Media centre

Wednesday 13 May 2026

Charing Cross and Waterloo East to close for 22 days for £20m railway upgrade

Region & Route:

Southern

| Southern: Kent

Customers advised to plan ahead and check before they travel ahead of the closure.

London Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations will close for 22 days this summer to allow the South Eastern Railway to deliver a £20 million programme of essential railway upgrades. 

The closure will run from Sunday 26 July to Sunday 16 August 2026, plus some weekends either side, and will allow railway engineers to replace nearly two kilometres of 36-year-old track, rebuild sections of platform at Charing Cross, upgrade track drainage systems and carry out structural repairs to both the Waterloo East to London Waterloo pedestrian link bridge and the Hungerford Bridge, which takes the railway over the Thames to Charing Cross. 

The investment will modernise the infrastructure on one of the most important sections of the South Eastern Railway network, helping to deliver an even safer and more reliable railway.  

During the station closures, no trains will call at London Charing Cross or Waterloo East. Southeastern services that normally run into Charing Cross will be diverted to: 

• London Victoria 

• London Cannon Street 

• London Blackfriars 

• Some services will terminate at London Bridge 

Customers can use their tickets on alternative rail routes, London Underground and London Buses at no extra cost. Those who are able to are encouraged to cycle or walk to complete shorter journeys. 

Scott Brightwell, Train Services Director, South Eastern Railway, said: “The £20 million investment we are delivering will see 1990s track and platforms upgraded to make journeys safer and more reliable, and Victorian era structures strengthened to remain fit for the future.  

“By consolidating the work into 22‑day closure, supported by preparation and follow‑up weekends, we can complete the work more quickly and with less disruption overall than the alternative options of 60 weekend closures or four to five 9-day closures.  

“We have planned the closure for the summer, when passenger numbers are around 20 per cent lower and schools are closed, to help manage the impact on customers.  

“We’re asking passengers to plan ahead and check before they travel”. 

Plan your journey   

Customers can plan their train journeys over the closure period on the Southeastern journey planner.  

For journeys on London Underground, London Buses, as well as cycling and walking routes in London, customers are recommended to use TfL’s Plan a Journey page or to download the TfL Go app.  

Dates for your diary 

No trains will call at Charing Cross or Waterloo East stations on the following dates.  

• Sunday 31 May 

• Sunday 7 June  

• Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July 

• Sunday 26 July to Sunday 16 August - 22-day closure  

• Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August 

• Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October. 

Customers should be aware that the alternative service plan for preparation and follow-up weekend closures may be different from the main 22-day closure, and are encouraged to check before travelling.  

Line by line travel summary  

Woolwich Line 

Trains on the Woolwich line will continue to run into London Cannon Street, with some running at revised times, particularly during the morning peak. 

A small number of peak time trains will be retimed, cancelled, or diverted via Blackheath instead of Greenwich. 

Bexleyheath Line 

Trains will continue to run between Cannon Street and Barnehurst, and between Victoria and Gravesend, with some changes to timings. Additional Cannon Street trains will run in the morning peak.  

Sidcup Line 

Trains between Gravesend and central London that normally skip Lewisham will start and terminate at London Bridge and will run via Lewisham instead.  

Cannon Street circular trains will continue with amended times, with additional Cannon Street to Dartford trains operating when circular trains are not running. 

Hayes Line 

Trains that normally run between Hayes and Charing Cross will start/terminate at London Bridge or run to London Blackfriars.  

Trains scheduled to skip Lewisham will instead be diverted via Lewisham, run fast to Elephant & Castle and terminate at Blackfriars.  

Trains routed via Lewisham will terminate at London Bridge.  

In the opposite direction, Hayes trains will start from either London Bridge or Blackfriars, with some running fast between Elephant & Castle and Lewisham and continuing to Hayes. 

Grove Park Line 

Trains that usually run between Charing Cross and Orpington or Sevenoaks will instead start and terminate at London Bridge, with some trains diverted to run via Lewisham.  

Cannon Street trains to and from Orpington will continue but a small number of additional peak time trains will not operate. 

Bromley South Line 

Victoria to Orpington trains will run every 30 minutes instead of every 15 minutes. Peak‑time trains between Blackfriars and Beckenham Junction will continue to operate, but at revised times. 

Sole Street Line 

Victoria trains will run with some services retimed.  

Cannon Street peak trains will operate with some services running at different times. 

Maidstone East Line 

Trains that normally run to and from Charing Cross will operate to and from London Victoria instead, calling additionally at Bromley South. Other Victoria trains on the route will continue to run but run at different times. 

Paddock Wood & Hastings Lines 

Trains between Charing Cross and Ramsgate, Dover, Tunbridge Wells and Hastings will start and terminate at London Bridge. 

Some Tunbridge Wells trains will operate to and from Victoria, with additional hourly trains running between peak periods.  

Peak‑only additional trains to Charing Cross will not operate. 

Medway Valley & Sheerness Line 

All trains on the Medway Valley and Sheerness branch lines will operate as normal. 

Highspeed via Ashford & Gravesend 

All Highspeed trains will operate as normal.