Portsmouth Christmas 2025 Rail Schedule Changes

Passengers planning rail travel to and from Portsmouth this Christmas should expect special holiday timetables. Until Tuesday, 23 Dec, South Western Railway (SWR) will run its regular services. On Christmas Eve (Dec 24), trains will finish much earlier than usual – SWR warns that all services will shut down by around 22:00. In fact, the last Waterloo–Portsmouth trains leave at about 20:09 (via Eastleigh) and 20:30 (via Guildford). There will be no trains on Christmas Day (Dec 25) or Boxing Day (Dec 26). Major engineering works on Sat 27 Dec close the line between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction, so services are rerouted (see below). Travellers are strongly advised to check real-time updates via official journey planners, since holiday timetables can change at short notice.

Key Dates:

• Up to Dec 23: Normal SWR service (no planned changes).

• Christmas Eve (Dec 24): Early finish. Most SWR trains end by 22:00. Last trains from London Waterloo towards Portsmouth are at about 20:09 (via Eastleigh) and 20:30 (via Guildford).

• Christmas Day (Dec 25): No SWR services (the entire SWR network is closed).

• Boxing Day (Dec 26): No SWR services. (Other operators may run very limited trains.)

• Saturday 27 Dec: Major engineering works. No trains run between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction. All Waterloo-originating trains start/terminate at Clapham Junction instead. SWR advises that Portsmouth-bound trains will be diverted onto alternative routes: for example, Waterloo–Portsmouth via Eastleigh services start from Basingstoke, and via Guildford services start from Clapham Junction, Woking or Guildford. (No trains call at Queenstown Road; use nearby stations instead.)

Where to Check

• National Rail: The official Christmas travel guide and journey planner are essential. National Rail notes that “you can plan and check your journey … using the National Rail Journey Planner,” and reminds passengers that there are no National Rail services on 25 Dec and minimal ones on 26 Dec Always check service alerts on the National Rail website before travelling.

• South Western Railway: SWR’s own Christmas travel page lists all timetable changes and has a journey planner. As SWR advises, “To plan, please use our journey planner”. Visit SWR’s website for the latest notices, route changes and any updates (especially for the Dec 27 engineering works).

• Pro Tip: Book tickets early and plan your return journey carefully. Holiday trains fill up fast, and all services stop much earlier on Dec 24, so allow extra time. Checking schedules in advance and keeping an eye on live updates will help avoid last-minute surprises.

Sources: Official SWR and National Rail Christmas schedules.