Over the Christmas and New Year period, from Friday 22 December 2023 until Tuesday 2 January 2024, most TfL public transport is open
"During the festive season, London has it all. I encourage everyone to make the most of the capital's theatres, restaurants and markets - and London's world class public transport is the best way to easily and safely get around the city"
Seb Dance
Deputy Mayor for Transport
  • There will be some planned works and closures that will affect the London Underground, London Overground, Elizabeth line and DLR 
  • Customers heading west on the Elizabeth line are advised there will be no services between Ealing Broadway and Paddington on Sunday 24 December and Wednesday 27 December 2023. Direct TfL services to London Heathrow continue to be available using the Piccadilly line 
  • There will be no Elizabeth line services running on Boxing Day 
  • Santander Cycles and rental e-scooters will be available throughout the festive period. Walking and cycling routes will be largely uninterrupted aside from on New Year's Eve 
  • Full details of all planned closures are available at tfl.gov.uk/christmas-travel 
  • Additional Network Rail engineering work will mean closures at Fenchurch Street, Kings Cross and Paddington mainline stations 

The majority of Transport for London (TfL) services will continue to run throughout the festive period but customers are advised to plan ahead to help ensure they are able to make the most of what's on offer in the capital this December. Resources like TfL's Journey Planner or the TfL Go app will help customers avoid closures caused by planned essential works across the transport network and navigate any last-minute service changes.

TfL services will be running over Christmas and New Year, but there will be no service on the majority of public transport on Christmas Day and no services on some parts of the network on Boxing Day including the Elizabeth line​.

Apart from planned closures, services will run all night on New Year's Eve. The Mayor's annual fireworks display is taking place again this year with customers asked not to travel to the area in and around the Albert Embankment unless they have a ticket. Customers using services to travel on New Year's Eve are subject to TfL's published fares.

Victoria Coach Station, Santander Cycles, rental e-scooters and Dial-a-Ride along with taxi and private hire services will be available throughout the festive period including on Christmas Day. Walking and cycling routes will be largely uninterrupted aside from New Year's Eve when roads in certain areas of central London will be closed, some Santander Cycle docking stations will be out of service, and some bridges will be closed to pedestrians to facilitate the Mayor's fireworks display. The IFS Cloud Cable Car is open throughout the festive period with the exception of Christmas Day.

The central London Congestion Charge will not operate from Monday 25 December to Monday 1 January and will be back in operation from Tuesday 2 January 2024.  The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will not operate on Monday 25 December only and will be back in operation from Tuesday 26 December, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day across all London boroughs. The Low Emission Zone (LEZ) which covers most of Greater London will continue to operate as usual including Monday 25 December.

Winter Wonderland will operate as a ticketed event again this year and will continue to be open to the public until Tuesday 2 January 2024. For a quieter journey, customers can travel to and from Bond Street, which is within a 15-minute walk of Hyde Park, or Victoria and Paddington, which are within a 20-minute walk of Hyde Park.

Planned closures are taking place on various TfL routes and lines including the Bakerloo and Waterloo & City lines, DLR, Elizabeth line and London Overground.  Full details of all planned closures are available at tfl.gov.uk/christmas-travel.

Services during the festive period are typically quieter so TfL and Network Rail take this opportunity to make improvements to rail networks when it is expected to least inconvenience customers. These works include improvements to track, signals and stations as well as bigger schemes including HS2.

The Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, said: 

'During the festive season, London has it all. I encourage everyone to make the most of the capital's theatres, restaurants and markets - and London's world class public transport is the best way to easily and safely get around the city. While most of the network remains open over the festive season, there are some planned works taking place, so I advise people to plan ahead and check their journey before they travel.'

Andy Lord, London's Transport Commissioner, said: 

'The festive season in London is a magical time. Whether you are coming to gaze at the fabulous Christmas lights, grabbing some gifts for family or loved ones, or making the most of the many pubs, restaurants, theatres and entertainment venues, or attending a sporting event, you can rely on TfL services to help you get there and make the most of your trip. 

'The majority of London's transport network will remain open over the festive season to help everyone make the most of the city, but customers are asked to check before they travel as some essential planned works will be taking place. We will be welcoming everyone with cheer and do all we possibly can to ensure that they can travel safely and smoothly.'

Simply touching in and out using a contactless or Oyster card means customers only pay for the journey they make. With the Hopper fare, customers can also make unlimited bus and tram journeys within an hour for just £1.75.

People driving during the festive period are advised to plan ahead as planned works could mean there will be diversions along routes in central London.

There are also planned engineering works on National Rail services, including closures at Fenchurch Street, Kings Cross and Paddington mainline stations. Customers planning to use National Rail services are also advised to check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-information/christmas/.

Notes to editors:

Day to day breakdown of services (23 Dec 2023 - 2 Jan 2024): 

Saturday 23 December: 

  • DLR: Saturday services with no services between Canary Wharf and Westferry/Poplar 
  • Elizabeth line: Normal Saturday service 
  • London Buses: Normal Saturday service 
  • London Overground: Normal service with no services between Clapham Junction and Surrey Quays 
  • London Trams: Normal Saturday service 
  • London Underground: Normal service on all lines except the Waterloo & City line which will have no service 

Sunday 24 December 

  • DLR: A Sunday service will operate with a 22:30 finish 
  • Elizabeth line: A reduced service with no service between Ealing Broadway and Paddington  
  • London Buses: A Sunday service will operate on all day routes but no Night Bus services will operate into Christmas Day 
  • London Trams: Normal Sunday service 
  • London Overground: A reduced service on all routes with no service from Clapham Junction to Surrey Quays and Barking to Barking Riverside 
  • London Underground: A modified Sunday timetable across all lines 

Monday 25 December: 

  • No service on the majority of the network 
  • Congestion Charge zone: Not in operation 
  • Dial-a-Ride: Will operate for pre-booked journeys only 
  • Ultra Low Emission Zone: Not in operation  
  • Victoria Coach station: Will be open for a limited number of services across the UK. Please refer to individual coach company websites for full details - Coach companies - Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk) 

Tuesday 26 December: 

  • Congestion Charge zone: Not in operation 
  • DLR: A normal service but first trains start from 08:30. No service from Canary Wharf to Westferry/Poplar  
  • Elizabeth line: No service on the whole line 
  • London Buses:  Sunday service on all day routes with a Sunday night service into Wednesday morning. There are no night services in the early hours of Tuesday morning 
  • London Trams: Sunday service 
  • London Overground: A reduced service with operate from Clapham Junction to Shepherds Bush, and from New Cross Gate to Crystal Palace. No services on all other London Overground routes 
  • London Underground:  A modified Sunday timetable all lines.  No service from Queens Park to Harrow & Wealdstone. No services will operate on the Waterloo & City line or to Kensington Olympia on the District line 
  • Ultra Low Emission Zone: Back to normal operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 

Wednesday 27 December: 

  • Congestion Charge zone: Not in operation 
  • DLR: Saturday service. No service between Bank/Tower Gateway and Poplar/Canary Wharf 
  • Elizabeth line: A reduced service with no service between Ealing Broadway and Paddington 
  • London Buses: Saturday service on all day routes and normal midweek night services 
  • London Overground: A reduced service on all routes. No services from Clapham Junction to Surrey Quays, Highbury & Islington to New Cross/New Cross Gate, Sydenham to West Croydon and Barking to Barking Riverside 
  • London Trams: Saturday service 
  • London Underground: A Saturday service all lines including an adjusted weekday timetable on the Waterloo & City line. No service will operate to Kensington Olympia on the District line 

Thursday 28 December: 

  • Congestion Charge zone: Not in operation 
  • DLR: Saturday service. No service between Bank/Tower Gateway and Poplar/Canary Wharf 
  • Elizabeth line: Saturday service  
  • London Buses: Saturday service on all day routes with normal midweek night services 
  • London Overground: A reduced service with no service from Clapham Junction to Surrey Quays, Highbury & Islington to New Cross/New Cross Gate and Sydenham to West Croydon 
  • London Trams: Saturday service  
  • London Underground: Saturday service on all lines including an adjusted weekday timetable on the Waterloo & City line. No service will operate to Kensington Olympia on the District line 

Friday 29 December: 

  • Congestion Charge zone: Not in operation 
  • DLR: Saturday service. No service between Bank/Tower Gateway and Poplar/Canary Wharf  
  • Elizabeth line: Saturday service  
  • London Buses: A Saturday service on all day bus routes with normal Friday night services 
  • London Overground: A reduced service with no service from Clapham Junction to Surrey Quays and Highbury & Islington to New Cross/New Cross Gate  
  • London Trams: Saturday service  
  • London Underground: Saturday service and Night Tube services will operate.  No service will operate to Kensington Olympia on the District line 

Saturday 30 December: 

  • Congestion Charge zone: Not in operation 
  • DLR: Saturday service. No service between Bank/Tower Gateway and Poplar/Canary Wharf  
  • Elizabeth line: Saturday service 
  • London Buses: Saturday service on all day routes with normal night services 
  • London Overground: Saturday service with no service between Clapham Junction and Surrey Quays 
  • London Trams: Saturday service  
  • London Underground: Saturday service and normal Night Tube. No services will operate on the Waterloo & City line or to Kensington Olympia on the District line 

Sunday 31 December: 

  • Congestion Charge zone: Not in operation 
  • DLR: Sunday service and special all-night service with trains every 15 minutes on all routes 
  • Elizabeth line: Normal service with a special overnight service. 
  • London Buses: A Sunday night service will operate on all 24-hour and night routes, with certain routes operating at enhanced frequencies and a small number of additional day routes operating overnight 
  • London Trams: Sunday with an all-night service operating every 30 minutes from Wimbledon to Beckenham Junction and Wimbledon to New Addington 
  • London Overground: Normal service during the day with no service from Clapham Junction to Surrey Quays. A special overnight timetable operates on some routes 
  • London Underground: Special timetables with normal Saturday start of service followed by New Year's Eve all night running on all lines. No services will operate on the Waterloo & City line or to Kensington Olympia on the District line 

Monday 1 January: 

  • Congestion Charge zone: Not in operation 
  • DLR: Saturday service  
  • Elizabeth line: Saturday service 
  • London Buses: Sunday service on all day bus routes, with a Sunday night service 
  • London Trams: Sunday service 
  • London Overground: Amended timetable on all routes with no service from Clapham Junction to Surrey Quays 
  • London Underground: Special New Year's Day service on all lines 

Tuesday 2 January 2024: 

  • Congestion Charge zone: Back to normal operation between 7:00 and 18:00 Monday to Friday, and between 12:00 and 18:00 Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays