The rail industry has announced more overnight trains, and that London’s mainline stations will be open overnight to provide shelter on the day of the State Funeral to help people get home.
As long distance services are expected to be busiest in the late afternoon and evening following the State Funeral, passengers traveling shorter distances are being encouraged not to rush home immediately afterwards to help ease pressure on tube and rail stations.
Sir Peter Hendy CBE, Network Rail chair, said “To help us provide the best possible experience and avoid lengthy queues at stations we’re asking people not to rush home after the funeral and the processions, but to take their time and experience London on this memorable day.”
For people who stay later, Network Rail says that its managed stations in London – including King’s Cross, Victoria, Waterloo, Liverpool Street, Charing Cross and Euston – will be open 24 hours a day to provide shelter so people can safely wait for their trains to get home. Many shops, restaurants and toilets will remain open to help passengers be as comfortable as possible throughout the night.
Some stations will also have ‘welfare trains’ – empty passenger trains – that if needed can be used to provide additional seating. If they are used, then customers will invited to join by station staff with priority given to the elderly and vulnerable.
A number of trains will also run from some of the mainline stations through the late evening and into the night to enable mourners to safely return home.
Overnight services are limited, but Thameslink will be running trains regularly throughout the night to Bedford and Brighton, while GWR will be running trains to Reading and Bristol. Greater Anglia will be running trains all night toward Southend and Stanstead. There will be some intermittent services from the other major stations.
For London’s transport, TfL says that all tube services, including London Overground, the Elizabeth line and the DLR will run a normal weekday service on the Bank Holiday Monday for the funeral, but will also close later in the evening to help with people getting home.
They are warning though that some short-term safety measures such as queuing, closures, non-stopping trains or changes to the way customers enter or exit a station may be necessary due to the crowds expected on the day.
Westminster, St James’s Park and Hyde Park Corner stations will be closed for most of the morning. TfL will aim to reopen stations to help customers leaving the Westminster area following the end of the funeral service.
Green Park station will be exit only between 10am and 8pm.
The London Underground will run for an hour later than usual at night, so last trains from central London will be leaving a little after 1am. Also, the central section of the Elizabeth line, which usually closes at 11pm will be open until 1am, with trains every 5 minutes.
Although buses will run to a normal weekday schedule, many routes in central London will be diverted around the ceremonial areas.
Overnight mainline train services
Based on information from Real Time Trains, the overnight trains from London’s mainline stations between midnight and 5am are as follows but, you MUST check with your train company AS WELL, and trains may not call at all stations. As much as possible, book tickets in advance, and reserve seats where possible.
Paddington station
- 00:29 Bristol Temple Meads
- 00:32 Oxford
- 00:34 Reading
- 00:50 Reading
- 01:00 Reading
- 01:34 Bristol Temple Meads
- 01:34 Reading
- 01:50 Reading
- 02:05 Reading
- 02:30 Bristol Temple Meads
- 02:50 Reading
- 03:00 Reading
- 03:30 Bristol Temple Meads
- 03:34 Reading
- 03:50 Reading
- 04:05 Didcot Parkway
- 04:18 Bristol Temple Meads
- 05:00 Reading
Marylebone station
- 00:01 Oxford
- 00:10 Banbury
- 01:10 High Wycombe
- 03:15 Oxford
- 04:10 High Wycombe
Euston station
- 00:05 Northampton
- 00:35 Northampton
- 01:34 Milton Keynes Central
St Pancras International
- 00:11 Bedford
- 00:12 Ashford International
- 00:15 Derby
- 00:18 Bedford
- 00:22 Three Bridges
- 00:31 Bedford
- 00:46 Peterborough
- 00:52 Brighton
- 00:59 Bedford
- 01:14 Bedford
- 01:19 Derby
- 01:32 Three Bridges
- 01:44 Bedford
- 02:12 Ashford International
- 02:32 Three Bridges
- 02:44 Bedford
- 03L02 Three Bridges
- 03:15 Derby
- 03:32 Three Bridges
- 03:44 Bedford
- 04:02 Brighton
- 04:12 Ashford International
- 04:13 Derby
- 04:14 Bedford
- 04:32 Brighton
- 04:44 Bedford
- 04:42 Brighton
Kings Cross station
- 00:33 Cambridge
- 01:06 Royston
- 01:10 Hertford North
- 01:36 Peterborough
- 01:40 Welwyn Garden City
- 04:12 Letchworth
Liverpool Street Station
- 00:01 Enfield Town
- 00:03 Chingford
- 00:10 Stansted Airport
- 00:12 Bishops Stortford
- 00:14 Southend Victoria
- 00:18 Chingford
- 00:18 Colchester
- 00:33 Chingford
- 00:46 Colchester
- 00:48 Chingford
- 00:50 Southend Victoria
- 00:40 Norwich
- 00:46 Colchester
- 00:48 Chingford
- 00:50 Southend Victoria
- 01:03 Chingford
- 01:10 Stansted Airport
- 01:40 Colchester
- 01:50 Southend Victoria
- 02:10 Stanstead Airport
- 02:25 Colchester
- 02:50 Southend Victoria
- 03:10 Stansted Airport
- 03:30 Colchester
- 03:38 Southend Victoria
- 04:10 Stansted Airport
- 04:25 Colchester
- 04:35 Southend Victoria
- 04:40 Stansted Airport
Fenchurch Street
- 00:04 Shoeburyness
- 00:11 Shoeburyness
- 00:24 Grays
- 00:34 Shoeburyness
London Bridge
- 00:01 Selhurst
- 00:03 Dartford
- 00:13 Orpington
- 00:16 Hayes (Kent)
- 00:17 Caterham
- 00:21 Dartford
- 00:24 Tunbridge Wells
- 00:29 Gravesend
- 00:35 Dartford
- 00:35 East Croydon
- 00:51 Dartford
- 00:59 Orpington
- 01:54 Tunbridge Wells
- 03:54 Tunbridge Wells
Waterloo
- 00:09 Guildford
Victoria
- 00:02 Worthing
- 00:04 Dartford
- 00:08 Gatwick Airport
- 00:10 Gillingham (Kent)
- 00:13 East Croydon
- 00:25 Ashford International
- 00:28 Orpington
- 00:40 Gillingham (Kent)
- 01:09 Dartford
- 01:22 Gillingham (Kent)
- 01:55 Ashford International
- 02:25 Orpington
- 03:09 Dartford
- 03:22 Gillingham (Kent)
- 04:25 Orpington
- 04:30 Gatwick Airport
- 04:35 Ashford International
This article was published on ianVisits
SUPPORT THIS WEBSITE
This website has been running now for just over a decade, and while advertising revenue contributes to funding the website, but doesn’t cover the costs. That is why I have set up a facility with DonorBox where you can contribute to the costs of the website and time invested in writing and research for the news articles.
It’s very similar to the way The Guardian and many smaller websites are now seeking to generate an income in the face of rising costs and declining advertising.
Whether its a one-off donation or a regular giver, every additional support goes a long way to covering the running costs of this website, and keeping you regularly topped up doses of Londony news and facts.
If you like what your read on here, then please support the website here.
Thank you
The post London mainline railway stations to stay open overnight for the State Funeral appeared first on ianVisits.
