Heading into, out of, or around London over Christmas?
Wondering which trains run between Christmas and New Year?
Do London buses run on Christmas Day?
Find out all you need to know about transport in London over Christmas and New Year below. Bear in mind that services may shut down early on Christmas Eve — always check your specific service before your travel.
The below information is correct at time of writing, but do check directly with your transport operator before you set off.
Does the Tube run on Christmas Day? A guide to TfL services over Christmas
As usual, no TfL services run on Christmas Day. That's buses, Tubes, trains, Elizabeth line, Overground, DLR, river boats, cable car, the works. Some transport will also finish early on Christmas Eve, so don't get caught out by that.
Santander Cycles are still available to hire on 25 December, and electric scooter hire is available in some boroughs. Some taxi services will also be running.
Aside from the Christmas Day mass shutdown, here are the rest of the details as to what's closed between Christmas and New Year:
DLR: No service between Shadwell and Bank, 21-30 December, and no replacement buses. Also no service between Prince Regent and Beckton 21-24 December (though replacement buses will operate for this stretch).
ELIZABETH LINE: No service on the whole line on 26 December (in line with most National Rail services). Limited service at Liverpool Street 27 December-1 January, and reduced service on other parts of the line 27-29 December.
LONDON OVERGROUND: On 26 December, no service on the Windrush line between Surrey Quays and New Cross / Clapham Junction / Battersea Park, or between Sydenham and Crystal Palace, or on the Weaver line between Liverpool Street and Cheshunt / Chingford / Enfield Town, or on the Liberty line between Romford and Upminster, or on the Mildmay line between Richmond and Willesden Junction, or on the Lioness line between Euston and Watford Junction. Use alternative tube lines of local bus services instead. Reduced service on the Weaver line 27 December-1 January due to works at Liverpool Street. Special overnight service on some lines on NYE. Not clued up on the new names for the Overground lines yet? Here's a map to help you out.
WATERLOO & CITY LINE: As always, no service on Saturdays, Sundays or bank holidays.
Can you drive in London for free on Christmas Day 2024?
The Congestion Charge (which applies to all vehicles driving within the Congestion Charge Zone) does not apply 25 December 2024-1 January 2025, inclusive.
The ULEZ, which is the one that applies to the most polluting vehicles, does not apply on Christmas Day, 25 December. However, unlike the Congestion Charge, it is enforced every other day of the year, including Boxing Day through to New Year.
And finally, the LEZ, which generally only applies to heavy diesel vehicles and is separate from the ULEZ, applies every day of the year including Christmas Day.
Unsure which applies to you? Check your vehicle on the TfL website.
Which railway stations are closed over Christmas 2024?
PADDINGTON STATION: Major engineering works relating to HS2 are taking place in the Paddington area over the weekend Friday 27-Sunday 29 December. No trains are able to call at Paddington all weekend This means an altered service on the Elizabeth line, Great Western Railway and the Heathrow Express — full details here. Paddington tube station is separate, and is unaffected by this closure.
LIVERPOOL STREET STATION: Complete closure of Liverpool Street station, 27 December 2024-1 January 2025, affecting Elizabeth line, Greater Anglia, C2C, London Overground, and Stansted Express. Some Elizabeth line trains will still be able to run, making use of the underground platforms, but with an amended service. Other operators are diverted into alternative stations including Fenchurch Street and Stratford. Full details here.
ST PANCRAS: Be aware of alterations on the Thameslink network between St Pancras and Bedford, 21-29 December.
See National Rail's Christmas travel page for more details on the above. Beyond this, check with your train operating company for details of what is (or isn't) running between Christmas and New Year. There are no trains running anywhere on Christmas Day, and most operators start winding down early (around 5pm — though it varies) on Christmas Eve.
Getting to and from London airports: Christmas 2024
HEATHROW: No Heathrow Express services will run between the airport and central London, in either direction, 25-29 December. No Elizabeth line 25-26 December. Reduced Elizabeth line service 27-29 December. The Heathrow branch of the Piccadilly line operates as normal throughout the festive period.
GATWICK: No services 25 December. No Gatwick Express 26 December — on this day there is a limited Southern service between Victoria and Brighton serving Gatwick. Services are scheduled to run as usual on all other days.
STANSTED: No service 25 December. Due to the work at Liverpool Street, the Stansted Express cannot call at Liverpool Street 26 December-1 January, and will terminate at Tottenham Hale instead.
CITY: No service on the DLR between Shadwell and Bank, 21-30 December. If you're heading out towards the airport on the DLR, start your journey at Tower Gateway or Shadwell instead of Bank. No DLR service on 25 December.
More information on National Rail's Christmas page.
New Year's Eve travel in and around London
Sadly, there's no free travel on New Year's Eve this year, but services do run through the night to help people get home after seeing in 2025. There's a special service on all Tube lines throughout the night, except the Waterloo & City, and the Kensington Olympia branch of the District line. Some stations closest to the NYE Fireworks action may close temporarily if they get too busy.
The Elizabeth line runs a special overnight service (not on the Heathrow line) and there's a special overnight service on the DLR, trams and Windrush, Mildmay and Weaver lines on the London Overground.
On the buses, a Saturday service runs on 24-hour routes — check your route for details. Do note that some buses will be diverted from about 2pm on 31 December, as bridges and roads in central London close in preparation for the fireworks.
Full information available on the TfL New Year's Eve page.
Are there train strikes over Christmas 2024?
At time of writing (late November 2024), there are no strikes planned on the railway network over Christmas 2024. All upcoming railway strikes are recorded on the National Rail website, so check that page before you travel for any changes.
Similarly, there are no planned strikes on TfL services, but this is the page to keep an eye on for any changes there.
