Easter weekend 2024 is Friday 29 March-Monday 1 April 2024. As with most bank holidays, there are planned closures and engineering works on railways and tube lines in and around the capital. We've rounded up the biggest ones — including disruption at one of London's biggest stations — to help you plan ahead.
Disruption to TfL services over Easter Weekend 2024
Thankfully no major tube line closures to contend with this Easter. Here's what is closed:
DLR: No service between Westferry/West India Quay and Stratford/Canning Town, and between Tower Gateway and Shadwell, Friday 29 March-Monday 1 April.
ELIZABETH LINE: No service between Abbey Wood/Stratford and Paddington, Friday 29 March-Monday 1 April. Instead use National Rail trains between Shenfield and Liverpool Street National Rail station (not serving Whitechapel) as alternatives. Additionally, reduced Elizabeth line service between Paddington and Maidenhead/Heathrow on 29-30 March.
LONDON OVERGROUND: No service between Highbury & Islington and New Cross/New Cross Gate/Clapham Junction, Friday 29 March-Monday 1 April. Use local or replacement bus services instead.
TRAMS: No service between East Croydon and Beckenham Junction/Elmers End/New Addington. Replacement buses operate, and it's a longer closure: Friday 29 March-Wednesday 24 April.
A normal service is planned on all other tube lines throughout the Easter period, with the exception of the Waterloo & City line which is closed on weekends and bank holidays, as usual. Check the TfL website for latest updates.
London railway station closures over Easter weekend 2024
EUSTON is the main station to watch out for over the Easter weekend, as the route between there and Milton Keynes Central is closed for engineering work. Avanti West Coast aren't running any trains to and from Euston, 29 March-1 April, and there will a knock-on effect on other parts of the West Coast mainline — so one to watch if you're heading for Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, the Lakes or Scotland. Best advice is to travel either side of the weekend instead. Similarly, London North Western Railway won't be running services between London and Milton Keynes Central/Northampton/Coventry/ Birmingham New Street/Crewe on the same dates.
LIVERPOOL STREET is also affected by engineering works on routes out to Braintree/Clacton-on-Sea/Colchester/Ipswich/Norwich and towards Ely and Cambridge. If you're travelling in those directions, bear in mind that you'll be on a replacement bus for part of your journey. The Greater Anglia website has details.
No other planned closures at any other major National Rail stations in London over Easter, though services may be less frequent than normal, because that's the way things are on bank holidays. That said, one station actually has more services than usual: as IanVisits points out, there will be the unusual sight of London Overground stations running to London Bridge on Sunday 31 March only.
Beyond this, check with your train operating company for details of what is (or isn't) running over Easter weekend.
Getting to London airports: Easter 2024
If you're lucky enough to be jetting off this Easter, leave plenty of time to get to the airport. Here's what you need to know.
Heathrow: As mentioned above, there's a reduced service on the Elizabeth line between Paddington and Heathrow on 29 and 30 March, with only two trains an hour on this route, so leave extra time. The Heathrow Express is also running a reduced timetable. Alternatively, use the Piccadilly line instead, as it's expected to be running as normal.
Gatwick: National Rail trains to Gatwick and the Gatwick Express operate as usual.
Stansted: The Stansted Express warns of longer journey times than normal on 31 March and 1 April, as services take a different route due to engineering works, so give ample time to get to the airport.
City: Though London City Airport station on the DLR is open as usual, note the above closures on the DLR, particularly if coming from central London. No service between Westferry/West India Quay and Stratford/Canning Town, and between Tower Gateway and Shadwell all weekend.
