Transport for London has confirmed the Congestion Charge Zone will be suspended over Christmas.
The Zone will cease to operate from Saturday 24 December until Bank Holiday Monday 2 January inclusive.
During this period motorists will not need to pay when entering central London.
Suspension of the zone was announced alongside publication of TfL’s Festive Travel Guide which contains full details of changes to transport services over the Christmas and New Year period.
The guide is available from Tube stations and information points at bus stations, DLR, Tramlink and London Overground stations. It can also be downloaded from www.tfl.gov.uk/festivetravel.
TfL have also confirmed that Dial-a-Ride will be operating every day over Christmas and New Year.
Users should have already received details of how to book journeys over this period and further information is available by calling 0845 999 1 999.
As in past years, there will be free travel on New Year’s Eve which is being sponsored this year by Diageo.
Peter Hendy, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: “The New Year’s Eve fireworks display that takes place at the EDF London Eye provides spectacular entertainment and is enormously popular, attracting large crowds that should be prepared for a long wait at the designated viewing areas along the Thames. As a result people with young children may wish to consider celebrating nearer to home.
“For those wishing to brave the crowds and long waiting times, public transport will be the best way to get around the Capital on New Year’s Eve.”
Changes to services include:
Christmas Eve
A Saturday service will operate on the Underground until 7pm, and then a reduced service for the rest of the evening. Last trains will run at Sunday times.
A Saturday service will operate on the bus network with some exceptions. There will be no night buses and on 24 hour routes, buses will operate until just after midnight.
On the DLR, buses will replace trains between Bank/Tower Gateway and Poplar/West India Quay. Other routes will operate a modified Saturday service until 7pm, after which a reduced service will operate with last trains at Sunday times.
On the London Overground a Saturday service will operate with last trains departing about 9.30pm (8.30pm on the Stratford – Richmond/Clapham Junction route).
On London Tramlink, a Saturday service will operate, but with a reduced timetable from 8pm.
Riverboat services will be running a reduced timetable.
Many coach operators will reduce services from early evening, with last departures from Victoria Coach station leaving at around 9pm.
Christmas Day
There will be no service on the Tube, London Buses, DLR, London Overground, Tramlink or on the river.
Boxing Day
From 8.30am a reduced service will operate on all Tube lines with last trains at Sunday times.
On London Buses from about 8.30am a Sunday service will operate on all routes.
Additionally on routes 81, 90, 105, 111, 140,203, 222, 285, 350, 423, 482, 490, A10, H25, H26, U3 and X26 a Sunday service will operate from about 5.30am in order to serve Heathrow Airport. There will be no service on route 84. A weekday night service will operate on all 24 hour and night bus routes.
On DLR, buses will replace trains between Bank/Tower Gateway and Poplar/West India Quay. On other routes, trains will run every 15 minutes between about 8.30am and 11.30pm.
There will be no services on London Overground.
On London Tramlink a Sunday service will operate with the frequency increased between Wimbledon and East Croydon.
There are no Riverboat services except: Westminster – London Eye – Tower – Greenwich, which will run a normal service.
Bank Holiday, Tuesday 27 December
A Saturday service will operate on the majority of Tube lines.
On London Buses a Sunday service will operate on the majority of day routes while the rest will run a Saturday service. A weekday night service will operate on all 24 hour and Night bus routes.
London Tramlink will be operating a Sunday service with the frequency increased between Wimbledon and East Croydon.
There will be no Riverboat services except: Westminster – London Eye – Tower Greenwich, which will be running a normal service.
New Year’s Eve
Revellers who want to see in the New Year in central London are advised to plan ahead and in particular be prepared for large crowds, and long waits for the designated viewing areas for the fireworks display.
There will be free travel on all journeys between 23:45 until 04:30 on the Tube, DLR, London Buses and Tramlink.
Tube, DLR and Tramlink services will run all night on New Year’s Eve. Some selected Tube stations will be closed completely or for periods at a time, the Festive Travel Guide lists these closures.
A Saturday night service will operate on night bus and 24 hour routes, subject to road closures in central London.
Free travel will apply on London Overground trains running after 11.45pm until last train times.
Riverboat services will run mainly normal services but London Eye will not be served after 2.30pm in order to prepare for the firework display. Some routes will operate on New Year’s Day, but a normal service will not resume until Sunday 2 January.
Some Barclays Cycle Hire docking stations will be temporarily out of service for safety reasons at various times throughout the holiday period including New Year’s Eve. For the latest information on docking station availability, users should check online at: www.tfl.gov.uk/barclayscyclehire
There will be a reduced number of UK coaches departing from Victoria Coach Station with last coaches leaving at around 8pm.
National Rail will operate modified timetables with additional late night departures and a limited number of routes will operate until about 5am. Normal rail fares will apply.