No trains or Stroud buses on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. What ran in 2025, what National Rail has confirmed for 2026, and when the Christmas timetables land.

There are no trains and no Stroud buses on Christmas Day, and none on Boxing Day either. Beyond that, most of the detail for 2026 is not out yet. National Rail has confirmed the dates its Christmas guide will cover and the one quirk of this year’s calendar; GWR says its Christmas engineering plans “have yet to be finalised”. Here is what is confirmed, what happened last Christmas, and when to check again.

The quick answer

  • No National Rail services on Christmas Day, and Boxing Day is not a normal service day on GWR. The Boxing Day bank holiday is on Monday 28 December this year, and National Rail says what will run that day is still to be confirmed.
  • Stagecoach ran no Stroud buses on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day 2025, and finished early at 6pm on Christmas Eve.
  • Last Christmas the London trains from Stroud were cut back. From 27 December to 4 January there were no direct Paddington to Cheltenham trains; passengers changed at Swindon. The 2026 plans are due by early December.

Trains: what National Rail has confirmed for 2026

National Rail’s Christmas guide covers Thursday 24 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027. So far it says:

  • there are “no National Rail services on Christmas Day”;
  • “this year, the Boxing Day bank holiday is on a substitute day, Monday 28 December. Details of the train services that will be running are to be confirmed”;
  • details of Network Rail’s major engineering works “will be published here when available”.

(National Rail, Christmas and New Year 2026/27)

GWR’s own Christmas engineering page has not been updated for this year. It still reads: “Details of the impact on our train services of planned engineering work at Christmas 2025 have yet to be finalised.” (GWR, Christmas and winter rail improvements)

What happened on the Stroud line last Christmas

Stroud’s direct London trains run between Paddington and Cheltenham Spa along the Golden Valley line, so engineering work at the London end reaches Stroud. In 2025 Network Rail renewed points at Dolphin Junction near Slough. It said that from Saturday 27 December to Sunday 4 January trains ran to an amended timetable on two of four tracks, and “no direct services will run between London Paddington and Cheltenham Spa. Passengers can change at Swindon or Bristol Parkway.” It also confirmed: “As usual, no train services will operate on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.” (Network Rail, 22 December 2025)

The year before was worse. GWR said in December 2024 that “after Christmas Eve no main line trains will run to or from London Paddington until Monday 30 December”, for HS2 work at Old Oak Common and track and signal work between Reading and Paddington. (GWR, 16 December 2024)

Two Christmases running, then, the days between Christmas and New Year have been the worst days of the year to get from Stroud to London by train. Network Rail said last December that its Old Oak Common work was continuing, so allow for disruption until the 2026 notice says otherwise. The normal weekday timetable is on our Stroud trains to London page.

Buses: what Stagecoach ran in Stroud last Christmas

Stagecoach West publishes a day-by-day table for Stroud. The 2026 version is not out yet; this is the 2025 one. (Stagecoach West, Christmas bus times)

Day (2025) Stroud buses
Wednesday 24 December Saturday timetable with an early finish: no journeys left their starting point after 6pm. On the 67, the 17:49 from Bussage terminated at Merrywalks and the 18:00 Merrywalks to Cashes Green did not run
Thursday 25 December No service
Friday 26 December No service
Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 December Normal timetable
Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 December Saturday timetable, with the late evening 67 journeys from Bussage and Cashes Green cut
Wednesday 31 December Normal Saturday timetable
Thursday 1 January No service
Friday 2 January Normal weekday school holiday timetable

In 2026 Christmas Day and New Year’s Day both fall on a Friday, so expect the pattern to shift by a day or two rather than repeat exactly.

Parking in Stroud town before Christmas

Stroud District Council’s town centre car parks are free every Sunday, except the Brunel Mall multi storey, which is normally shut on Sundays. In 2024 the council opened Brunel Mall from 6.30am to 9pm on the two Sundays before Christmas, which it said made 916 free spaces in the town. That was at the request of the Chamber of Trade and the Town Council. (Stroud District Council, 12 December 2024) The council has not said whether it will repeat that in 2026. The Sundays before Christmas this year are 13 and 20 December. Year-round tariffs are on our parking in Stroud page, and road closures on our roadworks and travel page.

Still to confirm

  • GWR’s Christmas 2026 timetable and engineering works, including whether trains run on Monday 28 December. National Rail says its guide will be completed nearer the time; expect it by early December.
  • Stagecoach West’s 2026 Christmas bus table for Stroud. The 2025 version covered 24 December to 2 January.
  • Christmas Sunday parking at Brunel Mall.

Sources