeys between Fri 22nd December 2023 and Tues 2nd January 2024.

There will be reduced Tube service on Christmas Eve (24th December) 2023 from 8pm and no Tube service on Christmas Day (25th December) 2023.

On Boxing Day (26th December) 2023, Tubes will be running from 7am, with a reduced service starting again at 8pm.

On New Year’s Eve (31st December) 2023, all Tube lines will have service all night except for the Waterloo & City line and the District line to Kensington Olympia. Bear in mind that, because of the New Year’s Eve fireworks, many Central London stations will be busier than usual and may be exit or interchange only.

According to the TfL website, all Tube services should be back to regular weekday service by Tues 2nd January 2024.

Bus schedules for Christmas and New Year 2023

According to the TfL website, we can expect planned work, closures and service changes to affect bus journeys between Fri 22nd December 2023 and Tues 2nd January 2024.

There will be no night bus services on Christmas Eve (24th December) 2023 and 24 hour bus services will stop at around midnight.

There will be no buses running on Christmas Day (25th December) 2023.

On Boxing Day (26th December) 2023, there will be no night buses in the early hours, but services will be running throughout the rest of the day and night.

On New Year’s Eve (31st December) 2023, buses will be running, but some in central London will be on diversion from early afternoon. Some night bus routes will be running more often and a small number of day routes will be running overnight.

According to the TfL website, all bus services should be back to regular weekday service by Tues 2nd January 2024.

Will there be any public transport in London on Christmas Day 2023?

Most public transport services won’t run on Christmas Day 2023. Here’s a full list of services that will not be running on Mon 25th December 2023:

  • Tube
  • Buses (including Night Buses)
  • London Overground (including Night Overground)
  • Elizabeth line
  • DLR
  • Trams
  • River
  • IFS Cloud Cable Car
  • National Rail
  • Woolwich Ferry

If you need to travel around the city on Christmas Day, it’s advised you book a taxi in advance. You can also opt for a Santander Cycle or an electric scooter rental (only available in certain boroughs).

Information about national rail services in London over Christmas and New Year

According to the National Rail website, there will be engineering works and upgrades taking place over Christmas and New Year. This will cause disruption on many routes between Christmas Eve (Sunday 24 December 2023) and Tuesday 2 January 2024.

There may also be short-notice disruptions, so it’s advised that you check your journey before travelling.

Find more information on specific National Rail journeys to and from London this Christmas and New Year below:

Will there be Tube or train strikes over Christmas and New Year?

At the time of writing, train strikes have been planned by ASLEF for the beginning of December (from Sat 2nd to Sun 3rd and Tues 5th to Fri 8th December 2023), though there is no industrial action currently scheduled for closer to Christmas and New Year. The union has also announced that workers will withdraw from working overtime between Fri 1st and Sat 9th December 2023, causing disruption to a number of services.

Will ULEZ be affected over Christmas and New Year 2023?

Yes, according to the TfL website, you won’t be charged to usual fee if you drive into the ULEZ on Christmas Day (25th December) 2023. Plus, you won’t have to pay the Congestion Charge between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day bank holiday (inclusive).

For more information, check the TfL website.

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