No Thameslink or EMR trains on Christmas Day, and the Luton DART stops 25 and 26 December. The line through Luton also shuts all weekend on 5 to 7 December.

There will be no trains at all through Luton on Christmas Day, and the Luton DART to the airport stops on 25 and 26 December. Those are the only Christmas changes confirmed so far. Thameslink and East Midlands Railway have not yet published their plans for Christmas Eve, Boxing Day or New Year, and National Rail says operators will start adding them from October.

The disruption that is already booked comes earlier. The line through Luton closes all weekend on 5 to 7 December.

The quick answer

No trains on Friday 25 December on Thameslink or East Midlands Railway. No Luton DART on 25 and 26 December; it restarts on the 27th. No trains between Mill Hill Broadway and Bedford from Saturday 5 December to 5.30am on Monday 7 December, with buses replacing them. Everything else over Christmas and New Year is still to be announced.

What National Rail has confirmed for Christmas 2026

National Rail’s guide covers Thursday 24 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027 (National Rail):

  • Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December: trains on many routes finish earlier than normal. National Rail will publish its list of last trains from London in late November or early December.
  • Christmas Day, Friday 25 December: no National Rail services anywhere.
  • Saturday 26 December: most operators run no trains; a small number will run a very limited service, not yet named.
  • Monday 28 December: the Boxing Day bank holiday falls on this substitute day this year, and services are still to be confirmed.
  • New Year’s Eve, Thursday 31 December: some routes finish early. Extra trains into the early hours of New Year’s Day on some London routes will be listed in early December.

The Thameslink and East Midlands Railway pages both say only “No service” for Christmas Day so far, and “information will be published when available” for every other day from 24 December to 4 January (Thameslink; East Midlands Railway).

The Luton DART over Christmas

The DART between Luton Airport Parkway and the airport terminal normally runs 24 hours a day. It takes a break on 25 and 26 December only, because the railway station is closed, and normal service resumes on 27 December. The airport stays open, so on those two days you need to get to the terminal by car, taxi or bus (Luton DART).

Engineering work already booked before Christmas

These are the notices National Rail has published for the line through Luton. Its list of planned works reaches only as far as 19 December so far, so nothing for Christmas week itself is on it yet.

When What happens
Sat 24 to Sun 25 Oct, overnight Buses replace trains between Bedford and Luton / Mill Hill Broadway, 23:59 to 08:10
Sat 5 to Mon 7 Dec No trains between Mill Hill Broadway and Bedford until 05:30 Monday. No EMR trains between St Pancras and Bedford all weekend
Sat 12 to Sun 13 Dec, overnight Buses replace trains between Luton and Bedford, 23:59 to 08:05
Sun 13 Dec Reduced EMR service to St Pancras: one train an hour from Sheffield and from Nottingham
Mon 14 to Fri 18 Dec, late evenings Some late EMR trains leave Luton Airport Parkway earlier, for example the 23:55 from St Pancras calls there at 00:31

Sources: National Rail notices for 24 October, 5 December, 12 December, 13 December and 14 to 18 December.

How to get to London on 5 and 6 December

On the closure weekend, Thameslink replacement buses run between Mill Hill Broadway and Luton, between Luton Airport Parkway and Bedford, and between Luton and Bedford calling at all stations. A second set of buses links Luton Airport Parkway with Hitchin via Luton, where you can pick up Great Northern and Thameslink trains to London. EMR passengers get buses between Bedford and Hitchin, and EMR tickets are accepted on Great Northern and Thameslink trains from Hitchin to London at no extra cost (National Rail).

Why Christmas week itself is worth watching

Network Rail has used Christmas for long closures on this line before. In 2024 it closed the Midland Main Line between St Pancras and Harpenden for nine days, 21 to 29 December, with no Thameslink trains south of Harpenden and no EMR trains south of Bedford. It announced that on 26 September 2024, three months ahead (Network Rail). Nothing similar has been announced for Christmas 2026 as of 25 September. If it comes, it will appear on the National Rail pages above first, and we will add it here.

Buses and parking

  • Buses: neither Arriva nor the other Luton operators have published Christmas 2026 timetables yet. We will add them when they appear.
  • Council car parks: Luton Council has published no Christmas parking offer for 2026, and we could find none from 2025 on its website. Tariffs for every council car park are on our parking in Luton page.
  • Roadworks: the switch-on on 21 November closes streets around the Town Hall; see our Christmas lights switch-on page and the Luton roadworks page for what is on the roads week by week.

Still to be confirmed

  • Thameslink and EMR Christmas Eve, 26 to 28 December and New Year timetables. Operators start adding them from October.
  • Last trains from London on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. National Rail says late November or early December.
  • Any engineering work between 20 December and 4 January. Not yet listed.
  • Bus timetables and any council parking offer.

Sources