Journey times are set to double during 11 days of work over the festive period, when five out of seven major rail routes are closed.
Passengers are expected to attempted more than 20 million journeys, with flyers also facing chaos as train services bound to Gatwick and Heathrow airports are cut over the fortnight period.
It is feared the works will bring the ‘worst ever’ disruption to Christmas journeys as Paddington Station in London faces closure.
Passengers will attempt more than 20 million journeys as the chaos is expected to hit flyers at Gatwick and Heathrow
Ian Baldry of IBPTS travel consultants told the Daily Star that Network Rail had failed to comprehend the impact on commuters.
‘Works taking place this Christmas are even worse than last Christmas, which had the previous biggest ever Christmas works schedule,’ he said.
‘Passengers face chaos.
‘Network Rail don’t realise the impact their works have on people trying to get home for Christmas.
‘Travellers are sick of works – and then, after Christmas, there are January fare increases.
‘Passengers have had enough.’
Services from London Paddington to the west face delays, as do London Bridge routes heading south-east and Liverpool Street services going east.
People traveling from the capital to Scotland also face disruption, with services from London Euston to Glasgow delayed.
Those heading to the south west from London Waterloo can also expect to be affected.
The Gatwick Express and the Heathrow Express face temporary closures and the west coast main line from London to Glasgow is set to be severed.
Eight days of works at London Paddington will close the station from the evening of December 23 to the morning of December 28, shutting off Great Western Railway services and forcing users to start journeys at London Marylebone or Slough instead/
And half of the lines serving Paddington will be closed from December 28 to 31.
Southeastern trains will not serve London Bridge, Charing Cross, Waterloo East and Cannon Street from December 23 to January 1.
Eight days of works at London Paddington will close the station from the evening of December 23 to the morning of December 28
Meanwhile Thameslink will shut from December 23 to January 1.
Greater Anglia trains will not serve Liverpool Street on December 23, 24, 27 or New Year’s Day.
The London to Ipswich service will double its journey time from 1hr 11min to 2hr 17min.
As the London to Glasgow line is severed, the 20-mile stretch from Preston to Lancaster will be covered by buses on December 24 and December 27.
All South Western Railway will either be shut or diverted between Southampton Central and Eastleigh from December 24 to January 1 and to Fareham on the last two days of December.
CrossCountry trains face journey times that are 40 minutes longer and Virgin Trains East Coast will cut Leeds services on December 27.
The Rail Delivery Group representing Network Rail and train groups said: ‘Carrying out this vital work over Christmas and New Year, when fewer people use the railway, will help to minimise disruption while ensuring Britain has the railway it needs to prosper.’
Network Rail said: ‘We are making another significant investment to improve and grow the railway.
‘The railway is open for business this Christmas. The vast majority of the network will be unaffected by engineering work.’