Practical
Boxing Day London 2026: What’s Open and Tube
On this page
The short answer
Boxing Day 2026 is Saturday 26 December, and the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December. On the 26th most train operators run no service. TfL has not published its 2026 plan yet; last year Boxing Day had a Sunday service on the Tube, buses and trams, and no Elizabeth line. Large shops may open on both days: trading law restricts Sundays, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day, not these. The Congestion Charge is off on both days; ULEZ is on.
In 2026, Boxing Day falls on Saturday 26 December, so the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December. That catches people out twice: once on the Saturday, when trains are still barely running, and again on the Monday, which is a holiday when you may have assumed it was a working day.
This page covers both.
Trains are the problem on Saturday 26th. National Rail says most train operators will have no service on Boxing Day, with a very limited service from a small number of operators. Do not plan a rail journey on the 26th without checking that specific train.
Every day from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day, with what is confirmed for 2026: the Christmas-week board.
At a glance
| Sat 26 Dec | Mon 28 Dec (bank holiday) | |
|---|---|---|
| National Rail | Most operators none Not reliable | To be confirmed Check live |
| Tube, buses, trams | Sunday service in 2025 Check live | To be confirmed Check live |
| Elizabeth line | None in 2025 Check live | Check live |
| Large shops | May open — no Boxing Day law Usually | May open Usually |
| Congestion Charge | Off Always | Off Always |
| ULEZ | On Always | On Always |
| Pharmacies | NHS rota for Boxing Day Check live | Rota to be confirmed Check live |
Saturday 26 December: Boxing Day
Trains. For 2026, National Rail says most train operators will have no service on Boxing Day, with a very limited train service operated by a small number of train operators, details to be confirmed. Check the operator for your exact journey before relying on it.
TfL. TfL’s 2026 plan is normally published in early December. In 2025 it said there would be no services on some parts of the network on Boxing Day, including the Elizabeth line, with a Sunday service on the Tube, buses and trams. We will replace this with the 2026 wording when TfL publishes it.
Shops. English trading law restricts large shops on Sundays, on Easter Sunday and on Christmas Day. It says nothing about Boxing Day. So large shops may open on Saturday 26th — whether they do, and when, is their decision.
Monday 28 December: the substitute bank holiday
This is the day people forget.
- It is a bank holiday. Expect bank holiday arrangements from GP surgeries, banks and council services — check the one you need.
- Trains: National Rail says details are to be confirmed. Expect a holiday timetable and check on the day.
- Pharmacies are not required to open on bank holidays, so the NHS commissions a rota. Check the NHS pharmacy finder or ring 111.
- Shops: no legal restriction on a bank holiday Monday. Ordinary opening is the shop’s own choice.
Road charges
- The Congestion Charge is off from Christmas Day to the New Year’s Day bank holiday inclusive — so on both the 26th and the 28th.
- ULEZ is on. It stops on Christmas Day only.
Pharmacies
NHS England London publishes a list of pharmacies commissioned to open on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, by borough, with hours. The 2024/25 edition appeared in November. We will link the 2026/27 list here when it is out.
Until then, the method is in how to find a pharmacy open now and, for bank holidays specifically, pharmacy open on a Sunday, early morning or late evening.
What is different this year
- Two holiday days, not one. Saturday 26th is Boxing Day; Monday 28th is the bank holiday.
- Trains are worst on the 26th. Most operators run nothing.
- Shops are not restricted on either day — unlike Christmas Day.
- Pharmacy and GP cover changes on the Monday, even if the weekend felt normal.
The one-line version
Saturday 26 December: very few trains, reduced TfL, shops free to open. Monday 28 December: a bank holiday people forget — check trains, pharmacies and anything you would normally do on a Monday.
Before: Christmas Day in London. After: New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Sources
- National Rail — Christmas and New Year 2026/27
- TfL — Christmas and New Year services, 2 December 2025
- GOV.UK — bank holidays: Monday 28 December 2026 is the substitute Boxing Day holiday
- Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004 and Sunday Trading Act 1994, Schedule 1
- TfL — Congestion Charge and TfL — ULEZ
- NHS England — London, publisher of the Christmas and New Year pharmacy rota
Checked: 27 October 2026 (National Rail 2026/27, TfL, GOV.UK, the legislation and the road-charge pages; NHS pages 22 September 2026) — train and TfL details for 2026 are published in November and December and will be re-checked before Christmas.