King Charles coronation: Extra trains for people travelling to London on May 6 - what’s the travel advice

Travel advice has been issued for people wanting to travel to London for the coronation of King Charles, with a number of rail firms putting on extra trains over coronation weekend.
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The coronation of King Charles III is expected to attract royal fans from all over the UK and further afield for the historic occasion. Ahead of the coronation, Transport for London (TfL) has warned people to “plan ahead” as services are set to be extremely busy over the weekend of May 6.

While there are no planned closures across the TfL network, some roads will be closed in central London. Some bus routes may be diverted, or may terminate early, due to the road closures.

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On the day of the coronation, King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel in special carriages from Buckingham Palace, along the Mall to Trafalgar Square, along Whitehall to Parliament Square and then to Westminster Abbey. King Charles will then be crowned King inside Westminster Abbey.

To cope with the demand, TfL has urged travellers to accommodate any potential delays into their plans. The transport body has also asked people to monitor its network using the TfL Go App or by visiting their website.

King Charles coronation: Which rail firms are putting on extra trains?

Great Western Railway (GWR) - GWR has confirmed it will run some"very early" additional services to London Paddington from major stations in south Wales, south-west England and the Thames Valley area on Saturday May 6.

The rail provider will also operate an "enhanced service" between Windsor and Slough on Sunday May 7 and the early hours of Monday May 8 for the coronation concert

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South Western Railway (SWR) - SWR will run its usual timetable on the day of the coronation service, but there will be additional trains between London Waterloo and Windsor for the coronation concert.

Southeastern - On coronation day, Southeastern will run additional trains between Dartford and London Charing Cross, and longer trains on the Maidstone East Line and between London Victoria and Gillingham.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) GTR - which operates Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink - confirmed some of its services will have more carriages than normal.

South Western Railway report that trains may be 'cancelled' or 'delayed' today. Picture: SWR.South Western Railway report that trains may be 'cancelled' or 'delayed' today. Picture: SWR.
South Western Railway report that trains may be 'cancelled' or 'delayed' today. Picture: SWR.

When is the coronation of King Charles III 

The coronation of King Charles III will take place on Saturday, May 6. It will take place inside Westminster Abbey and be the first coronation in the UK since Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in 1953.