The festive season is nearly here, and Transport for London (TfL) is ready to help customers make the most of every magical moment. From Saturday 20 December 2025 to Monday 5 January 2026, the majority of TfL services will be running to keep London moving so customers can enjoy the city’s sparkling celebrations – from Hyde Park Winter Wonderland to the Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks and the iconic London Parade. However, there will be some planned closures and service changes.

TfL’s Journey Planner or the free TfL Go app will help customers avoid disruption caused by planned closures and navigate any last-minute service changes.

Services will be running on Christmas Eve (Wednesday 24 December) but will finish early so customers should plan ahead.

As usual, 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. A Sunday service will operate on the London Underground, London Buses and on London Trams.

Apart from planned closures, services will run all night on New Year’s Eve, but some services in central London will be busy and some stations may be closed at short notice or at busy times to prevent overcrowding. Some bus services in central London will also be on diversion due to road closures from approximately mid-day.

The Mayor of London’s annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display is taking place as normal, with customers advised not to travel to the area in and around the Victoria Embankment unless they have a ticket. If you do not have a ticket, you are encouraged to celebrate the New Year at one of the capital’s wide range of bars, restaurants, pubs and clubs, or watch live on BBC One for what is one of the most watched TV moments of the year.

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 unavailable, 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 be suspended from Thursday 25 December to Thursday 1 January. Charging will resume on Friday 2 January 2026. The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which covers most of Greater London, will apply as normal, including Christmas Day. The Blackwall Tunnel and Silvertown Tunnel charges will also apply as normal, but will be suspended on Christmas Day.

The DLR will operate an amended service from Saturday 13 December to Sunday 4 January. As services are generally quieter during this period, TfL is taking the opportunity reduce the mileage travelled to protect the older fleet and ensure a good customer service can be maintained at busier times, as TfL works to return the new trains back into service. These changes include:

From Saturday 13 December to Sunday 4 January: Bank to Lewisham will operate a 2-car service.
Monday 22 December to Friday 2 January: A Saturday timetable will run on normal weekdays.
Boxing Day: A reduced service will operate.
New Year’s Eve: A 15-minute service will run with 2-car trains on Bank to Lewisham.
New Year’s Day: A Sunday service will operate.
Monday 5 January: Normal service resumes
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.

Claire Mann, Transport for London’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “London truly sparkles at this time of year, and we’re delighted to help everyone experience the incredible entertainment, culture, shops, and celebrations the capital has to offer. TfL services remain the easiest, safest, and greenest way to get around and make the most of the season.

“While the majority of the network will be running throughout the festive period, there will be some planned works and service changes, so we encourage customers to check before they travel and plan ahead for a smooth journey.”

As some services are disrupted over the festive period, others could be busier, TfL is reminding customers to take care when they travel. This includes; reminding customers to always hold the handrail, especially when using stairs and escalators, take extra care after drinking alcohol and take their time when boarding trains or buses, as trips and falls can cause serious injury. TfL’s Safer Travel at Night campaign runs every autumn encouraging customers to travel safely across the festive season, including always using pre-booked minicabs or taxi services.

TfL’s ongoing Travel Kind campaign encourages people to be considerate to others when they travel. This year, TfL launched a new poster campaign to encourage customers to always use handphones when they listen to music or content on public transport services.

Simply touching in and out using a contactless or Oyster card means customers only pay for the journey they make. With the Mayor’s 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 some routes in central London.

There are also planned engineering works and service changes on National Rail services. Customers planning to use National Rail services are also advised to check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-information/christmas/.