Ealing's five Elizabeth line stations lose trains on 28-29 November and 27-30 December for work at Slough. Tube to Ealing Broadway, then buses west. Day by day.

No Elizabeth line trains will call at any Ealing station on the weekend of 28 and 29 November, or from 27 to 30 December. The cause is track work at Dolphin Junction, near Slough, about 12 miles west of Ealing Broadway.

National Rail published the travel plan for both closures on its Dolphin Junction page. Until now the industry had said only that Paddington services would be affected.

The stations affected in the borough are:

  • Acton Main Line
  • Ealing Broadway
  • West Ealing
  • Hanwell
  • Southall

The Greenford branch, which serves Greenford, South Greenford, Castle Bar Park, Drayton Green and West Ealing, will not run during either closure.

The weekend of 28 and 29 November

National Rail says there will be no Elizabeth line service between Maidenhead and Abbey Wood, or between Heathrow Airport and Shenfield, all weekend. That takes in the central tunnels as well as every station in Ealing.

For stations between Paddington and Reading, National Rail says:

  • London Underground runs between central London and Ealing Broadway
  • buses replace trains between Ealing Broadway and Slough, and between Slough and Maidenhead
  • Elizabeth line trains run only between Maidenhead and Reading

There are no Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express trains to Heathrow that weekend. The Piccadilly line, which runs through Acton Town, South Ealing and Northfields, will be the only rail link between central London and the airport.

Christmas and new year

The bigger closure runs from Sunday 27 December to Sunday 3 January. For Ealing it falls into two halves.

Dates Elizabeth line at Ealing stations What National Rail says replaces it
Fri 25 Dec No trains Every line in the country is closed to passengers
Sat 26 Dec No trains No Elizabeth line service
Sun 27 to Wed 30 Dec No trains Tube between Paddington and Ealing Broadway, then buses from Ealing Broadway to stations towards Slough
Thu 31 Dec to Sat 2 Jan Trains run Elizabeth line stops at Hayes and Harlington; buses from there towards Slough
Sun 3 Jan Trains run Elizabeth line stops at Hayes and Harlington; buses from there towards Maidenhead

From 27 to 30 December, Great Western Railway trains will not run between Paddington and Slough either. There are no Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express trains to Heathrow until New Year’s Eve, so the Piccadilly line is again the only rail route from central London to the airport.

From New Year’s Eve, Elizabeth line trains through Ealing come back, running between central London and Hayes and Harlington, the next station west of Southall, in the borough of Hillingdon. Christmas Eve times have not been published yet.

Further afield

Long-distance travel from Paddington is heavily cut on both dates:

  • Great Western Railway trains cannot run to or from Paddington
  • trains to the Bristol area and South Wales are diverted to London Euston, with longer journeys
  • most other long-distance trains start and finish at Reading
  • at Christmas, South Western Railway runs trains between London Waterloo and Reading, and National Rail warns they may be extremely busy on Monday 28 December because of rugby at Twickenham

Why the work is happening

Network Rail is renewing the eastern side of Dolphin Junction, between Slough and Langley. National Rail says more than 400 trains and 100,000 passengers pass through it every day, and that new points equipment is being installed for more reliable journeys. The western side of the junction was renewed over Christmas 2025. The full background is on our Christmas travel page.

What it means for you

  • Heading west from Ealing on either date? Expect a bus for part of the journey. From 27 to 30 December it starts at Ealing Broadway.
  • Going into London? Use the Central or District line from Ealing Broadway, or the Piccadilly line from Acton Town, South Ealing or Northfields. National Rail says the Underground runs between central London and Ealing Broadway on both dates.
  • Flying from Heathrow? On 28 and 29 November, and from 27 to 30 December, the Piccadilly line is the only train to the airport. Allow extra time.
  • Travelling from 31 December? Elizabeth line trains through Ealing are back, but stop short at Hayes and Harlington.
  • Check before you travel. National Rail says to plan ahead and allow extra time. Our roadworks and travel page carries the Tube closures closer to the date.

Sources