Chiltern Railways engineering works 2026: Easter & May bank holidays

Friday 3rd April 2026 (Good Friday)

If you’re getting your long weekend underway with a trip into London or a day out in the Chilterns, give yourself a bit of extra time. Parts of the Aylesbury line will be closed due to engineering works, and the Birmingham to Marylebone route will be much busier than usual.

Major disruption

• Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London Marylebone: Trains won’t run between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and London Marylebone all day. Replacement buses will take you between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Amersham, and from there you can hop on the Metropolitan line to Baker Street - it’s a short walk from Marylebone station. Your Chiltern Railways ticket covers the Underground leg at no extra cost.
• Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone: With part of the West Coast Main Line closed at Euston, Chiltern Railways will be the only direct route between Birmingham and central London, so expect busy trains. Extra carriages and additional services will be running, but there’ll still be lots of people, so try to travel outside peak hours if you can. Three smaller stations - Kings Sutton, Hatton and Lapworth - won’t be served by the longer trains, so replacement buses will cover these instead. The Bicester North to Banbury bus will call at Kings Sutton, and the Warwick Parkway to Dorridge bus will stop at Hatton and Lapworth. These buses are for local journeys to and from those three stations only.
• Leamington Spa to Stratford-upon-Avon: Replacement buses will run all day between Leamington Spa, Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway and Stratford-upon-Avon. You’ll need to catch a train to Leamington Spa first and then switch to the bus there.

Saturday 4th April 2026

Planning to spend Easter Saturday in town? Then you’ll want to keep this disruption in mind.

Major disruption

• Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London Marylebone: Same as on Good Friday. Trains won’t run between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and London Marylebone all day. Replacement buses will take you between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Amersham, and from there you can hop on the Metropolitan line to Baker Street - it’s a short walk from Marylebone station. Your Chiltern Railways ticket covers the Underground leg at no extra cost.
• Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone: Same as on Good Friday. With part of the West Coast Main Line closed at Euston, Chiltern Railways will be the only direct route between Birmingham and central London, so expect busy trains. Extra carriages and additional services will be running, but there’ll still be lots of people so try to travel outside peak hours if you can. Three smaller stations - Kings Sutton, Hatton and Lapworth - won’t be served by the longer trains, so replacement buses will cover these instead. The Bicester North to Banbury bus will call at Kings Sutton, and the Warwick Parkway to Dorridge bus will stop at Hatton and Lapworth. These buses are for local journeys to and from those three stations only.
• Leamington Spa to Stratford-upon-Avon: Same as on Good Friday. Replacement buses will run all day between Leamington Spa, Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway and Stratford-upon-Avon. You’ll need to catch a train to Leamington Spa first and then switch to the bus there.

Sunday 5th April 2026

Whether you’re settling in for an Easter Sunday roast or travelling home, make sure you allow for extra time on the following routes.

Major disruption

• Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London Marylebone: Same as on Good Friday and Saturday 4th. Trains won’t run between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and London Marylebone all day. Replacement buses will take you between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Amersham, and from there you can hop on the Metropolitan line to Baker Street - it’s a short walk from Marylebone station. Your Chiltern Railways ticket covers the Underground leg at no extra cost.
• Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone: Same as on Good Friday and Saturday 4th. With part of the West Coast Main Line closed at Euston, Chiltern Railways will be the only direct route between Birmingham and central London, so expect busy trains. Extra carriages and additional services will be running, but there’ll still be lots of people so try to travel outside peak hours if you can. Three smaller stations - Kings Sutton, Hatton and Lapworth - won’t be served by the longer trains, so replacement buses will cover these instead. The Bicester North to Banbury bus will call at Kings Sutton, and the Warwick Parkway to Dorridge bus will stop at Hatton and Lapworth. These buses are for local journeys to and from those three stations only.
• Leamington Spa to Stratford-upon-Avon: Same as on Good Friday and Saturday 4th. Replacement buses will run all day between Leamington Spa, Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway and Stratford-upon-Avon. You’ll need to catch a train to Leamington Spa first and then switch to the bus there.

Monday 6th April 2026 (Easter Monday)

It’s the last day of the long weekend, and if you’re heading back from a few days away, keep an eye out for the following works:

Major disruption

• Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London Marylebone: Same as the past few days. Trains won’t run between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and London Marylebone all day. Replacement buses will take you between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Amersham, and from there you can hop on the Metropolitan line to Baker Street - it’s a short walk from Marylebone station. Your Chiltern Railways ticket covers the Underground leg at no extra cost.
• Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone: Same as the past few days. With part of the West Coast Main Line closed at Euston, Chiltern Railways will be the only direct route between Birmingham and central London, so expect busy trains. Extra carriages and additional services will be running, but there’ll still be lots of people so try to travel outside peak hours if you can. Three smaller stations - Kings Sutton, Hatton and Lapworth - won’t be served by the longer trains, so replacement buses will cover these instead. The Bicester North to Banbury bus will call at Kings Sutton, and the Warwick Parkway to Dorridge bus will stop at Hatton and Lapworth. These buses are for local journeys to and from those three stations only.
• Leamington Spa to Stratford-upon-Avon: Same as the past few days. Replacement buses will run all day between Leamington Spa, Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway and Stratford-upon-Avon. You’ll need to catch a train to Leamington Spa first and then switch to the bus there.

Saturday 2nd May 2026

Major disruption

• Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London Marylebone: No Chiltern Railways trains will run on this route all day. Replacement buses will operate between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Amersham, calling at stations along the way, and then carry on to Beaconsfield. At Beaconsfield, you can catch a Chiltern Railways train to and from London Marylebone.

Minor disruption

• Bicester North / Oxford Parkway to Oxford (after 22:55): Buses will replace trains on this section from 22:55 onwards due to overnight track work. If you’re coming back from Oxford late, just allow some extra time for the bus.

Sunday 3rd May 2026

The Aylesbury closure remains in place today, and there are a couple of early-morning changes to be aware of.

Major disruption

• Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London Marylebone: Same as on Saturday. No Chiltern Railways trains will run on this route all day. Replacement buses will operate between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Amersham, calling at stations along the way, and then carry on to Beaconsfield. At Beaconsfield, you can catch a Chiltern Railways train to and from London Marylebone.

Minor disruption

• London Marylebone (until 08:30): No trains will be able to leave or arrive at Marylebone until 08:30 due to early-morning engineering work. If you need to travel, catch a later service once things are up and running.
• Bicester North / Oxford Parkway to Oxford (until 08:35): Buses will replace trains until 08:35 while overnight work wraps up. Normal train services will resume after that.

Monday 4th May 2026  (early May bank holiday)

For a day out on bank holiday Monday, you should be aware there’s a reduced timetable across the network. The Aylesbury line will still be closed, too.

Major disruption

• Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London Marylebone: Same as on Saturday and Sunday. No Chiltern Railways trains will run on this route all day. Replacement buses will operate between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Amersham, calling at stations along the way, and then carry on to Beaconsfield. At Beaconsfield, you can catch a Chiltern Railways train to and from London Marylebone.

Saturday 23rd May 2026

No works planned.

Sunday 24th May 2026

No works planned.

Monday 25th May 2026 (late May bank holiday)

No works planned.

• Rail replacement buses. These run in place of trains on affected sections of the route. You can use your Chiltern Railways ticket to board them at no extra cost. Just allow a bit of extra time, as buses, of course, take longer than the train - especially in busy urban areas with lots of traffic.
• Shortened or truncated services. Some trains will only run part of their normal route - for example, a Birmingham service might turn around at Banbury instead of continuing to London. Replacement buses or the Underground usually cover the rest of the route.
• Diversions via alternative lines. For example, if the direct Chiltern Main Line route between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street is disrupted, you might be routed via High Wycombe and Banbury with additional stops along the way.
• Altered first and last train times. Check your departure carefully if you're travelling early or late in the day, as the first and last services may run at different times. On the Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London Marylebone route, for instance, replacement buses may start later than the usual first train and finish earlier than the last.
• Reduced frequencies on Sundays and bank holidays. Fewer trains run across the network on these days, so double-check the timetable before you set off. The Leamington Spa to Stratford-upon-Avon branch line, for example, typically runs a lighter service on bank holidays even without engineering works.

Here are a few tips to keep your journey on track:

• Leave yourself extra time if you’re travelling between London and Birmingham, especially when the Aylesbury line is closed, and Chiltern Railways is the main route into the capital.
• Avoid tight onward connections at Birmingham Moor Street or London Marylebone. It's a good idea to build in a buffer so you’re not rushing between platforms.
• Travel earlier in the day if you can, as morning services tend to run more smoothly.
• Book your tickets once the amended timetables are confirmed, remember you’ll always see the most up-to-date journey times on Trip.com.
• Consider an overnight stay if you’re travelling far and late services are disrupted. You’ll find a big selection of hotels on Trip.com.

Planning a weekend or bank holiday trip on Chiltern Railways? It’s always worth keeping an eye on the following stations and stretches of the line - these are the areas most likely to be affected by engineering works:

• London Marylebone is the London terminus for all Chiltern Railways services, so any work here can affect trains across the entire network. Closures or reduced access at Marylebone are most common during early-morning or late-night maintenance works, and you may need to use the Underground or buses to finish your journey.
• High Wycombe is one of the busiest intermediate stations on the Chiltern Main Line. Junction and track work in this area can disrupt services between London and Aylesbury, and between London and Birmingham.
• Banbury is a the main interchange station where the Chiltern Main Line cross routes that head further north. Upgrades here can affect connections to and from Oxford, and services between London Marylebone and Birmingham.
• Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill are the two Birmingham stations served by Chiltern Railways. When there are engineering works on the approaches to either station, expect diversions and rail replacement buses.
• The commuter corridor between London and Buckinghamshire - including stations like Beaconsfield, Gerrards Cross and Amersham - is another area that's prone to engineering works on weekends and bank holidays. If you’re travelling on this stretch, check for bus replacements before you set off.

Are Chiltern Railways tickets valid on rail replacement buses?

Yes - your Chiltern Railways ticket is automatically valid on any rail replacement bus covering the closed section of your route. You don’t need to buy a separate ticket or do anything extra. Just look out for the bus outside the station or in a nearby car park.

How far in advance are Chiltern Main Line engineering works announced?

Most planned engineering works are confirmed around 12 weeks in advance. It’s a good idea to check a few days before you travel, as details can occasionally be updated closer to the date. You’ll always see the latest timetables on Trip.com, along with a banner advising of engineering works.

Are London Marylebone closures common during bank holidays?

Marylebone itself doesn’t close very often, but services in and out of the station can be affected by engineering work on the Chiltern Main Line or on the nearby Underground lines. Remember, too, that bank holiday weekends are the most common time for these works.

Can I get a refund if I choose not to travel?

Yes - if engineering works affect your planned journey and you’d rather not travel, you can usually claim a full refund on your unused ticket. Just be sure to double-check the terms of your ticket when booking. 

Do engineering works usually affect Sunday services?

Sundays and bank holidays are the most common days for planned engineering work, as this is when fewer people use the trains for work. You may find reduced timetables, rail replacement buses and diversions, so it’s a good idea to check before you set off.