Throughout the Christmas and New Year period, tens of thousands of railway engineers will work tirelessly across the nation to enhance the national railway network.

The upgrade will involve replacing 45 sets of points, reconstructing four bridges, laying 40 kilometres of new signalling cables, refurbishing 17 level crossings, and activating seven new signalling systems.

These improvements are designed to reduce delays, boost train performance, and increase reliability.

At Network Rail’s managed stations, passenger travel between Christmas and New Year usually decreases by 50-60% compared to a regular week in November or early December.

Consequently, engineering work conducted over the holiday season results in significantly less disruption than it would in a busier, typical week.

“The festive period is a unique opportunity, when fewer people are travelling, to do big pieces of work to make services better, more punctual and more reliable.

The major projects we’re undertaking would otherwise take many weekends to complete and cause much more disruption. Whilst roads are busier during the holidays, it’s actually one of the quietest times on the railway, meaning we can improve things whilst causing less disruption to passengers and freight flows.

Most of the railway will be open as normal over Christmas and New Year, so passengers can go ahead and book their travel – timetables will start to go live this weekend. Just be sure to plan ahead as there will be significant changes to journeys on some key routes.”

Helen Hamlin, Network Rail’s director of system operations

Network Rail is set to carry out numerous projects during the Christmas and New Year period, with the most significant ones including:

• Due to the installation of new signalling and track equipment required for the HS2’s new Old Oak Common station near Paddington, there will be no train services at London Paddington from Friday 27th to Sunday 29th December. Some trains will be rerouted to and from London Euston, while most will begin or terminate at Reading and Ealing Broadway. Travellers heading to London may transfer at Ealing Broadway for a Transport for London service into the city via the District or Central lines.

• Significant alterations to services in the Crewe area are scheduled between Wednesday, 25 December, and Thursday, 2 January, due to re-signalling work. Service changes will vary throughout this period. On Friday, 27 December, no trains will operate through Crewe. Additionally, there will be no direct services to Liverpool and fewer services to Manchester from Saturday, 28 December, until Friday, 3 January.

• Engineering works are scheduled for the Midland Main Line from Saturday, December 21 to Sunday, December 29, resulting in significant disruptions to passenger services. East Midlands Railway (EMR) services will not operate between London St Pancras and Bedford, and Thameslink services will be suspended between London St Pancras and Harpenden. Passengers accustomed to travelling north from London St Pancras should plan to use alternative London stations and connecting bus services to complete their journeys.

• Renovation at Bishopsgate Tunnel and enhancements for passenger experience at London Liverpool Street will result in the station’s closure from Wednesday, 25 December, with services expected to resume on Thursday, 2 January. Greater Anglia services, including the Stansted Express, will be rerouted through Stratford. London Overground services will end at London Fields. During this period, passengers are advised to use Victoria line services from Walthamstow Central and Seven Sisters or local bus services to complete their travel.

• Engineering activities, such as track renewals, updates to the Cambridge signalling system, and construction for the new Cambridge South station—which aims to reduce congestion and offer faster access to the city’s biomedical campus—will result in the suspension of services between Royston/Audley End and Cambridge/Cambridge North from Tuesday, December 24, to Monday, January 6. Replacement bus services will operate between the impacted stations, with the exception of Christmas Day and Boxing Day.