Millions of passengers across the UK are facing significant travel disruption as the country's busiest railway station, London Liverpool Street, remains closed for the entire week. The major transport hub will not fully reopen until after New Year's Day due to essential engineering work.
Major Engineering Works Cause Widespread Disruption
Network Rail has confirmed that no trains will run between Stratford and Liverpool Street until New Year's Day. The closure is necessary to allow contractors to refurbish the station's roof. This involves installing new glass panels above the main concourse and replacing the entire drainage system.
Work will also take place to strengthen the Bishopsgate tunnel on the approach to the station. Engineers will install steel support girders inside the tunnel and repair existing steelwork to prevent corrosion.
The roof renewal programme aims to allow more natural light into the station, improve drainage, and renew roof seals to make the structure more resilient against increasingly frequent and intense storms.
Train Operators Reroute Services
The closure has forced a complete overhaul of services for several major train operators. Passengers are strongly advised to check their journeys before travelling and seek alternative routes.
Greater Anglia has stated that no trains will run to or from the main London Liverpool Street station from Saturday, December 27 through to Thursday, January 1. The exception is the Elizabeth line, which has its own platforms and will continue to operate most services from there.
c2c services will not run to or from Liverpool Street at all. Instead, these trains will be diverted to start and terminate at nearby London Fenchurch Street, travelling via West Ham.
The Stansted Express faces major changes. On Boxing Day, services will only run between Tottenham Hale and Stansted Airport. For the following days until January 1, the Express will run on a diverted route. Its website advises passengers: "You will need to travel via London Underground services between Liverpool Street and Stratford." Tickets will be accepted on these Tube services.
Other affected operators include the London Overground, with all services experiencing severe disruption.
Scale of the Impact on Britain's Busiest Stations
The scale of the disruption is magnified by Liverpool Street's status as the UK's most used station. Recent data from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) revealed that a staggering 98 million passengers entered and exited the station in the year up to the end of March. This figure represents a 3.7 per cent increase on the previous year.
Meanwhile, another of London's major terminals, Waterloo station, will also be closed for planned engineering works. There will be no train services there on Boxing Day, as is normal. No trains will run to or from Waterloo from Christmas Day until December 28, with only a very limited service operating until January 4.
Waterloo is the nation's second busiest station, followed by Paddington and Tottenham Court Road, highlighting how the closures are affecting the core of London's rail network.
Network Rail is urging all passengers travelling to, from, or through London this festive period to plan their journeys meticulously, check operator websites for the latest information, and allow considerable extra time for their travels.
