The Heathrow rail closure in November 2026 falls on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November, when no trains run between London Paddington and Heathrow. The Heathrow Express is suspended, the Elizabeth line doesn’t serve the airport, and Great Western Railway can’t run into Paddington. From Birmingham, the usual train-and-Elizabeth line route is out, but road, coach and the Piccadilly line are still options.
This guide covers what is closed and when, the Piccadilly line closure the weekend before, and four ways to reach Heathrow from Birmingham. It also explains how to plan your departure and how the Christmas closure follows.
Details last checked on 4 November 2026. Engineering plans change, so check National Rail, TfL and Heathrow Express on the day you travel.
Heathrow rail closures at a glance
| Dates | What happens |
|---|---|
| Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November | The Piccadilly line is closed between Hammersmith and Heathrow, including Friday and Saturday Night Tube. The Elizabeth line runs a reduced service at Heathrow Terminal 4 on Sunday |
| Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November | No trains between Paddington and Heathrow. Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth line don’t serve the airport |
| 28 and 29 November, Birmingham to London | An amended Euston to Birmingham New Street service, according to London Northwestern Railway |
| From Christmas Day | Paddington is closed. Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth line link Paddington and Heathrow again from 31 December |
| Monday 4 January 2027 | GWR services can use Paddington again, and the Elizabeth line runs further west |
Heathrow rail closure on 28 and 29 November: what’s closed
Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth line
National Rail lists a Dolphin Junction upgrade that closes all lines between Maidenhead and London Paddington. No trains can run between Paddington and Heathrow all weekend, so the Heathrow Express is suspended on both days.
The Elizabeth line runs only a limited service of two trains an hour between Reading and Maidenhead. There is no Elizabeth line service between Maidenhead and Abbey Wood, or between Heathrow and Shenfield.
Great Western Railway and Paddington
No GWR trains run between Maidenhead and Paddington in either direction. Some GWR services divert to and from London Euston instead. That matters for Birmingham travellers, because Euston may be busier than usual that weekend.
What isn’t closed
TfL’s list of planned closures, correct at 26 October, shows no Piccadilly line closure on 28 or 29 November. That makes the Piccadilly line the main rail route into Heathrow from central London that weekend. TfL does list closures on the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, so check your route.
The weekend before: Piccadilly line closed on 21 and 22 November
The closures aren’t limited to the 28 to 29 November weekend. TfL lists the Piccadilly line as closed between Hammersmith and Heathrow and Uxbridge on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November, including during Friday and Saturday Night Tube. On Sunday 22 November, the Elizabeth line runs a reduced service between Paddington and Maidenhead and at Heathrow Terminal 4.
That weekend, the Elizabeth line is the main rail link to Heathrow, with the reductions above on Sunday. We didn’t find Heathrow Express’s plans for those two days, so check its live service updates. Road and coach travel aren’t affected by the rail works, although they may be busier.
How to get from Birmingham to Heathrow on 28 and 29 November
The table shows the four realistic options, and what to watch for with each.
| Option | How it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-booked car or chauffeur | Door to door by road, about 110 to 120 miles | Weekend traffic, and booking ahead |
| National Express coach | Direct from Birmingham Coach Station | Fixed timetable, and a stop that may not be your terminal |
| Train and Piccadilly line | Birmingham New Street to Euston, then the Tube | The amended Euston service, and a longer trip with luggage |
| Train to Reading and RailAir | CrossCountry to Reading, then the RA1 coach | Check that it runs as normal that weekend |
By road or pre-booked transfer
Our guide to getting from Birmingham to Heathrow puts the drive at about 110 to 120 miles, taking around one hour 45 minutes to two hours in clear traffic. The route uses the M42, the M40 and the M25. A rail closure doesn’t change the roads, but more people may drive that weekend.
We found no road closures published for 28 and 29 November, but National Highways posts overnight notices only a short time ahead. It has been carrying out bridge repairs at M25 junction 15 near Heathrow this autumn, so check its live updates before you set off.
By coach
National Express runs direct coaches from Birmingham Coach Station to Heathrow. It lists a fastest journey of two hours 15 minutes, and our guide says to expect two hours 15 minutes to three hours, depending on traffic. Coaches serve Heathrow Central Bus Station, and some routes also call at Terminal 5. Check the weekend timetable and your stop before you book.
By train and the Piccadilly line
There’s no direct train from Birmingham to Heathrow. Take an Avanti West Coast or London Northwestern Railway train from Birmingham New Street to London Euston, then use the Underground. From Euston, the Victoria line takes you one stop to King’s Cross St Pancras, where the Piccadilly line runs directly to Heathrow.
Our guide puts the Birmingham to Euston leg at around 80 to 90 minutes, and the Underground leg at 40 to 60 minutes, depending on your terminal. London Northwestern Railway’s planned-disruptions page lists an amended Euston to Birmingham New Street service on 28 and 29 November, for both Avanti West Coast and its own trains. It also lists an amended morning service via Rugby on Sunday. We couldn’t find the details, so check National Rail for your exact train.
If you’re travelling with luggage, remember that you’ll change trains and carry bags through busy stations. The Piccadilly line serves Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3, 4 and 5, so check the destination board for your terminal.
By train to Reading and RailAir
Heathrow lists the RailAir RA1 coach from Reading station, calling at Terminals 5, 2 and 3. CrossCountry runs trains between Birmingham New Street and Reading. This route avoids London, but you should check that the RailAir service runs as normal that weekend and that CrossCountry has no changes.
Which option suits you?
The right choice depends on your flight, your luggage and who is travelling.
- Early flight, long-haul or a group: road is the most predictable option, because you control the departure time and avoid changes.
- Solo, flexible and budget-minded: the coach avoids London, but it runs to a fixed timetable.
- Light luggage and comfortable with changes: the train and Piccadilly line works, but allow for the amended Euston service.
- Travelling from the south of the region: the Reading route may suit you, but confirm both legs first.
Check your terminal before you go
Heathrow has several terminals, and arriving at the wrong one adds time. Our Birmingham guide lists British Airways and Iberia at Terminal 5, Virgin Atlantic and several long-haul carriers at Terminal 3, Star Alliance airlines mainly at Terminal 2, and Qatar Airways and KLM at Terminal 4. Airlines can change terminals, so confirm yours on your booking.
Your terminal also affects your route. A coach may drop you at Heathrow Central Bus Station or Terminal 5, and the Piccadilly line serves different terminals on different trains. Tell your driver or check the board before you travel.
Planning your departure time
Work backwards from your check-in time
Start with the time you need to be at the terminal, then add the journey. Our Birmingham guide suggests arriving three hours before a long-haul flight and about two and a half hours before a European one. A rail closure doesn’t change that, but it can push people onto the roads, so add a buffer.
A worked example: an 11:00 flight on Sunday 29 November
The table is an illustration for a long-haul flight by road. Adjust it for your own journey.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| About 05:45 | Leave Birmingham by car or chauffeur |
| About 07:45 | Arrive at Heathrow, allowing about two hours |
| 08:00 | At check-in, three hours before departure |
| 11:00 | Departure |
Our guide’s journey table gives one hour 45 minutes to two hours for 6am to 8am departures, so this example leaves a modest buffer. If you’re taking the train and Piccadilly line, start earlier, because the journey takes longer and has changes.
If a pickup at that hour suits you, our Birmingham to Heathrow chauffeur service explains how a fixed-price transfer works. Tell us your flight time and terminal, and we’ll agree a pickup that suits the closure.
Flying into Heathrow and heading home that weekend
The closure affects arrivals too. If you land at Heathrow on 28 or 29 November, you can’t take the Heathrow Express or the Elizabeth line into Paddington. Your options are the Piccadilly line to King’s Cross St Pancras, a National Express coach, or a pre-booked car.
If you’re being collected, share your flight number, so the driver can follow your landing time. NET offers flight monitoring and meet and greet on airport bookings, and our Heathrow meet and greet guide explains how the driver finds you in arrivals. For a group, the Mercedes V-Class takes up to seven passengers and seven bags.
Heathrow rail closure at Christmas 2026: the short version
The November weekend is the first of the closures. Network Rail says London Paddington will be closed from Christmas Day, while engineers replace Dolphin Junction near Slough and upgrade the overhead lines.
- Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth line: they link Paddington and Heathrow again from 31 December 2026.
- Elizabeth line further west: the Heathrow link returns on 31 December, but the line doesn’t run further west towards Slough and Reading until Monday 4 January 2027.
- GWR services: they can’t use Paddington until Monday 4 January 2027.
- Birmingham New Street: it has no trains from 24 to 28 December.
No trains run on Christmas Day, and TfL lists the Elizabeth line as closed between Paddington and Heathrow from 26 to 30 December. The Heathrow Express resumes on 31 December. For Christmas Day and Boxing Day options from the Midlands, see our guide to Birmingham to Heathrow on Christmas Day.
Your checklist for a closure weekend
- Check whether your flight falls on 21 to 22 November, 28 to 29 November or over Christmas.
- Check National Rail for your exact Euston to Birmingham train.
- Check TfL for the Piccadilly line on the day you travel.
- Confirm your terminal and the stop for your coach or train.
- Leave earlier than usual, and allow for changes with luggage.
- Book a pickup or coach well before the weekend.
- Share your flight number with anyone collecting you.
Book your Heathrow transfer from Birmingham
National Executive Transfers provides fixed-price chauffeur transfers from Birmingham and the Midlands to Heathrow and back, using Mercedes-Benz E-Class, S-Class and V-Class vehicles. Tell us your flight, terminal, pickup address, group size and luggage, and we’ll plan the journey around the closure. Get a quote and book online.
Related Articles
- Birmingham New Street Christmas Closure 2026: Are Trains Running on Christmas Day & Boxing Day?
- Birmingham Roadworks, Closures & Rail Changes: November-December 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
No. National Rail lists no trains between London Paddington and Heathrow on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November because of the Dolphin Junction upgrade.
No. The only Elizabeth line service that weekend is a limited Reading to Maidenhead shuttle. There’s no service between Heathrow and Shenfield.
TfL’s list, correct at 26 October, shows no Piccadilly line closure on those dates. It does show a closure between Hammersmith and Heathrow on 21 and 22 November, so check TfL on the day.
You can drive or book a transfer, take a direct National Express coach, or take a train to Euston and then the Piccadilly line. Check National Rail first, because the Euston to Birmingham service is amended on both days.
About 110 to 120 miles, taking around one hour 45 minutes to two hours in clear traffic. Allow longer in busy periods.
No. You change in central London, then take the Underground, the Elizabeth line or the Heathrow Express to the airport.
Network Rail says Heathrow Express and Elizabeth line trains link Paddington and Heathrow again from 31 December 2026. The Elizabeth line doesn’t run further west until Monday 4 January 2027.
Network Rail says it is closed from Christmas Day. GWR services can’t use it until Monday 4 January 2027.
The station stays open, but no trains serve it from 24 to 28 December 2026.
