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COVID-19: Train operators urge people to book tickets 'early as possible' ahead of Christmas surge

Capacity on trains will be "substantially reduced" to enable social distancing in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.

LNER
Image: LNER are expecting its Christmas Eve services to sell out quickly
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Those planning to travel during the Christmas period are being encouraged to book tickets "as early as possible" to avoid being denied entry on to trains.

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) released the warning ahead of its festive ticket sales on Friday.

The operator is expecting its Christmas Eve services to sell out quickly.

LNER
Image: The operator says its trains are running 'substantially reduced' services to ensure social distancing

Capacity on its trains are "substantially reduced" to ensure social distancing - in line with COVID-19 guidance - and those that fail to pre-book their tickets will not be able to travel.

The company operates on the East Coast Main Line between King's Cross and Scotland.

The London station will be closed for six days from Christmas Day as part of its £1.2bn upgrade of its routes.

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As a result, LNER is advising passengers to "avoid travel" on Christmas Eve, warning that "alternative routes will likely be very busy and should also be avoided".

An LNER spokesman said: "We understand the disruption this engineering work may cause to Christmas plans this year, so we are urging our customers to plan and book their travel as early as possible."

Earlier this week, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that people should not travel by train at Christmas if it can be avoided, in order to "prevent overcrowding".

Avanti West Coast, which operates trains on the West Coast Main Line, will release its Advance fairs - typically cheaper tickets - in the next few days.

These are typically released 12 weeks early, but complications related to the pandemic has resulted in slights delays.