Christmas is a’coming, just not by train (again).
There’s to be a 12-day shutdown of Southern train services into Victoria over Christmas and the New Year
If you’re planning on going anywhere in central London over the end-of-year period, you might as well as forget trying to do so by train, as Southern has announced a host of station closures and service cancellations.
These include the closure of Victoria from December 22 until January 2, when a replacement bus service running to and from Clapham Junction (which is sure to be fun), for major works to replace worn track.
The Gatwick Express will not be running, meaning that passengers to and from the airport will be displaced on to the already often overcrowded regular services through East Croydon to London Bridge and Blackfriars.
Train disruption is something with which Croydon rail passengers are only too familiar, with a Christmas shutdown caused by London Bridge redevelopments having become an annual trial for anyone wishing to travel into the city centre.
But closing Victoria, one of the country’s busiest rail terminals, for 12 days seems likely to cause special difficulties for those living and working in Croydon.
This year, on Christmas Eve, which falls on a Monday, there will be early shutdown – around 9pm – of many services leaving London. There are no rail services across the country on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day.
And the Evening Standard reports: “Some train companies are still working on final timetable details and these will not be published until later next month, meaning families planning to head off for the holiday season still do not know whether they will have a train service.”
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But Chris Philp said he’d sort out Southern Rail in his election manifesto so someone is lying…
He’s too busy directing traffic on the Franco-Swiss border.
Which following electoral changes is in his constituency…