No Southeastern trains on 25 and 26 December; last year's final Christmas Eve train to Lewisham left Charing Cross at 22.01. The 2026 plan is due in November.
The railway plan for Christmas 2026 has not been published yet. What is certain is that no Southeastern trains run on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, and Christmas Eve services finish early. Last year the final trains home to Lewisham left London around 10pm, and the big closures fell after New Year, when buses replaced trains between Lewisham and Orpington via Grove Park and on the Greenwich and Sidcup lines to Dartford. Operators usually publish the festive plan in November. Here is last year’s, line by line, so you know what to expect.
The quick answer
- No Southeastern trains on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. In 2026 those are Friday 25 and Saturday 26 December.
- Christmas Eve 2025: last direct train to Lewisham at 22.01 from Charing Cross, 21.45 from Cannon Street and 21.33 from Victoria.
- 1 to 4 January 2026: buses replaced trains from Lewisham to Orpington via Grove Park. Charing Cross and Waterloo East were shut.
Southeastern at Christmas 2025
Southeastern’s Christmas and New Year travel page still shows the 2025/26 plan. A revised timetable ran from Saturday 20 December to Sunday 4 January.
| Date | What ran |
|---|---|
| Mon 22 to Wed 24 Dec | Saturday timetable, with extra trains on some routes. On Christmas Eve, no trains after about 22:00 |
| Thu 25 and Fri 26 Dec | No Southeastern trains |
| Sat 27 to Wed 31 Dec | All routes open except Victoria. Saturday timetable on weekdays, with extra late trains from Charing Cross, Cannon Street and London Bridge after midnight on New Year’s Eve |
| Thu 1 Jan | Sunday service. Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Waterloo East closed, and buses between Lewisham and Orpington via Grove Park and between Greenwich and Dartford via New Cross and Sidcup |
| Fri 2 and Sat 3 Jan | Charing Cross and Waterloo East closed, and the same two bus replacements |
| Sun 4 Jan | Sunday timetable, with buses between Lewisham and Orpington via Grove Park and Greenwich and Sidcup via New Cross |
The operator said most trains were diverted to Victoria while the Charing Cross terminals were shut. Off-peak fares applied all day on 29, 30 and 31 December, except Travelcards and journeys wholly within the London Travelcard area.
Last trains on Christmas Eve 2025
These are the last direct trains from each London terminal on Christmas Eve 2025, from Southeastern’s last trains PDF. A dash means no direct train from that terminal.
| Station | Charing Cross | Cannon Street | Victoria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewisham | 22.01 | 21.45 | 21.33 |
| Hither Green | 22.01 | 21.20 | - |
| Grove Park | 22.01 | 21.20 | - |
| Blackheath | 20.55 | 21.45 | 21.33 |
| Lee | 21.20 | - | - |
| Ladywell | 21.08 | - | - |
| Catford Bridge | 21.08 | - | - |
| Lower Sydenham | 21.08 | - | - |
| New Cross | - | 21.45 | - |
| St Johns | - | 21.45 | - |
| Deptford | - | 21.26 | - |
Trains from Charing Cross call at London Bridge nine minutes later, and trains from Cannon Street about four minutes later. Blackheath’s 20.55 from Charing Cross was far earlier than its other options.
Thameslink: Catford, Bellingham and Crofton Park
Network Rail’s Christmas 2025/26 announcement said no Thameslink trains would run between London Blackfriars and Bellingham from Saturday 27 to Wednesday 31 December 2025. That covered the Catford loop through Crofton Park, Catford and Bellingham. Replacement buses ran between London Bridge and Bromley South via Bellingham, and rail tickets were valid on local buses, trams and the Underground.
DLR, Overground and buses
TfL’s Christmas 2025 announcement said there would be no service on most public transport on Christmas Day, and a Sunday service on buses, the Underground and trams on Boxing Day. For the DLR, which ends at Lewisham:
- From 13 December to 4 January, Bank to Lewisham ran as a 2-car service.
- From 22 December to 2 January, weekdays ran to a Saturday timetable.
- On New Year’s Eve, a 15-minute service ran on Bank to Lewisham; on New Year’s Day, a Sunday service.
Apart from planned closures, TfL ran services all night on New Year’s Eve. The announcement did not list any London Overground closures, but the Windrush line stations at New Cross Gate, Brockley, Honor Oak Park, Forest Hill and Sydenham should be checked on TfL’s Christmas travel page nearer the time.
Driving and parking
TfL said the ULEZ applied as normal except on Christmas Day, and the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel charges were suspended only on Christmas Day. Lewisham Council enforces parking every day except Christmas Day (parking and traffic enforcement on public holidays), and moving-traffic cameras run all the time. Our parking in Lewisham and roadworks and travel pages cover the rest.
Still to be confirmed
- Southeastern and Thameslink Christmas 2026 engineering works. National Rail’s Christmas travel page usually carries the plan from November. We will replace last year’s tables then.
- Christmas Eve 2026 last trains. Expected in late November or early December.
- TfL’s 2026 festive changes, including the DLR. Last year’s announcement came on 2 December.
For the everyday timetable, see our Lewisham train times to London page.
Sources
- Christmas and New Year travel, Southeastern (2025/26 plan)
- Last trains on Christmas Eve 2025, Southeastern (PDF)
- Engineering work over Christmas and New Year 2025/26, Network Rail, 19 November 2025
- Majority of TfL services running over Christmas and New Year, TfL, 2 December 2025
- Parking and traffic enforcement on public holidays, Lewisham Council
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