No trains on Christmas Day, almost none on Saturday 26 December, and Birmingham New Street is disrupted 24 to 28 December. What we know for Macclesfield so far.

There will be no trains anywhere on Friday 25 December, and on Saturday 26 December most operators will run nothing at all, according to National Rail’s Christmas and New Year 2026/27 travel guide (National Rail: Christmas and New Year 2026/27). Services on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve will finish earlier than normal on many routes. The operator-by-operator detail for Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry and Northern, the three companies that serve Macclesfield, is not out yet.

The quick answer

  • Thursday 24 December: early finish on many routes. Last trains from London are published in late November or early December.
  • Friday 25 December: no trains. Saturday 26 December: almost none.
  • Birmingham New Street has major engineering work from Thursday 24 to Monday 28 December, so CrossCountry journeys south from Macclesfield will be significantly disrupted.

Day by day, 24 December to 4 January

National Rail’s guide covers Thursday 24 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027. What it says for each day:

Date What National Rail has said
Thu 24 Dec Services on many routes finish earlier than normal. Do not assume the normal timetable.
Fri 25 Dec No National Rail services, as usual.
Sat 26 Dec Most operators run no service; a very limited service by a small number of operators, details to follow.
Mon 28 Dec Substitute Boxing Day bank holiday. Services to be confirmed.
Thu 31 Dec Services on some routes finish earlier than normal.
Fri 1 Jan Special late services on some London routes after midnight.

The guide says each operator’s Christmas service will be added from the beginning of October onwards, and the list of last trains out of London will follow in late November or early December.

Birmingham New Street, 24 to 28 December

The one piece of engineering work National Rail has named so far affects Macclesfield directly. Birmingham New Street will have major engineering work from Thursday 24 December to Monday 28 December inclusive, and “journeys to, from or through Birmingham New Street will be significantly disrupted” (National Rail). Macclesfield has direct CrossCountry trains to New Street via Stoke, taking about 1 hour 7 minutes on a normal Monday (traintimes.org.uk), so if you are travelling to family that way between Christmas Eve and the Monday, expect changes.

Last year: 22 days of West Coast works

The West Coast Main Line is Macclesfield’s main line, and last Christmas it had one of the biggest programmes in the country. Network Rail announced on 7 October 2025 that “significant sections of the line will need to be entirely closed to train traffic over a 22-day period between 24 December and 15 January”, including a junction upgrade across all four main lines at Hanslope in Northamptonshire from 24 December to 5 January (Network Rail: future-proofing the West Coast Main Line).

Network Rail’s advice then was that journey planners start showing the amended timetables 12 weeks ahead. For 2026 that points to early October, the same week the 2025 plan was announced. If you are booking a London trip for the Christmas week, check the specific date before you buy.

Before Christmas: late London trains this autumn

Engineering work on the West Coast line is already moving some late trains this autumn. Our roadworks and travel page lists the current changes, including overnight diversions between Milton Keynes and Rugby. Times, fares and platforms for a normal day are on our trains to London page.

Buses and parking

D&G Bus, which runs most Macclesfield town routes, had not published Christmas arrangements when we checked. Bus operators usually post them in December, and we will add them here.

Parking in Cheshire East council car parks is free on Christmas Day, and normal charges apply on every other bank holiday (Cheshire East: car park charges). Where to park and what it costs is on our parking in Macclesfield page.

What is still to be confirmed

  • Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry and Northern Christmas timetables. National Rail says from early October.
  • Any West Coast Main Line closures between Christmas and mid-January 2027.
  • Last trains from London Euston and Manchester on Christmas Eve. Late November or early December.
  • Whether anything runs through Macclesfield on Saturday 26 December.

School is out from Friday 18 December, which is when the Christmas rush starts; all the dates are on our term dates page.

Sources

Checked on 25 September 2026. We will update this page as the operators publish their Christmas timetables.