Travel advice for the mourning period

It is with great sadness that the death of Her Majesty The Queen has been announced. We send our condolences to the Royal Family. ​ 

Many people from across the country will wish to travel in the coming days to pay their respects to Her Majesty the Queen and the rail industry is working hard to enable people to do that.  However, we would urge people to check service details before travelling and to be prepared for very busy trains and stations.  

For London travel information visit  Transport for London's website. 

Queue information for the Lying-in-State The queue is in Southwark Park and wait times are at least 24 hours. If the park reaches capacity, entry to the queue will be paused. For live updates on the length of the queue, location of the back of the queue and expected queueing times, please visit one on the Government's official channels: Watch the live queue tracker on the DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport) YouTube channel. You can also follow DCMS on Facebook and Twitter for live updates and information about the Lying-in-State.

 

How do I get the latest information on train travel? 

If you are travelling next week, please check the latest train information on National Rail Enquiries or through your train operator(s) before you travel. You can sign up to Alert Me by Messenger to receive personalised alerts about your journey. 

 

What ticket can I get to London or Windsor for the funeral?

The day of the funeral, Monday 19 September, will be a national bank holiday.

The usual weekday peak restrictions will not apply and therefore off-peak tickets can be used throughout the day.

Despite being a bank holiday, the normal full weekday train service will be provided with some additional trains where possible. You should check before you travel on the day as London and Windsor are expected to be very busy. Please do not plan to view the service in London and then travel to Windsor. Windsor most likely will be full by this time. It is best to choose one location and remain there to pay your respects. 

There are a number of regional events taking place across the country allowing people to congregate to watch the State Funeral together.

 

Are train companies running additional services for the Lying-in-State and the funeral? 

We are working with our partners to review arrangements to get people to view the funeral where possible and where there is capacity. 

 

Journeys into London for the Lying-in-State or funeral (National Rail) 

London is going to be extremely busy as people come from all over the United Kingdom and abroad to pay their respects to Her Majesty. We encourage people to leave as much time as possible when making their journey and check before they travel.  

 

Where do I need to go to be near where Her Majesty The Queen will be Lying-in-State?​ 

Her Majesty will lie in state in Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster in Central London between Wednesday 14 September and Monday 19 September.

Queues are expected to be lengthy.​ 

More information has been published on the Government website which includes details of the queue route and expected queueing times.

 

Funeral 

The funeral will take place at 11:00 on Monday 19 September. Some Tube stations in the area may be closed during the Funeral. A number of roads may be closed at short notice while the coffin is moved through Central London, with bus routes altered and Tube stations closed, to prevent overcrowding.  

There may be a large number of people travelling to and within London for Her Majesty’s funeral.  

All major London train stations will have extra staff around to help you on your journey. In busy times like this, the fastest way to get to where you are going might be to walk if you are able to do so.  

For more London travel information please see Transport for London’s webpage to plan your route.  

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Will I be able to book assistance?​ 

We will do everything we can to help passengers on their journeys. Please contact your train company for more information and to book your assistance. 

 

Journeys into Windsor for the burial  

Following the funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19 September, Her Majesty’s final journey will be to St George’s Chapel, Windsor for the burial. 

Windsor and Eton Riverside and Windsor and Eton Central stations will be especially busy during this time, and may become full. While a large number of television and other media outlets will cover this part of Her Majesty’s final journey, a large number of people may be expected to travel to Windsor. Please do not plan to view the service in London and then travel to Windsor. Windsor most likely will be full by this time. It is best to choose one location and remain there to pay your respects. 

Those looking to travel to Windsor:

• from the London area are advised to use South Western Railway services from London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside.
• from the West, South Wales and Cotswolds areas should change at Reading for services to Slough, then change for Windsor & Eton Central.

For more details please visit our National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner.

You may also wish to visit the Great Western Railway, South Western Railway or Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead websites. 

 

General advice for passengers 

Wherever possible, practicable and safe, Network Rail engineering works will be postponed in order to allow the maximum number of trains to run during the period of national mourning. 

If you are travelling to the Lying-In-State, you should be prepared to wait for a considerable length of time.  

Updates on number of people visiting Central London will be given by official sources including Government, the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London.  

 

After the Funeral 

You may want to consider the timing of your journey home. London and Windsor will be very busy.  

 

Ticketing information for customers during the mourning period following the death of Her Majesty the Queen (up to and including 19 September)

 

A flexible approach on tickets

We have put in place changes that will ensure customers will not lose money if they change their plans or decide not to travel because of the death of Her Majesty the Queen. These changes will also help increase capacity on trains, which we expect to be very busy at this time with many people travelling to formal events, especially in London.

Customers with:

• Anytime, Off-Peak, and Super Off-Peak tickets can get refunds if they bought them before the death of Her Majesty the Queen was announced on 8 September. The administration fee, which can be up to £10, will be waived. This applies to all National Rail train operators in Britain. Other ticket retailers may have a different policy, see their own websites for further information.
• Advance tickets can obtain a voucher if they have purchased Advance tickets, in line with the existing “Book with Confidence” scheme. These tickets can be changed or swapped for a voucher up to 18:00 on the evening before the planned day of travel.

Off-Peak fares to apply on the day of Her Majesty’s funeral.

Off-Peak tickets can be used on services on Monday 19 September – the day of Her Majesty’s funeral.

However, normal off-peak restrictions will apply on other weekdays during the mourning period. This will allow workers, including key workers, to get to their workplace.