Tuesday 3 Nov 2026
160-year-old Selhurst railway bridge to be replaced over Christmas and New Year
- Region & Route:
- Southern
Victorian-era bridge to be removed and replaced in major operation that will help maintain a safe and reliable railway for decades to come
Network Rail is to replace the Victorian-era railway bridge at Selhurst Road over the Christmas and New Year period as part of a major investment to maintain a safe and reliable railway for rail passengers and freight customers.
The replacement of the 1861-built bridge is a significant engineering project that will help ensure this important section of railway remains safe, resilient and reliable while reducing the need for additional future maintenance.
So that engineers can carry out the work safely, road closures will be in place to complete the work between 27 December and 2 January, with the new bridge being assembled on site.
Lucy McAuliffe, Sussex Route Director for Network Rail, said: “We have carried out multiple repairs to the Selhurst Road railway bridge, but it has now reached the end of its serviceable life and needs to be replaced. We will assemble the new bridge on site and then move it into place between 27 December and 2 January.
“We recognise the impact the works will have on residents, businesses, road users and our customers and apologise for the inconvenience caused. Wherever possible, we will minimise noise and disturbance and will provide advance notice of particularly disruptive activities.
“I would like to apologise to local residents and businesses for the disruption caused by this closure but we really do need to do this work at a time of year when we will cause the least inconvenience to people, especially as there are fewer people travelling to work during the holiday season.”
Selhurst Road closure to vehicles and pedestrians
To safely carry out this essential work, Selhurst Road beneath the railway bridge will be fully closed to vehicles and pedestrians from 08:00 on Saturday 12 December 2026 until 17:00 on Sunday 10 January 2027. Edith Road will also be closed to vehicles during this period; however, pedestrian access will be maintained.
There will be no vehicle or pedestrian access beneath the bridge while the closure is in place, but pedestrian access on either side of the bridge will always be available.
Engineers will remove the existing bridge and install a new structure using specialist Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs), remotely controlled vehicles that are designed to move extremely heavy structures safely and precisely.
Notes to Editors
During planning, engineers identified underground utility pipes beneath the road which means a conventional heavy-lift crane cannot be safely used for the bridge installation. While this alternative construction method requires a longer road closure, it is both the safest and most practical solution for this project.
The work has also been scheduled over the Christmas and New Year period when road traffic and rail passenger numbers are typically lower. This reduces the overall impact on the travelling public while allowing engineers to complete as much work as possible during a single period of disruption – the alternative being series of multiple weekends over many months.
Network Rail is working closely with Croydon Council, emergency services and other local partners to develop access arrangements, minimise disruption and keep the community informed.
Some construction activities, including the existing bridge removal and installation of the new bridge will need to take place around the clock with the most intensive phase of work expected to take place between 27 December and 2 January.
Travel advice
Selhurst station remains open during the works but passengerscustomers travelling by rail over Christmas and New Year are strongly encouraged to check before they travel and plan their journeys in advance.
Changes to train services on days when Crystal Palace are playing at home will be communicated closer to the time.
Contact information
Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Paul Prentice
Communications Manager
07354 529345
paul.prentice@networkrail.co.uk
About Network Rail
We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
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