Unwrap Your Boxing Day Adventure: Discover Today’s Train and Bus Schedules!

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During the last six days of 2024, from December 26 to 31, countless individuals will be traveling across Britain. However, how smoothly will they be able to travel by railway, bus, ferry, and air? That varies based on the specifics of the day and the destination.

Here are the pivotal questions and responses.

Which trains are operating normally on Boxing Day?

Eurostar is maintaining a nearly normal operation from London St Pancras International to Paris (15 trains in each direction), Brussels (eight trains in each direction), and Amsterdam (three trains in each direction). These services appear to be very sought after – the initial two departures to Paris were fully booked, and tickets for the third sold for £375 each shortly before takeoff.

However, from St Pancras, the only train trips available are to Continental Europe.

No trains are in operation to Kent on Southeastern, to the south coast or Bedford on Thameslink, nor to Leicester and Sheffield on East Midlands Railway.

What is the situation elsewhere across the UK?

Scotland’s central region will have numerous trains operating, mainly between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The largest operation on ScotRail for decades on December 26 will see services between the two cities extend north and northeast to Perth, Dundee, and Arbroath, in addition to a busy network in Strathclyde.

In England, trains are extremely scarce. The London Victoria-Gatwick Airport-Brighton line offers hourly services from 8:30am to 8:30pm. A few other suburban trains in south London will run to and from Victoria.

For Tottenham Hale-Stansted Airport, there are half-hourly services from 6:45am to 11:15pm. Tottenham Hale is on the Victoria Line of the London Underground, which will be operational.

Merseyrail, the local network around Liverpool, will function from 9am to 6pm, though it will not cover all stations. “Extra services will be available between Liverpool and Aintree to support attendees at the Boxing Day races,” says the train operator.

No train services are active in Wales or Northern Ireland.

How does the UK’s near-total rail shutdown stack up against other countries?

The UK stands alone in this regard. In Continental Europe, December 26 will resemble a fairly standard Thursday schedule on the railways – reduced commuter services but frequent intercity connections, as many individuals wish to travel.

This is certainly evident at the UK’s airports, which are functioning normally, and with the substantial number of long-distance coaches on Britain’s motorways.

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What about the London Underground, the Newcastle Metro, and the Glasgow Subway?

The London Underground will be operational on Boxing Day – but the Elizabeth Line will be inactive. The primary east-west connection beneath the city is not regarded as part of the Tube network.

The Tyne and Wear Metro, centered on Newcastle, will run services until 8pm on December 26.

Glasgow’s circular subway route will be active until 11:30pm on Boxing Day.

Are buses operational today?

Local buses are generally operating on a diminished Saturday or Sunday timetable. Long-distance coaches operated by National Express and FlixBus have an improved schedule with supplementary services included – especially to airports.

Without intercity trains beyond Scotland, many coaches are fully booked (for instance, the morning National Express routes from Manchester to London) but there are still seats available on later trips.

What is the situation at the airports?

Flights are proceeding smoothly at all major UK airports. At London Heathrow, there are some delays of an hour or two on incoming flights from the US. The 7:45 am British Airways flight to Edinburgh was nearly two hours delayed, and the RwandAir flight from Kigali is 11 hours late. Overall, however, this indicates less disruption than usual.

Flight schedules throughout Europe are slightly reduced compared with a standard Thursday, and there are no air traffic control delays.

The primary issue confronting airline travelers in the UK is ground transportation to and from their intended destinations.

Are ferries operating as usual?

Yes, services across the Channel to northern France recommenced around 10am on Boxing Day.

The principal ferry connection between Great Britain and Ireland, from Holyhead to Dublin, will stay inactive until January 15.

Caledonian MacBrayne ferries in the Western Isles are performing better than they did just before Christmas. Additional sailings have been arranged between Ardrossan and Brodick on the isle of Arran, as well as between Mallaig and South Uist.

Will all trains resume service on Friday, December 27?

While most UK railway lines will resume service, there will be significant closures of very vital routes due to Network Rail maintenance work.

The line heading north from London St Pancras is closed just outside the station for a bridge replacement, resulting in no trains to Luton, Leicester, Derby, Nottingham, or Sheffield. It will reopen on Monday, December 30.

London Liverpool Street station, the busiest in the UK, will remain shut for the remainder of the year, reopening only on Thursday, January 2, 2025. Stansted Express trains will now begin and end at Tottenham Hale.

London Paddington, the hub for South Wales and the West of England, will stay closed until Monday, December 30. Great Western Railway passengers from Cornwall, Devon, and Cardiff will have hourly trains to and from London Euston.

Crewe, one of the UK’s most crucial junctions, will remain closed all day on December 27. Avanti West Coast trains between London and Glasgow…

will be redirected through Stoke and Manchester. No Avanti trains will operate to or from Liverpool or Chester.

From 28 to 30 December, Avanti West Coast services will resume a more regular schedule, but on 31 December, the first walk-out by train managers in a five-month wave of strikes will commence. Members of the RMT union will also halt work on 2 January and every Sunday from 12 January to 25 May inclusively.

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What effects will the strikes have?

A significantly diminished Avanti West Coast schedule will be in effect on the initial two strike dates, 31 December and 2 January – featuring limited services operating during shortened hours. The first departure of the day from Euston is set for around 8am, with the last train of the day scheduled before 5pm.

On Tuesday, 31 December, Avanti West Coast will provide one train each hour between Euston and each of Birmingham, Manchester, and Preston, along with a limited service to Glasgow. Additionally, one train will operate every other hour between Liverpool and Crewe.

On Thursday, 2 January, the intercity provider will run one train per hour between Euston and Wolverhampton (via Birmingham), Crewe, and Manchester. A limited service between Glasgow and Preston will also be available.

North Wales, Blackpool, and Edinburgh will not have Avanti West Coast services on strike days. On 31 December, Avanti West Coast trains will not operate to or from Macclesfield. On 2 January, there will be no Avanti West Coast service to or from Warrington Bank Quay or Wigan North Western.

“With fewer services operating during restricted hours, trains are anticipated to be crowded, and passengers are strongly recommended to travel either side of the strike days,” states Avanti West Coast.

“Passengers who do decide to travel should plan ahead, prepare for disruptions, and verify the details of their last train home.”

Travelers with existing tickets for 31 December and 2 January can journey anytime from Monday, 30 December to Saturday, 4 January, inclusive. Alternatively, those who reserved tickets to travel on either side of the strike days prior to the announcement of industrial action (17 December) may choose not to travel and can claim a full, fee-free refund from their purchase location.

Listen to Simon Calder’s Boxing Day podcast from London St Pancras International