South East rail passengers urged to plan ahead for festive travel

Travellers are reminded the Govia Thameslink Railway network will start to close down early on Christmas Eve

Rail passengers have been urged to plan ahead if they intend to travel over the festive period.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which runs Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express trains, said services would end early on Christmas Eve and there would be no trains on Christmas Day.

There are also widespread changes due to the seasonal timetable and planned engineering work by Network Rail.

Customers are advised to check their journeys before travelling.

Jenny Saunders, GTR's customer services director, said passengers should allow "plenty of extra time, especially where services are finishing early or replacement buses are running."

Passengers are urged to check their journeys before travelling over the festive period

Summary of service changes

• On Boxing Day, Thameslink, Gatwick Express and other Southern services will not run. However, a Southern service will run with trains in and out of London Victoria serving Gatwick Airport, Brighton, East Croydon and Sutton

• Passengers travelling from Brighton to Southampton on Christmas Eve, as well as from London Victoria between 27 - 29 December, are urged check timetables to due to disruption

• Also on Christmas Eve, and from 27 December to 1 January, some Thameslink services will run on a reduced timetable due to engineering work

• Between 27 - 28 December, services between London Bridge/London Victoria and Epsom/Dorking/Horsham will run to a reduced timetable. Services between Reigate and London Victoria will only run between Reigate and Redhill. Also, trains on the Caterham and Tattenham Corner routes will only run between Purley and Caterham/Tattenham Corner

• From 30 December to 1 January, a normal service will run on all other Thameslink services, with an overnight service between Three Bridges and Bedford on Sunday

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