Travelling with us over Christmas and the New Year?
Our train services are usually busy over the festive period with people out and about shopping, visiting friends and family as well as exploring the many Christmas attractions on our network.
Here’s some useful tips to consider when planning your journey with us this Christmas.
Changes to train services
Check before you travel as there may be planned improvement works that could affect your journey plans.
There are no train or rail replacement bus services on:
- Christmas Day (Thursday 25 December 2025)
- Boxing Day (Friday 26 December 2025)
Train services will start close down from 21:00 on:
- Christmas Eve (Wednesday 24 December 2025)
- New Year’s Eve (Wednesday 31 December 2025)
Train services will start later than usual on Saturday 27 December 2025.
Off-Peak restrictions are lifted from Saturday 27 December and come back on Friday 02 January 2026.
New Year’s Day
Thursday 1 January
Full mainline service and a reduced hourly service on local Cardiff and Valleys services (Vale of Glamorgan via Barry, Rhymney, Aberdare and Merthyr).
Rail replacement buses between Pontypridd - Treherbert.
There’ll be no Coryton, Penarth or Cardiff Bay services and trains will not call at Barry Island.
Cardiff Central works
Saturday 27 - Tuesday 30 December
Due to a late notice change to engineering work around Cardiff Central station, many services will be retimed and subject to platform changes at Cardiff Central.
- Services west of Cardiff (Bridgend, Swansea and Carmarthen services) will be retimed with only one hourly TfW service and one hourly GWR service heading west. A shuttle rail service will run between Maesteg and Bridgend.
- Ebbw Vale - Cardiff services will not extend to Maesteg and will be retimed. On Saturday, Monday and Tuesday Ebbw Vale services will run to and from Newport with a connection to and from Cardiff Central.
- Some Manchester and Holyhead services will be slightly retimed between Cardiff and Shrewsbury.
- Local Cardiff and Valleys will be subject to minor retimings.
Please check before you travel.
West Wales
Monday 29 - Tuesday 30 December
Rail replacement buses between Whitland - Milford Haven mid-morning until early afternoon.
The last service able to run will be the 09:00 Milford Haven to Manchester Piccadilly.
The first service able to run will be the 15:44 Carmarthen to Milford Haven.
Wednesday 31 December - Thursday 1 January
Rail replacement buses between Haverford West - Milford Haven until mid-afternoon.
The last service able to run will be the 09:00 Milford Haven to Manchester Piccadilly.
The first service able to run will be the 13:55 Carmarthen to Milford Haven.
Thursday 1 January
Late night rail replacement buses between Carmarthen - Llanelli - Port Talbot.
Late evening Ebbw Vale - Cardiff services will run via Newport.
Changes to customer services
Our customer service opening hours will change as follows:
Christmas Eve (Wednesday 24 December 2025)
Customer Relations 08:00 - 16:00
Social Media 07:00 - 20:00
Christmas Day (Thursday 25 December 2025)
Customer Relations Closed
Social Media Closed
Boxing Day (Friday 26 December 2025)
Customer Relations Closed
Social Media Closed
New Year’s Eve (Wednesday 31 December 2025)
Customer Relations 08:00 - 16:00
Social Media 07:00 - 20:00
New Year’s Day (Thursday 01 January 2026)
Customer Relations 10:00 - 18:00
Social Media 07:00 - 20:00
Lost property
Our lost property office will be closed on Thursday 25 December and Friday 26 December 2025.
Travel Management Services
Our Travel Management Services will be closed between Thursday 25 December 2025 - Thursday 01 January 2026.
