Are trains running on coronation day? Travel plans for the bank holiday weekend

Royal fans want to know if trains are running on the day of the coronation, as many hope to make a trip to London for the event.

King Charles III's coronation is drawing near, and people across the UK - and the wider world - are making plans to celebrate the day with street parties and viewing parties, while others are wondering how to watch the coronation in person. It's expected that thousands of people will travel to London for the event, as well as the coronation concert which will be held in Windsor, and eager well-wishers are wondering how best to get there.

So, much like many have been asking if shops will be open on coronation day, royal fans looking ahead to plan their journey for this very special event have similar questions about public transport. Many will remember the extra services that ran over the late Queen Elizabeth's funeral, but will trains be running on coronation day?

Are trains running on coronation day?

Yes, trains will be running on coronation day. Most trains will be running as normal, and there is no planned engineering work affecting lines serving London. However, on Sunday 7 May engineering work is taking place at Victoria Station, which means there will be no Gatwick Express or Southern train services to or from the station.

National Rail has said ahead of the event: "Train companies are working hard to keep journeys running smoothly, including running additional services where possible, but trains are expected to be busy and queueing systems may be in place in some areas."

Hundreds of thousands of well-wishers are expected to travel to the centre of London on the day of the ceremony, May 6, and around 10,000 people will attend the coronation concert at Windsor Castle on the following day.

Will London Underground be running on coronation day?

Yes, London Underground services will be running on coronation day. Transport for London have said there are no planned closures, while Night Tube and Night Overground services will be running on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 May.

For those who are hoping to see the coronation procession, TfL has urged travellers to consider walking to viewing areas, as the closest stations to the route are expected to be extremely busy, with queuing systems in place.

The transport provider advises alighting at London Victoria to walk to St James' Park or Green Park, or disembarking at London Paddington or Marylebone for Hyde Park. They add that passengers could also get off at Charing Cross and walk to St James' Park to see the procession. 

Meanwhile, St James's Park station will be closed for part of the coronation day, and Hyde Park Corner will be exit-only.

They add that there will be changes to bus timetables, as some roads in central London will be closed for the event.

Will there be extra services for the coronation weekend?

There will be some extra train services over the coronation weekend. However, many train companies are not planning to enhance their operations for the weekend, as much of the additional passenger demand is expected to come from the South East.

That means the transport operation will be slimmed down compared with the late Queen’s funeral in September last year, when around 250 extra train services ran, including additional overnight services.

Great Western Railway

Great Western Railway has said it will run some "very early" additional services to London Paddington from major stations in south Wales, south-west England and the Thames Valley area on the day of the coronation.

The rail provider will also operate an "enhanced service" between Windsor and Slough for the coronation concert on Sunday 7 May, as well as in the early hours of Monday 8 May.

South Western Railway

South Western Railway said it will run its usual timetable on the day of the coronation service, but there will be additional trains between London Waterloo and Windsor for the concert.

Southeastern

On the day of the coronation, Southeastern will run additional trains between Dartford and London Charing Cross, and longer trains on the Maidstone East Line and between London Victoria and Gillingham.

Govia Thameslink Railway

Govia Thameslink Railway – which operates Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink – said some of its services will have more carriages than normal. However, they will not be putting on additional services - meaning no extra trains between Brighton and London will be running.

Related features:

• What time is the coronation of King Charles III?
• Where will King Charles III's coronation take place?
• How much could King Charles III's coronation cost and who will pay?
• Are Prince Harry and Meghan going to the coronation?
• When was the Queen's coronation and how old was she when she took the throne?
• Will Camilla ever be Queen? Her role in the monarchy explained
• Are schools closed for the coronation of King Charles III?

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