Christmas and New Year timetable alterations 2021

This Christmas and New Year there will be a number of changes to our usual timetable. A summary of services each day is set out below; we also recommend you check ahead before travelling during the festive period.

These changes allow extensive access to the c2c route for Network Rail’s “orange army” of engineers. This means they can carry out a programme of improvements, maintenance and upgrades. In particular, Network Rail will be undertaking bridge-strengthening works near both Fenchurch Street and Shadwell stations. You can read more about Network Rail’s investment into the infrastructure on the c2c route here. As a result, no c2c services will be able to access Fenchurch Street between 25 December and 3 January. Instead services will run into Liverpool Street, or terminate at Barking.

We are sorry if these changes have an impact on a journey you wish to make. This engineering work is essential to maintain the safety and reliability of c2c services. It also helps to prevent the need for speed restrictions on the track, that cause delays. We do understand how important your journeys are during the festive period, but overall there are far fewer people travelling than at other times of year.

Day-by-day guide to your festive travel

Monday 20 December – Thursday 23 December: 

• We are running our normal timetable, except for operational reasons services that are normally 12-carriage trains will be running as 8-carriage trains only

Friday 24 December (Christmas Eve):

• Our normal timetable is in operation during the morning
• From 12.00 we will be running an amended timetable, with more trains running earlier than normal to help people travelling home from work early
• Our last trains of the day run significantly earlier than normal, with the final train departing Fenchurch Street at around 22.00

Saturday 25 December and Sunday 26 December (Christmas Day and Boxing Day):

• No trains are running on the c2c route

Monday 27 December and Tuesday 28 December (Bank Holidays):

• No trains are running between Barking and central London. Please use tube services for this section of your journey
• A Sunday level of frequency is running on the rest of the c2c route as follows:
  • Services via Basildon: Trains are running between Barking and Shoeburyness only
  • Services via Ockendon and via Tilbury: Rail-replacement buses are running between Pitsea and Upminster calling at all stations
  • Services via Rainham: Rail-replacement buses are running between Upminster and Grays

Wednesday 29 December – Friday 31 December (New Year’s Eve):

• A Saturday level of frequency is running on the c2c route as follows:
  • Services via Basildon: Trains are running between Liverpool Street and Shoeburyness
  • Services via Ockendon: A shuttle train service is running between Grays and Upminster only. Please change for onward travel into central London
  • Services via Rainham and via Tilbury: Trains are running between Liverpool Street and Southend Central
• On New Year’s Eve, our last train leaves central London at 01.15

Saturday 1 January – Monday 3 January (Bank Holiday):

• No trains are running between Barking and central London. Please use tube services for this section of your journey
• A Sunday level of frequency is running on the c2c route as follows:
  • Services via Basildon: Trains are running between Barking and Shoeburyness only
  • Services via Ockendon: A shuttle train service is running between Grays and Upminster only. Please change for onward travel into central London
  • Services via Rainham and via Tilbury: Trains are running between Barking and Southend Central only

Tuesday 4 January:

• Our normal timetable resumes