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Monday 23 Feb 2026

Railway through Dartford reopens for Southeastern and Thameslink passengers following major half-term upgrade

Region & Route:

Southern

£10m of work completed on time with improvements to several stations so that trains can resume.

The South Eastern Railway has successfully reopened the railway through Dartford after completing a significant upgrade programme carried out over the February half-term, with passengers thanked for their patience during this essential work

Dartford Junction, the busiest railway junction in Kent, has undergone a £10 million renewal to improve long-term reliability for customers travelling between Kent and London. The project included replacing 10 switches and crossings (points) and installing approximately 400 yards of new rail between Slade Green and Dartford.

To make full use of the planned closure, additional station improvements were delivered. At Dartford station, repainting work was completed, stepping distances between trains and platforms were reduced, and lift maintenance was undertaken to enhance reliability. Track improvements were also carried out in the nearby sidings.

Further enhancements took place across the route, including fencing replacement at Stone Crossing, a refurbishment of the accessible toilet at Greenhithe, deep cleaning at Swanscombe, and installation of new LED lighting and additional customer information screens at Northfleet.

This programme forms part of a wider £300 million investment to improve performance and reliability across the South Eastern Railway network. Follow-up work will take place on Sunday 1 March and Sunday 5 April, during which replacement bus services will operate.

David Davidson, Chief Operating Officer for South Eastern Railway, said: “We appreciate our passengers’ patience while we completed this vital investment at Dartford Junction, where 650 trains pass each day.

“This work strengthens the long-term resilience and efficiency of one of the busiest points on our network. Scheduling the upgrade during half-term helped minimise disruption for customers.”