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Savvy Passengers Dodge Crowded Trains This Christmas and New Year
14 Nov
Summary
- Certain dates like 24 and 31 December offer uncrowded train travel
- Major engineering work by Network Rail disrupts travel after Christmas
- West Coast Main Line and other key routes closed for repairs
According to the analysis, rail passengers in the UK can avoid crowded trains this Christmas and New Year's by carefully selecting their travel dates. However, they'll need to navigate the inevitable Network Rail engineering work that will disrupt services, especially after the holidays.
The busiest days before Christmas are expected to be Saturday 20 and Monday 22 December. But passengers are more or less guaranteed an uncrowded trip on 24 and 31 December, as well as New Year's Day. After Christmas, there will be a surge in demand on Saturday 27 December when intercity services are restored, with some key lines closed and putting pressure on other routes.
The West Coast Main Line, a major artery, will be closed on the key stretch from Milton Keynes to Rugby until 5 January to replace a junction. Other busy lines like the Chiltern Railway, East Coast Main Line, and East Midlands line will have to take on the extra passengers. Further north, the West Coast Main Line between Preston and Carlisle will also be closed from New Year's Eve to 15 January.
