SOUTH Western Railway is reminding customers of its services over the Christmas and New Year period.
On Sunday 24 December, Christmas Eve, a Sunday timetable will operate and services will end earlier than usual, at around 2200. Customers should check their journey before travelling.
There will be no services on Monday 25 December, Christmas Day, and Tuesday 26 December, Boxing Day.
Between Wednesday 27 and Friday 29 December, a severely reduced service will operate between Basingstoke and Woking while repairs continue at a landslip near Brookwood.
Customers whose trains run between Basingstoke and Woking are advised to only travel if absolutely necessary between Wednesday 27 and Friday 29 December. If customers must travel they should check their journeys carefully using a journey planner.
A Saturday timetable will operate across the rest of the network on these dates and customers should check before travelling.
On Saturday 30 December, a revised Saturday timetable will operate.
On Sunday 31 December 2023, New Year's Eve, a revised Sunday timetable will operate and services will end earlier than usual. Customers travelling to London to attend the fireworks display are advised to only travel if they have a ticket for the event. Customers without tickets will not be permitted entry to the event.
Transport for London (TfL) will not be offering free travel on New Year’s Eve. Some TfL services, including most of the Tube, will run all night.
On Monday 1 January 2024, New Year’s Day, additional services will run between midnight and 5am, for customers returning from festivities in the capital. A revised Sunday timetable will operate thereafter and customers should check before travelling.
A normal service will resume on Tuesday 2 January.
Customers are advised that engineering work will take place in the Southampton area between Christmas Eve and Friday 29 December, and in the Guildford area between Saturday 30 December and New Year’s Day. Once again, customers should check before travelling.
A South Western Railway spokesperson said:
“It’s really important that customers check before they travel during the festive season. Revised timetables will operate and engineering work will take place in the Woking, Southampton and Guildford areas.
“There will be no services on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, but we’re very pleased to confirm that additional services will run in the early hours of New Year’s Day for those heading home from festivities in London.
“South Western Railway wishes its customers a happy Christmas and looks forward to seeing them travel with us in 2024.”