Christmas 2024 Engineering Works Timetable

[Western Sunset]

Westbury closed 27th Dec 24 to 23rd Jan 25 for track renewals. Avoiding line will still be open.

 

[Bald Rick]

RTT is now showing nothing south of Cambridge between December 27th and January *5th* inclusive, which therefore includes the first two working days of the new year (Jan 2nd and 3rd). Is this actually what's going to happen? I don't recall any previous examples, at least not in recent years, of Christmas engineering work running into the new year like that.

It’s been pretty routine for at least a decade. This year, with Christmas and New Year on Wednesdays makes it a little more popular for big blocks - previous years show the reduction in passengers in the days immediately before Christmas and immediately after new year. I can attest from personal experience that commuter custom on the MML on Christmas eve is rather less than 10% of normal (more than once I’ve had a carriage to myself on a train that would normally be carrying 1200+ people).

Sadly it's very common that timetables are published late now. There's a lot of finger pointing but it still happens regularly.

For the avoidance of doubt, this year’s Christmas amendments have not been published late.
In fact they have been published early. They should be published 12 weeks out, which is another 2-3 weeks away yet.

 

[Magdalen Road]

Well having planned for no trains between Christmas and New Year, this is news to me that I won’t be able to get into work on the first working day of the year.
I don’t have any leave left because we have to book it up. Hospital workers do actually use the train to get to work, and there are business meetings.
What a great start to the year, will probably have to work an extra day when the trains are running.

 

[30907]

Well having planned for no trains between Christmas and New Year, this is news to me that I won’t be able to get into work on the first working day of the year.
I don’t have any leave left because we have to book it up. Hospital workers do actually use the train to get to work, and there are business meetings.
What a great start to the year, will probably have to work an extra day when the trains are running.

Presumably replacement buses will be planned?

 

[Magdalen Road]

Presumably replacement buses will be planned?

It’s already a 2 hour commute (each way), the replacement bus adds on around an hour (each way) and I get travel sick on coaches.

 

[Freightmaster]

It’s already a 2 hour commute (each way),

You commute four hours a day?!



MARK

 

[Magdalen Road]

You commute four hours a day?!



MARK

Yes, 2 hours door to door. It's a professional,specialised job and the workplaces were centralised hence the long commute. There isn't anywhere closer for me to work.

 

[Class 170101]

You commute four hours a day?!



MARK

Doesn't seem unreasonable for an each way commute. I did that when I first started work.

 

[Rail Ranger]

More details about the engineering work at Crewe over Christmas to commission the Basford Hall and Independent Lines resignalling: https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2024/1...or-rail-upgrades-in-crewe-over-christmas.html
'Significant railway closures' as £200m project in Cheshire approaches completion.

 

[Intercity_225]

I'm hoping to go trainspotting around London during the christmas holidays (23rd Dec - 3rd Jan), what would be the best day to trainspot between those 2 dates?

 

[Mugby]

More details about the engineering work at Crewe over Christmas to commission the Basford Hall and Independent Lines resignalling: https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2024/1...or-rail-upgrades-in-crewe-over-christmas.html
'Significant railway closures' as £200m project in Cheshire approaches completion.

I can't follow this at all. On Avanti's site it's implied that trains towards Preston on 1 Jan are diverted via Stoke and Manchester, there's a map showing the diversion going via Wigan. This is not correct, there are no trains at all from Wigan NW (or Wallgate) on 1 Jan. Buses are operating all the way from Preston to Crewe but it doesn't say exactly where or what the work is.
South of Crewe, will the work at Basford Hall be completed by 1 Jan?

 

[Freightmaster]

South of Crewe, will the work at Basford Hall be completed by 1 Jan?

Yes - the WCML reopens at 0520 on the 1st, with the Independent lines following two days later.



MARK

 

[bleeder4]

I can't follow this at all. On Avanti's site it's implied that trains towards Preston on 1 Jan are diverted via Stoke and Manchester, there's a map showing the diversion going via Wigan. This is not correct, there are no trains at all from Wigan NW (or Wallgate) on 1 Jan. Buses are operating all the way from Preston to Crewe but it doesn't say exactly where or what the work is.
South of Crewe, will the work at Basford Hall be completed by 1 Jan?

Yes, the Avanti website is wrong I think. I'll be travelling from Edinburgh to Birmingham between Christmas and New Year and the Avanti website implied they would still be running during those days, but diverting via Stoke instead. However, RTT shows they're only running southbound as far as Preston, so my only option to get to Birmingham is a CrossCountry service instead. I'll have to make sure I buy a flexible ticket, as I'll be going up there before Christmas on Avanti up the WCML, but coming back CrossCountry via ECML.

On a side note, it means that on Monday 30th December the SRPS railtour from Bo'ness to Crewe is the only direct train all day between Edinburgh and Crewe!

 

[MikeFromLFE]

Thanks for all your answers, and of course I should have thought about Real Time Trains.

However, I am still surprised that there is no list available to non-enthusiasts. Or perhaps the engineering works aren’t as set in stone for months in advance as I thought?

The EMR arrangements and amended timetables are at https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co....-trains-between-bedford-and-london-st-pancras
I have no idea how long they've been there - I only noticed them because my daughter confused me by saying she was getting a direct service between Wellingborough & East Midlands Parkway on 24th December.

 

[43055]

The EMR arrangements and amended timetables are at https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co....-trains-between-bedford-and-london-st-pancras
I have no idea how long they've been there - I only noticed them because my daughter confused me by saying she was getting a direct service between Wellingborough & East Midlands Parkway on 24th December.

EMR's Christmas info has been up for a few weeks now.