No trains between Romford and Stratford from 27 December to 3 January, so Brentwood and Shenfield lose their direct London trains. Buses go to Newbury Park.
Brentwood, Shenfield and Ingatestone will have no direct trains to Stratford or central London from Sunday 27 December to Sunday 3 January. Network Rail is closing the line at Forest Gate for 10 days to renew track.
With no trains on Christmas Day or Boxing Day either, that makes ten days in a row without a train from the borough into central London.
Network Rail announced the work on 22 October. It will renew six sets of points at Forest Gate, the movable sections of rail that let trains change track, along with the rails, sleepers and ballast around them (Network Rail, 22 October 2026).
The quick answer
- 25 and 26 December: no Elizabeth line or Greater Anglia trains.
- 27 December to 3 January: no Elizabeth line trains between Romford and Stratford. A reduced Elizabeth line service still runs between Shenfield, Brentwood and Romford, with replacement buses on to Stratford.
- Greater Anglia: no trains between Shenfield and Liverpool Street. Replacement buses run from Shenfield and Ingatestone to Newbury Park, where you change to the Central line.
- Normal service is due back after Sunday 3 January, though Greater Anglia’s own calendar lists its buses until Monday 4 January.
What runs from Brentwood
The Elizabeth line keeps running at the Brentwood end. Network Rail says a reduced service will run between Romford and Shenfield, calling at Brentwood. Between Romford and Stratford, Elizabeth line trains are replaced by buses (Network Rail).
National Rail’s notice splits the closure in two:
- Sunday 27 December to Friday 1 January: Elizabeth line trains run between Paddington and Stratford, and between Romford and Shenfield only, with buses in between
- Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 January: still no trains between Stratford and Romford
(National Rail, Liverpool Street and Shenfield engineering works)
Greater Anglia from Shenfield and Ingatestone
Greater Anglia trains from Norwich, Ipswich, Clacton and Southend Victoria will run as far as Shenfield and stop there. Replacement buses then run:
- from Shenfield to Newbury Park
- from Ingatestone to Newbury Park
Newbury Park is on the Central line. Greater Anglia tickets are accepted on the Central line between Newbury Park and Stratford or Liverpool Street (Network Rail).
National Rail says the same ticket acceptance applies to paper tickets and e-tickets. If you pay by contactless or Oyster, you can use the same routes but pay the normal fare for each tap in and tap out (National Rail).
Network Rail gives the end date as 3 January. Greater Anglia’s service alterations calendar lists the Shenfield and Ingatestone buses from Sunday 27 December to Monday 4 January (Greater Anglia service alterations). If you are travelling on 4 January, check with Greater Anglia before you set off.
Day by day
| Dates | Elizabeth line | Greater Anglia |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 24 Dec | Last trains not yet published | Early finish; last trains not yet published |
| Fri 25 and Sat 26 Dec | No trains | No trains |
| Sun 27 Dec to Fri 1 Jan | Reduced service Shenfield to Romford, buses Romford to Stratford | Trains terminate at Shenfield; buses from Shenfield and Ingatestone to Newbury Park |
| Sat 2 and Sun 3 Jan | Still no trains Romford to Stratford | Buses to Newbury Park continue |
| Mon 4 Jan | Normal service expected | Greater Anglia calendar still lists buses; check before travel |
Sources: Network Rail, National Rail, Greater Anglia.
Why now
Network Rail says the days between Christmas and New Year are among the quietest on the railway, with passenger numbers often around half a normal weekday. That makes it one of the few times it can close a route this busy for long enough to do major work.
Martin Beable, chief operating officer for GBR Anglia, said: “While most of the railway will remain open as usual over the festive period, we’ll be taking advantage of a quieter time on the network to carry out significant improvements at Forest Gate and Barking station.”
Other work in east London over the same period includes two new sets of points at Stratford and new canopies and roof sheeting at Forest Gate station (Network Rail).
It is the second Christmas running that Brentwood has lost its London trains. Last year Liverpool Street itself closed from 25 December to 1 January for work on the station roof, and Greater Anglia trains started and ended at Stratford (Network Rail, 15 December 2025).
What it means for you
- Going into London between 27 December and 3 January: take the Elizabeth line from Brentwood or Shenfield to Romford, then the replacement bus to Stratford. From Ingatestone, the bus to Newbury Park and the Central line is the advertised route.
- Allow extra time. National Rail warns that replacement buses may be busier than usual.
- Driving instead: Brentwood’s town centre car parks are free all day on Sundays, which covers 27 December and 3 January. Details are on our parking in Brentwood page.
- Before then: there are also no trains between Shenfield and Liverpool Street on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November.
- Christmas Eve last trains have not been published yet. We will add them to our Brentwood Christmas trains page when they are.
Road closures and the rest of the travel picture are on our Brentwood roadworks and travel page.
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