Trains from Reading to London Paddington are hit from 27 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 by Dolphin Junction works. What runs instead, and the bus plans.
This Christmas the railway between Reading and London Paddington is shut for a week. Network Rail is rebuilding Dolphin Junction, between Slough and Langley, and says the work will affect Paddington services from Sunday 27 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, straight after the usual Christmas Day and Boxing Day shutdown.
The quick answer
- No normal Reading to Paddington service from 25 December to 3 January. Christmas Day and 26 December are the usual shutdown; the Dolphin Junction closure follows from 27 December to 3 January.
- Waterloo is the way in. GWR’s current plan is to end most London trains at Reading, so you can change to South Western Railway for Waterloo.
- A weekend closure comes first, on 28 and 29 November 2026, for the same project.
What Network Rail has confirmed
Network Rail’s Dolphin Junction upgrade page says the £27.8 million project replaces the eastern side of the junction, where more than 400 passenger trains a day cross between the fast and slow lines. It lists two periods when “our work at Dolphin Junction near Slough will affect train services for London Paddington”:
- 28 and 29 November 2026, a weekend closure to install new track
- 27 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, “following the usual Christmas shut down on 25 and 26 December 2026”, which it calls a 10-day closure over Christmas and New Year
It says the new layout will be finished at the start of January 2027, and that “alternative travel arrangements, including diversions, are being agreed”.
What GWR plans to run
GWR has not yet put its Christmas timetable on its own website; its Christmas engineering page still carries last year’s holding message. What it has said so far comes from its managers, speaking on a test run reported by ianVisits on 15 September 2026. The current plan, which could still change:
- Most GWR trains that normally run to Paddington will terminate at Reading, where passengers can change to SWR trains to London Waterloo.
- Extra GWR trains to Guildford via Reading are being looked at, again to connect with SWR to Waterloo.
- One South Wales and one Bristol or Exeter train an hour will run to London Euston by a long diversion via Oxford, Bicester and the new East West Rail line to Bletchley and Milton Keynes. These trains leave the main line west of Didcot, so they will not call at Reading. GWR expects the diversion to add about an hour and says the trains will be reservation only.
- Shuttle trains between Reading and Slough, for onward bus connections.
- The Elizabeth line will also be closed between Maidenhead or Heathrow and Paddington, so it is not an alternative.
The rest of the holiday on the railway
National Rail’s Christmas and New Year 2026/27 summary sets out the national picture:
| Day | What National Rail says |
|---|---|
| Thursday 24 December | Services on many routes finish earlier than normal. Last trains from London published late November or early December |
| Friday 25 December | No National Rail services |
| Saturday 26 December | Most operators run no service. The Elizabeth line says no trains will operate |
| Monday 28 December | Boxing Day substitute bank holiday; services to be confirmed |
| Thursday 31 December | Some routes finish early |
| Friday 1 January | Some London routes run extra trains after midnight; details in early December |
National Rail says operators’ own Christmas details will be added from the beginning of October: GWR, South Western Railway and the Elizabeth line. SWR has not yet published any Christmas works on the Reading to Waterloo line.
For normal fares and journey times, see Reading train times to London.
Buses over Christmas
Reading Buses has not yet published its 2026 plans. Last year’s Christmas page is the pattern to expect:
- Christmas Eve: a normal weekday service that finished early, with last buses around 8pm or 9pm. The emerald 5 and 6, purple 17, claret 21 and yellow 26 ran until about 11pm.
- Christmas Day: the only service was Flightline 703, hourly between Slough and Heathrow Terminal 5 from 4am to 11pm.
- Boxing Day: most routes ran a special service based on Sunday times from about 9am to about 6pm, with extra late buses on the purple 17. Routes including buzz 9, ruby 10, the 12, the park and ride services and greenwave 50 did not run.
Each route has its own Christmas sheet on that page. The London Line 701 and 702 had Boxing Day times last year, which may matter more than usual while the railway into Paddington is shut.
Parking and roads
Reading Borough Council has not published any Christmas parking offer for 2026, and we have not found one from 2025. Car park prices and locations are on our parking in Reading page, and road closures on Reading roadworks and travel.
Still to confirm
- GWR’s Christmas timetable, including which trains start and end at Reading and the Euston booking details. Expected October to November.
- Last trains from Reading and London on Christmas Eve, published by National Rail in late November or early December.
- Reading Buses’ 2026 Christmas timetable, usually out in December.
The rest of the Christmas practicalities: Reading Christmas bin collections and Reading tip opening times.
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