Heathrow and Gatwick airport train links to be severed over Christmas

Holidaymakers are facing travel disruption over the Christmas period as rail links to Britain’s two biggest airports are severed.

Gatwick Express trains will stop running for 10 days due to engineering works, with the last service of 2015 leaving Victoria station at 9.15pm on Christmas Eve and the first services of 2016 scheduled for 4 January.

At Heathrow, the usual one-day closure on Christmas Day will be extended by three days due to Crossrail works. Neither Heathrow Express nor Heathrow Connect trains will run from London Paddington station during the period.

Great Western Railway said services would be disrupted “as part of a large programme of engineering in the Thames Valley needed for the launch of Crossrail in 2019”.

Stephen Joseph, director of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: “These engineering works will of course cause huge problems for travellers and I suspect the decision has been taken to inconvenience airline passengers rather than inconvenience commuters.

“What these closures highlight, however, is the lack of surface transport options to both Heathrow and Gatwick, which is something the government is still failing to address in its plans for airport expansion.”

A spokesman for Gatwick airport told the Independent: “We recommend passengers check updates before they travel, plan their route carefully, and allow extra time if intending to travel by rail during this time. These works are an essential part of plans to double rail capacity at Gatwick by 2020.”

A Heathrow spokesperson said: “The Piccadilly line and additional bus and coach services will be operating. Passengers are advised to leave extra time when travelling to the airport.”