No trains on Christmas Day. Last Christmas Eve, the last train to Maidstone East left Victoria at 20.55. What changed last year, and when 2026 works are announced.
There will be no trains to or from any Maidstone station on Christmas Day 2026, and National Rail says most operators will run nothing on Saturday 26 December either. Southeastern and Network Rail have not yet published this year’s Christmas timetable or engineering works for Kent. Last year’s pattern is the best guide: an early finish on Christmas Eve, London Victoria shut to Southeastern between Christmas and New Year, and replacement buses on both Maidstone lines on New Year’s Day weekend. Here is what we know and when the rest arrives.
The quick answer
- No trains on Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026. National Rail says most operators will also run no service on Saturday 26 December, and the bank holiday timetable for Monday 28 December is still to be confirmed.
- Last Christmas Eve, the last train to Maidstone East left London Victoria at 20.55, and Southeastern ran nothing after about 10pm anywhere on its network. The 2026 list is due in late November or early December.
- Maidstone East trains run to Victoria, and last year Victoria was closed to Southeastern from 27 to 31 December, with trains diverted to Cannon Street. Check whether that repeats before you plan a London trip.
What National Rail has confirmed for 2026/27
The National Rail Christmas and New Year 2026/27 page covers Thursday 24 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027. So far it says:
- Thursday 24 December: services on many routes finish earlier than normal. Its guide to last trains from London “will be published here late November / early December”.
- Friday 25 December: no National Rail services.
- Saturday 26 December: most operators run no service; a very limited service from a small number of operators is “to be confirmed”.
- Monday 28 December: the substitute Boxing Day bank holiday. Services “to be confirmed”.
- Thursday 31 December: some routes finish early on New Year’s Eve.
Last trains on Christmas Eve 2025
Southeastern’s last trains on Christmas Eve 2025 (PDF) gives the times below for the borough’s stations. They are last year’s, set out here so you know roughly what to expect; the 2026 times will differ.
| Station | Charing Cross | St Pancras | Victoria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maidstone East | 21.29 | none | 20.55 |
| Bearsted, Hollingbourne, Harrietsham, Lenham | none | none | 20.55 |
| Barming, East Malling | none | none | 20.55 |
| Maidstone West, Maidstone Barracks, East Farleigh, Yalding | 20.04 (change at Paddock Wood) | 20.20 (change at Strood) | none |
| Headcorn, Marden, Staplehurst | 21.04 | none | none |
On the Southeastern Christmas page last year, every route ran a Saturday timetable on Christmas Eve, with “no trains running after approximately 22:00” (Southeastern, Christmas and New Year travel).
What changed between Christmas and New Year last time
Southeastern’s page, which still shows the 2025/26 arrangements, listed these changes that touched Maidstone’s lines:
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Mon 22 and Tue 23 Dec | All routes open, Saturday timetable with extra trains on some routes |
| Thu 25 and Fri 26 Dec | No Southeastern trains |
| Sat 27 to Wed 31 Dec | No Southeastern trains at London Victoria; trains diverted to Cannon Street. Other routes open |
| Thu 1 Jan | Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Waterloo East closed; buses replaced trains between Sevenoaks and Ashford via Maidstone East |
| Fri 2 and Sat 3 Jan | Charing Cross and Waterloo East closed, most trains diverted to Victoria |
| Sun 4 Jan | Buses replaced trains between Gravesend/Strood and Maidstone West |
Network Rail’s announcement of the 2025/26 works, published on 17 November 2025, said engineers used Christmas Day and Boxing Day to replace rails near Maidstone East, among other jobs. Expect the 2026 announcement around the same time.
Buses and driving
We will add Arriva’s Christmas bus times for Maidstone, and any Christmas parking offer from Maidstone Borough Council, when they are published. In the meantime our parking in Maidstone page has the car parks and charges, and our roadworks and travel page lists current road closures. For everyday services, see Maidstone train times to London.
What is still to be confirmed
- Southeastern’s 2026/27 Christmas timetable and whether Victoria closes again.
- Network Rail’s engineering works for Kent, expected in mid-November.
- Last trains on Christmas Eve 2026, due late November or early December.
- Services on Saturday 26 and Monday 28 December.
We will update this page as each is published. Planning a Christmas trip into town? Our Maidstone Christmas bin collections page covers the other big festive change.
Sources
- National Rail, Christmas and New Year 2026/27 (fetched 25 September 2026)
- Southeastern, Christmas and New Year travel (still showing 2025/26)
- Southeastern, Last trains on Christmas Eve 2025 (PDF)
- Network Rail, Engineering work to improve Kent and south east London’s railway over Christmas and New Year 2025/26
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