UK braces for major holiday travel chaos as Liverpool Street station faces extended closure causing severe disruption and delays across major routes

Posted on November 3, 2025

The UK is bracing for major travel disruptions this holiday season, with Liverpool Street station, one of the country’s busiest transport hubs, facing an extended closure starting on Christmas Eve. The closure, which runs until 2 January 2026, is set to cause severe delays and rerouting of services, particularly affecting key routes such as the Weaver Line, Stansted Express and Great Anglia. With the closure coinciding with the festive travel peak, passengers are being advised to plan ahead, as the diversion of mainline train services and ongoing engineering works at the station will cause major disruption to passengers traveling to and from London over the holidays.

Rail passengers across the UK are bracing for major disruption this festive season, with one of the country’s busiest train stations, Liverpool Street, facing an eight-day closure from Christmas Eve. This closure is part of a larger engineering project scheduled to last until January 2, 2026, representing another challenging holiday season for passengers and travelers.

The timing of the closure during the normally quieter holiday period is intended to minimize inconvenience to regular passengers. However, travelers can expect significant delays and diversions. This year’s closure is expected to be similar to the one in 2024, which caused widespread disruption, especially for passengers using main routes through the station. Network Rail has confirmed that this closure will affect several key routes, including the Weaver Line, Stansted Express, services on Greater Anglia and c2c.

To manage this disruption, main services will be diverted to alternative stations. Greater Anglia and Stansted Express Trains will operate from Stratford, providing service on the Great Eastern and West Anglia mainline. Meanwhile, C2C services It will be redirected from London Fenchurch Street via West Ham, and Weaver Line trains It will depart from London Fields, covering stops at Chingford, Enfield Town and Cheshunt.

The closure is just one part of a series of major engineering works taking place at Liverpool Street station, which also includes a roof refurbishment project over the public concourse and platforms 1 to 10. The extensive works will see the roof panels replaced, which is expected to improve natural light, drainage and the overall structure’s ability to withstand extreme weather conditions. These improvements are essential to maintaining the plant’s longevity and safety but will contribute to ongoing disturbances.

In addition to the work on Liverpool Street, Network Rail has announced other major engineering projects scheduled over the festive season. One of the most important is the upgrade of signals in the Cambridge area, which will take place from 25 December to 4 January 2026, as part of a long-term modernization plan aimed at improving the efficiency and overall safety of the railway network.

There will also be track refurbishment works at Kensal Green, which will affect London Overground services running between Gospel Oak and Richmond/Shepherd’s Bush. This refurbishment work is essential to maintaining the high level of service expected from Transport for London’s network, but will further complicate the holiday travel experience for many passengers.

With these multiple engineering projects underway, travelers are urged to plan ahead and be aware of any changes to their usual routes. It is strongly recommended that passengers check updates before travelling, as train services may be subject to last-minute changes, and alternative routes may be necessary.

For those traveling during this period, it is important to note that the closure of Liverpool Street station will impact many people heading to and from popular destinations, including the Stansted Express service to Stansted Airport and connections to Cambridge, Colchester and other important cities in the region. The closure also comes at a time when many people are traveling to visit family and friends for the holidays, which will increase pressure on other train stations and services.

In light of these disruptions, passengers are advised to use online resources, such as train operating company websites and Network Rail’s official channels, to stay informed of any changes. Many train companies will offer alternative services or reroute passengers, but it is important that travelers plan their journeys in advance to avoid unnecessary stress or delays.

As always, safety remains a top priority for Network Rail and, despite the inconvenience these engineering works cause, they ultimately aim to improve the UK’s railway infrastructure in the long term. Improvements to the Liverpool Street station roof, modernization of signaling systems and renewal of tracks are all key to ensuring the continued safety and reliability of the UK’s railway network.

The UK is bracing for major disruption to holiday travel as Liverpool Street station faces an extended closure from Christmas Eve to 2 January 2026. This closure will cause significant delays and rerouting of services, impacting major routes and holiday travel plans across the country.

Travelers are hopeful that these temporary disruptions will lead to lasting improvements, but in the meantime, travelers must remain patient and flexible as they navigate the challenges of traveling across the UK’s rail system over the festive season.