Govia Thameslink Railway published upbeat advertising for Christmas Travel with a Sunday service operating 

A Sunday service is every 30 minutes

Passing Palmers Green Station at noon on Sunday, the Public Information screens showed no trains with a service disruption message. The Oyster reader had a paper message of non trains on 25th and 26th but nothing for 27th December

Subsequently looking back on Twitter I found that the following message had been published:

The url links displays the following message:

Important information

Reduced service, Sunday 27 December

Regrettably, due to a temporary shortage of available drivers, there will be a significantly reduced service on Thameslink and Great Northern on Sunday, 27 December. We are working hard to put in place revised timetables but journey planners may not show replacement trains until shortly before the day in question. Please see below for a summary.

Many trains will be very busy and we apologise sincerely for the inconvenience this will cause. Normally, like the rest of the industry, we rely to a degree on drivers working rest days but on this occasion, it has not been possible. We are running the UK’s biggest driver recruitment and training programme to increase the number of drivers in the longer term [links through to http://www.thameslinkrailway.com/your-journey/live-travel-info/recr...] 

Anyone delayed by 30 minutes or more can apply for compensation via our website: www.thameslinkrailway.com/delayrepay.

For live journey updates please click here: http://www.thameslinkrailway.com/your-journey/live-travel-info/ 

Thameslink service summary, Sunday 27 December

You can view the timetable here.

• No service on the Wimbledon/Sutton loop – please use local bus, London Underground, Southern services or South West Trains
• Hourly service Bedford – St Pancras each way
• No change to advertised timetable Sevenoaks – Blackfriars
• No change to advertised timetable Brighton – Gatwick

Alternative travel and ticket acceptance

Your tickets will be accepted on any reasonable route by Southern, South West Trains (between Waterloo and Wimbledon), London Underground and London Buses and also London Overground, between West Hampstead/Kentish Town and Highbury & Islington.

A limited number of buses will operate between London St Pancras and Radlett, calling at Mill Hill Broadway and Elstree & Borehamwood and vice versa as trains at these stations will be very busy.

Thameslink tickets will also be valid on Greenline 757 coaches between Luton airport, Luton station and London Victoria for onward journeys with Southern.

For alternative routes, please visit www.thameslinkrailway.com/altroutes (but please check service levels with local bus operators and note that advice does not reflect major engineering work that is taking place between East Croydon and Gatwick.).

 

Great Northern service summary, Sunday 27 December

You can view the timetable here.

• Hourly service King's Cross – Cambridge each way
• Hourly service King's Cross – Peterborough each way (normal frequency)
• Hourly service Moorgate – Welwyn Garden City each way
• Hourly service Moorgate – Hertford North each way
• Hourly service Cambridge – King's Lynn each way (normal frequency)

Alternative travel and ticket acceptance

Your tickets will be accepted on Abellio Greater Anglia, London Underground and London buses so that passengers from Cambridge can travel to London Liverpool Street as can Hertford customers using Hertford East, Cuffley using Cheshunt, the Enfield area using Enfield Town, and Southgate using Lower Edmonton.

Alternative transport will be arranged for Foxton, Shepreth and Meldreth. At Watton-at-Stone, passengers will be able to request alternative transport to Stevenage or Hertford by pressing the emergency button of the station help point.

For other alternative routes, please visit www.greatnorthernrail.com/altroutes (but please check service levels with local bus operators).

Anyone delayed by 30 minutes or more can apply for compensation via our website: www.thameslinkrailway.com/delayrepay.

Please check before you travel.