Train & bus travel guide for Christmas

All you need to know about timetable changes

Here is the definitive guide to Christmas and New Year disruption on the rails and the buses

Saturday, December 22.

A normal service on Stagecoach buses and the South West Falcon is running.

A normal service on the trains was expected to run, but South Western Railway workers are set to strike, with drivers having been instructed not to book on for shifts between 0.01am an 11.59pm during the strike.

Sunday, December 23

A normal service on Stagecoach buses and the South West Falcon is running.

On the trains, some South Western Railway train services across the network will be amended, retimed or cancelled, with some additional services running, as there is engineering work at London Waterloo:

Major improvement work is taking place at London Paddington, which means that there will be no trains to or from London Paddington, and long distance services will start / terminate at Reading.

The “Night Riviera” Sleeper service between London Paddington and Penzance will not run.

Monday, December 24.

Stagecoach will be running a Saturday bus service across the whole of Devon, with the last buses running at approximately 8pm.

Exceptions are

• Service H, which will not serve Exeter Quay
• North Devon 372 (Bradworth to Barnstaple), and Plymouth City 13, 17, 18, 19, 31, 32 & 52, which will run a Monday School Holiday service
• Service N21 (Ilfracombe or Barnstaple – Appledore or Westward Ho!) which will not operate.

The South West Falcon is operating a Saturday service but with last coaches as:

• Last coach from Plymouth to Bristol 17:2
• Last coach from Plymouth to Exeter and Taunton 19:00
• Last coach from Exeter (Honiton Road) to Bristol 18:31
• Last coach from Exeter (Honiton Road) to Taunton 20:11
• Last coach from Taunton to Bristol 19:10
• Last coach from Bristol to Plymouth 21:30
• Last coach from Bristol Airport to Plymouth 22:05
• Last coach from Taunton to Plymouth 22:58
• Last coach from Exeter (Honiton Road) to Plymouth 23:37

On the trains, from 7pm a revised service will run with many late evening trains being cancelled or not running to their normal destinations. The network will shut down completely by about 10pm.

Major improvement work is taking place at London Paddington, which means that there will be no trains to or from London Paddington, and long distance services will start / terminate at Reading.

The “Night Riviera” Sleeper service between London Paddington and Penzance will not run.

An hourly train service will operate on routes between

Birmingham New Street – Bristol Temple Meads
Birmingham New Street – Manchester Piccadilly
Birmingham New Street – Reading

Services will close down from early evening ready for the Christmas Holiday.

Engineering work is taking place at London Waterloo, closing a number of lines and platforms at the station:

As a result, a shuttle service will run between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction and some South Western Railway train services across the network will be amended, retimed or cancelled.

Tuesday, December 25

No trains or buses are running

Wednesday, December 26

No trains are running in Devon

Special timetables will be running on the following bus services:

• Exeter routes 5, 9, 57, A , E , F2
• Torbay route 12
• North Devon route 21
• Plymouth routes 1, 2/2A

A special timetable for the South West Falcon is operating with departures from Plymouth at 8am, 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm, with departures from Bristol at 12.30pm, 2.30pm, 4.45pm, 6.30pm and 9pm

 Thursday, December 27

Stagecoach will be running a Saturday service on the buses.

Exceptions are:

• North Devon 14 &16 (around Bideford) and Plymouth City 13, 17, 18, 19, 31, 32 & 52, which are running Thursday School Holiday service
• Service N21 (Ilfracombe or Barnstaple – Appledore or Westward Ho!) will not operate.

The South West Falcon is operating a Saturday service but with the first coach from Plymouth at 1.15am and the first coach from Bristol at 5.30am

On the trains, major improvement work is taking place at London Paddington, which means a reduced service of four trains per hour (two local and two long distance) will operate between London Paddington and Didcot Parkway / Oxford

Engineering work is taking place at London Waterloo, closing a number of lines and platforms at the station:

As a result, a shuttle service will run between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction and some South Western Railway train services across the network will be amended, retimed or cancelled.

The “Night Riviera” Sleeper service between London Paddington and Penzance will not run.

Major improvement work between Patchway and Severn Tunnel Junction / Chepstow is also taking place, with buses replacing trains between Newport and Bristol Parkway, with both fast and stopping buses running on this route.

An amended timetable will be in operation between Cardiff Central and Newport, and also between London Paddington and Bristol Parkway. Services that usually run between Cardiff Central and Taunton will run between Bristol Temple Meads and Taunton only.

Friday, December 28

Stagecoach will be running a Saturday service on the buses.

Exceptions are:

• North Devon 641 (Bideford to Holsworthy) which is operate a Wednesday School Holiday service
• Plymouth City 13, 17, 18, 19, 31, 32 & 52, which are running a Friday School Holiday service

The South West Falcon is operating a Saturday service

On the trains, major improvement work is taking place at London Paddington, which means a reduced service of four trains per hour (two local and two long distance) will operate between London Paddington and Didcot Parkway / Oxford

Engineering work is taking place at London Waterloo, closing a number of lines and platforms at the station:

As a result, a shuttle service will run between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction and some South Western Railway train services across the network will be amended, retimed or cancelled.

The “Night Riviera” Sleeper service between London Paddington and Penzance will not run.

Major improvement work between Patchway and Severn Tunnel Junction / Chepstow is also taking place, with buses replacing trains between Newport and Bristol Parkway, with both fast and stopping buses running on this route.

An amended timetable will be in operation between Cardiff Central and Newport, and also between London Paddington and Bristol Parkway. Services that usually run between Cardiff Central and Taunton will run between Bristol Temple Meads and Taunton only.

Saturday, December 29

A normal Saturday service is operating on all bus routes, including the South West Falcon

On the trains, major improvement work is taking place at London Paddington, which means a reduced service of four trains per hour (two local and two long distance) will operate between London Paddington and Didcot Parkway / Oxford

The “Night Riviera” Sleeper service between London Paddington and Penzance will not run.

Major improvement work between Patchway and Severn Tunnel Junction / Chepstow is also taking place, with buses replacing trains between Newport and Bristol Parkway, with both fast and stopping buses running on this route.

An amended timetable will be in operation between Cardiff Central and Newport, and also between London Paddington and Bristol Parkway. Services that usually run between Cardiff Central and Taunton will run between Bristol Temple Meads and Taunton only.

Sunday, December 30

A normal Sunday service is operating on all routes, including the South West Falcon

On the trains, major improvement work is taking place at London Paddington, which means a reduced service of four trains per hour (two local and two long distance) will operate between London Paddington and Didcot Parkway / Oxford

The “Night Riviera” Sleeper service between London Paddington and Penzance will not run.

Major improvement work between Patchway and Severn Tunnel Junction / Chepstow is also taking place, with buses replacing trains between Newport and Bristol Parkway, with both fast and stopping buses running on this route.

An amended timetable will be in operation between Cardiff Central and Newport, and also between London Paddington and Bristol Parkway. Services that usually run between Cardiff Central and Taunton will run between Bristol Temple Meads and Taunton only.

Monday, December 31

Stagecoach will be running a Saturday bus service across the whole of Devon, with the last buses running at approximately 8pm.

Exceptions are

• Service H, which will not serve Exeter Quay
• North Devon 372 (Bradworth to Barnstaple), and Plymouth City 13, 17, 18, 19, 31, 32 & 52, which will run a Monday School Holiday service
• Service N21 (Ilfracombe or Barnstaple – Appledore or Westward Ho!) which will not operate.

The South West Falcon is operating a Saturday service

On the trains, major improvement work is taking place at London Paddington, which means a reduced service of four trains per hour (two local and two long distance) will operate between London Paddington and Didcot Parkway / Oxford

The “Night Riviera” Sleeper service between London Paddington and Penzance will not run.

Major improvement work between Patchway and Severn Tunnel Junction / Chepstow is also taking place, with buses replacing trains between Newport and Bristol Parkway, with both fast and stopping buses running on this route.

An amended timetable will be in operation between Cardiff Central and Newport, and also between London Paddington and Bristol Parkway. Services that usually run between Cardiff Central and Taunton will run between Bristol Temple Meads and Taunton only.

South Western Railway planned to operate a Saturday timetable, but strike action is planned to take place between 0.01am and 11.59am, which may affect services.

Tuesday, January 1

No trains or Stagecoach buses are running

The South West Falcon is operating a special service, with departures from Plymouth at 1.15am, 8am, 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm, and departures from Bristol at 1.30am, 3.30am, 5.30am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm, 4.45pm, 6.30pm and 9pm

Some services which normally leave London Waterloo just after midnight will be delayed to provide services for those returning from the New Year celebrations, but on South Western Railway routes, for the rest of New Years’ Day, a Sunday service will operate.

Major improvement work between Patchway and Severn Tunnel Junction / Chepstow is also taking place, with buses replacing trains between Newport and Bristol Parkway, with both fast and stopping buses running on this route.

An amended timetable will be in operation between Cardiff Central and Newport, and also between London Paddington and Bristol Parkway. Services that usually run between Cardiff Central and Taunton will run between Bristol Temple Meads and Taunton only.

The “Night Riviera” Sleeper service between London Paddington and Penzance will not run

Wednesday, January 2

A normal Wednesday school holiday bus service is running on all routes.

The South West Falcon is operating a normal Wednesday service but with the first coach from Plymouth at 1.15am and the first coach from Bristol at 5.30am

Train services in and out of Devon will run as normally scheduled

Thursday, January 3

A normal Thursday school holiday bus service is running on all routes

The South West Falcon is operating a normal service

Train services in and out of Devon will run as normally scheduled

Friday, January 4

A normal Friday school holiday bus service is running on all routes

The South West Falcon is operating a normal service

Train services in and out of Devon will run as normally scheduled