Reduced weekday train timetables from 4 January

• Reduced services on Southern, Great Northern and Thameslink
• Driven by impact of Covid, which continues to affect staff availability
• Passengers advised to check before they travel

Train times will change on weekdays from Tuesday 4 January 2022 as Southern, Great Northern and Thameslink introduce reduced timetables until further notice. Passengers are strongly advised to check before they travel.

The changes are being made in response to the ongoing impact of Covid-19, which has led to significantly increased staff sickness in recent weeks, as seen right across the rail industry. A reduced timetable will help ensure a more reliable service and less last-minute cancellations.

Gatwick Express will remain suspended, as it has been over the festive period to allow for engineering works, until further notice. Gatwick Express crews will instead focus on supporting Southern services, which also serve Gatwick Airport.

While less people are travelling on the railways overall, and government guidance is to work from home where possible, it is important for those who do need to travel in the new year to check their journeys in advance and allow additional time.

There are no planned changes for weekends, but it may be necessary to make smaller, additional on-the-day changes.

Angie Doll, Govia Thameslink Railway Interim Chief Operating Officer, said: “Due to the significant challenges we face with Covid now affecting many of our colleagues, we have taken the decision to operate a reduced train timetable from January. We’re really sorry if this does affect your journey.

“While many more people are now working from home again, we’re fully focused on providing a service that passengers can rely on if they need to travel. We’d strongly urge people to check before they travel for the latest information and to leave extra time.”

The timetable from 4 January will be available to view in online journey planners such as www.nationalrail.co.uk from Friday 31 December. Timetables from Monday 10 January will be available to check from early next week.

Notes to editors

The latest information and travel advice, including alternative routes where available, can be found on the Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern websites.

From Tuesday 4 January, the timetable changes are as follows. A further update on services from Monday 10 January will follow early next week.

Southern/Gatwick Express

No services to or from London Victoria

There will be no Southern or Gatwick Express services at London Victoria, Battersea Park, Clapham Junction or Wandsworth Common. Southern services on the following routes will be diverted north of East Croydon to London Bridge:

• Ore – Hastings – Eastbourne – London
• Littlehampton – Hove – London
• Southampton/Portsmouth Harbour/Bognor Regis – Horsham – London
• East Grinstead – London
• Horsham – Dorking – Epsom – London

Passengers wishing to travel to or from London Victoria can travel via London Bridge (or London Blackfriars on Thameslink services) and use TfL buses or the Tube to complete their journey.

In addition, Southern Metro services via Streatham Common/Streatham Hill that normally run to/from London Victoria will terminate at/start from Balham. There will be no direct service between Mitcham Junction and Balham.

Brighton to London Victoria Gatwick Express services will be suspended in the week of 4th January 2022.

Reigate to London Victoria services will remain on diversion to form an hourly service between Reigate and Tonbridge.

London Bridge to London Victoria

This service is suspended.

Epsom to London Bridge via Carshalton Beeches

This service is suspended.

Milton Keynes Central to Clapham Junction

This service is suspended.

London Bridge to East Croydon via New Cross Gate, Brockley, Honor Oak Park, Forest Hill, Sydenham, Penge West and Norwood Junction

This service is suspended. Alternative Southern services will call at New Cross Gate. For travel between London Bridge and Brockley, Honor Oak Park, Forest Hill, Sydenham or Penge West, customers are to use London Overground, changing trains at New Cross Gate or Norwood Junction.

Redhill to Tonbridge

Redhill to Tonbridge services will run Reigate to Tonbridge via Redhill on an hourly basis.

Caterham / Tattenham Corner to London Bridge

Caterham to London Bridge services via Tulse Hill will run and will split and join with another train at Purley to provide a service to Tattenham Corner on a half-hourly basis.

Uckfield to London Bridge

Services will run between Uckfield and East Croydon only every hour.

Beckenham Junction to London Bridge via Tulse Hill

Two trains per hour will run on this route.

Great Northern

Welwyn Garden City / Stevenage to Moorgate

Two trains per hour will run on each branch, combining to provide up to four trains per hour between Moorgate and Alexandra Palace.

Thameslink

Cambridge to London King’s Cross – stopping service via Potters Bar

Two trains per hour will run in the Royston to London King’s Cross section of this route. One train per hour will continue between Royston and Cambridge serving Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton.

Orpington to Luton – peak only

Peak only services between Orpington and Luton via Catford will not run.

Sutton to St Albans / Luton

Four trains per hour will run between Sutton and London Blackfriars via Tulse Hill. Two trains per hour will continue to Luton via St Pancras International.

Luton to Rainham

Luton to Rainham services will run in the Dartford to Rainham section of the route only.

GTR’s response to Covid – key facts:

• All trains have air conditioning which continually refreshes the air in each carriage every 6-9 minutes
• Alerts will show busy trains in online journey planners such as National Rail Enquiries, where you can also subscribe to journey alerts and see information on busier services 
• Weekly Covid safety checks are carried out across trains and stations, looking at cleaning, passenger information, social distancing and the wearing of face coverings 
• GTR sanitises all 2,700 of its train carriages every night and uses a long-lasting viricide across stations and trains which kills coronavirus for weeks at a time 
• Independent laboratory results show that Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern trains are testing negative for Covid-19 
• Over 1,000 touch-free hand sanitisers have been installed at stations
• To keep passengers and staff safe, there is an enhanced cleaning regime focused on touch points: GTR has hired more than 100 extra cleaning staff and treats its trains, stations, offices and other staff locations with a powerful long-lasting viricide which sticks to surfaces and kills viruses for weeks at a time.  
• Twice-weekly rapid lateral flow tests of asymptomatic staff to provide added protection and reassurance for colleagues and passengers 
• E-tickets are available at 60 stations
• Order a free Key smartcard online, buy a new season ticket online, and add it to your card simply by tapping it to your phone or a station ticket gate or validator