Major changes to Southern services this Christmas

Passengers are being urged to check before travelling over the Christmas period as a major programme of improvement work on the railways in south London this Christmas means that Southern and Gatwick Express services will be disrupted over the holiday period.

The project at Purley, which replaces a major railway junction, will sever the main line meaning major changes to trains to Gatwick Airport from London, and Coastal services to London from 10pm on Christmas Eve until 4am on Monday 4th January. As a result, during this period there will be no trains between South Croydon and Redhill, and the Gatwick Express service will be suspended.

Travel by train between London and the coast will still be possible, but journeys will be diverted, will take longer and trains may be busier. Bus replacements will also be in place to help passengers complete their journeys.

Travelling to Gatwick Airport from London

Although the Gatwick Express service will not run during the festive period, travel by train to Gatwick Airport will be possible from London Victoria via Horsham, but this will take considerably longer (approximately 90 minutes instead of 30). Passengers are advised to leave more time for their journey.

Alternatively, passengers can travel by train to East Grinstead where replacement bus services will allow them to complete the journey to Gatwick Airport. (This will take approximately 90 minutes.)

Travelling by train from Brighton or coastal stations to Gatwick Airport is unaffected.

Travelling between Brighton and London Victoria

Passengers travelling from Brighton to London Victoria will be able to take the train to Three Bridges for a connecting bus to East Grinstead, where the journey can be completed by train. This journey will take between 2-2 ½ hours.

Ticket acceptance on other train operators

From Sunday 27 December 2015 until, and including Sunday 3 January 2016.

Southeastern

Southern tickets will be accepted on Southeastern services from London to Tunbridge Wells and Hasting for passengers from Brighton and East Coastway stations circulating to get to London and at Tonbridge from the Redhill area. Passengers should be aware that due to the closure of London Charing Cross and London Cannon Street, these services will operate out of London Blackfriars with reduced capacity.

Ramsgate services to Tonbridge will also be included but these trains run from Victoria.

South West Trains

Southern tickets will be accepted on SWT between Havant and London with passengers boarding / alighting at Guildford from Great Western services.

Passenger from Chichester could also go west to Havant to pick up a direct train to London Waterloo.

Southern tickets will be accepted on SWT between Dorking and London.

Great Western

Southern tickets will be accepted on Great Western services between Redhill and Dorking Deepdene (7 mins walk to Dorking) to enable passengers to train on trains from Dorking to London Waterloo on SWT or to London Victoria on Southern services.

Redhill to Guildford to connect to SWT to Clapham Junction/Waterloo.

Southern

Redhill passengers with season tickets can drive to Oxted line stations for direct services to London. If they have a car park season ticket they will be able to park at Oxted line stations. Please remember to display your ticket.

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, Thursday 24th December, There will be an early service shutdown. Please check with National Rail Enquiries for the time of your last train by calling National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50 or check the National Rail Enquiries website.

New Year's Eve

If people are staying in London for midnight or beyond and want to return to Brighton, buses will run to Gatwick then trains will run to Brighton.

Alternatively, trains will run to East Croydon followed by buses to Three Bridges, then a train to Brighton.

Both of the above journeys will take between 2 – 2 ½ hours.

Please note - on New Year’s Eve, London Blackfriars south entrance will close at 7pm and the north entrance will be exit-only from 11.30pm. This is at the request of the authorities who are managing crowds at this very busy time. Please use Farringdon for Thameslink services.

Southeastern services

From Christmas Eve to 3 January 2016, Thameslink Programme improvement work at London Bridge means there will be no trains stopping at Charing Cross, Waterloo East, Cannon Street or London Bridge.

There will be a revised timetable and those trains going into and from London will start/terminate at Victoria, Blackfriars or New Cross. This means that trains may be busier than usual.

Details of Southern and Thameslink service frequency for the festive period can be downloaded below: