Northern Rail announces train services will end ‘earlier than usual’ on Christmas Eve 2024 with planned engineering work to go ahead

Northern Rail has released a travel advice calendar to provide customers with a reference guide to service levels over Christmas.

The calendar, which covers December 23 to 29, highlights the fact that services will end earlier than usual on Christmas Eve.

There will be no trains operating on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and services will be disrupted on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 December due to planned engineering works by Network Rail.

Matt Rice, chief operating officer at Northern, has said the services ending earlier than usual is down to the “opportunity for Network Rail to carry out a range of engineering work” and “fewer people using the network”.

An amended timetable will also be in operation on Sunday 29 December following the rejection of an enhanced pay deal for conductors by RMT union members to work on Sundays.

Matt Rice, chief operating officer at Northern, said: “We hope the travel advice calendar will be useful for anyone on the move over Christmas.

“With fewer people using the network, the Christmas period is an opportunity for Network Rail to carry out a range of engineering work.

“As such, we advise customers to ‘check before you travel’ as close to the date and time of travel as possible to see if their journey is affected.”

Last week, Northern issued an appeal for customers to treat their staff with respect as part of a new campaign against anti-social behaviour.

It comes as the train operator revealed there have been 182 public order offences committed against its staff during 2024.