No trains run through Slough on Christmas Day. Last year the line near Slough ran on two of four tracks from 27 December to 4 January. What is known for 2026.
No trains will run through Slough on Christmas Day, and most operators will run none on Saturday 26 December either. What nobody has published yet is the engineering work planned for the Great Western main line between Christmas and New Year, and that is the part that has disrupted Slough journeys two years running. This page sets out what is confirmed, what happened last year, and when the rest is due.
The quick answer
- 25 December: no National Rail services. 26 December: most operators run none. Trains finish earlier than usual on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
- Christmas 2026 engineering work through Slough has not been announced. National Rail’s published notices currently stop at 19 December.
- Last year, only two of the four tracks were open at Dolphin Junction, near Slough, from 27 December to 4 January, and Paddington trains ran to an amended timetable.
What National Rail has confirmed for 2026
National Rail’s Christmas guide covers Thursday 24 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027 (National Rail, Christmas and New Year). So far it says:
| Day | What National Rail says |
|---|---|
| Thursday 24 December | Services on many routes finish earlier than normal. A last-trains guide follows in late November or early December |
| Friday 25 December | No National Rail services |
| Saturday 26 December | Most operators run no service; a very limited service from a few, still to be confirmed |
| Monday 28 December | The substitute Boxing Day bank holiday. Services to be confirmed |
| Thursday 31 December | Services on some routes finish earlier than normal |
| Friday 1 January | Some London routes run special services after midnight. Details in early December |
National Rail says each operator’s own Christmas plans, including the Elizabeth line and Great Western Railway, will be added from the beginning of October.
What happened last Christmas
Network Rail’s main job on the Western route over Christmas 2025 was the renewal of the points at Dolphin Junction, which Network Rail describes as a junction between Slough and Reading used by up to 48 trains an hour. From Saturday 27 December to Sunday 4 January, only two of the four tracks were available, trains to and from Paddington ran to an amended timetable, and some were busier than normal (Network Rail, 22 December 2025). The junction reopened before noon on 4 January (Network Rail, 4 January 2026).
The year before, no trains called at London Paddington from 27 to 29 December 2024, because of work for HS2’s Old Oak Common station. Most trains started and finished at Reading and Ealing Broadway, and passengers changed at Ealing Broadway for the Central or District line (Network Rail).
Both years the work landed in the days after Boxing Day. Plan for something similar in 2026 until the notices are out.
December works already announced
The National Rail notices published so far include three that affect Slough in the run-up to Christmas:
- Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December: two of the four lines closed between Hayes & Harlington and Slough. Before 8am on the Sunday no trains run between West Drayton and Slough, and buses replace them between Hayes & Harlington and Slough (National Rail).
- Tuesday 1 to Friday 4 December: the Great Western trains just after midnight do not call at Burnham, and buses run from Slough instead (National Rail).
- Wednesday 16 to Friday 18 December: the same arrangement, with the 00:02 and 00:53 from Paddington and the 00:19 from Reading not calling at Burnham (National Rail).
Normal journey times and fares to London are on our Slough trains to London page, and current road closures on Slough roadworks and travel.
Buses and parking
First Berkshire & The Thames Valley, which runs buses in Slough, had published nothing about Christmas 2026 on its service updates page when we checked on 25 September. Slough Borough Council has not announced any Christmas parking offer for 2026. Its current car park charges, and the rule that free sessions must be registered on RingGo, are on our parking in Slough page.
Other Christmas dates in Slough
- Schools break up on Friday 18 December and return on Monday 4 January: Slough school term dates.
- Chalvey tip closes at 1pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve: Slough recycling centre opening times.
- Bin days move after Christmas and do not return to normal until 18 January: Slough bin collection days.
Still to be confirmed
- GWR and Elizabeth line Christmas timetables, due on National Rail’s page from early October.
- Network Rail’s Christmas engineering plan for the Great Western main line, not yet published.
- Last trains from Paddington on Christmas Eve, due in late November or early December.
- First Berkshire’s Christmas bus timetables.
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