Wednesday 31 Jul 2024
South London rail passengers asked to plan ahead as upgrade work affects services for nine days including over the August Bank Holiday weekend
- Region & Route:
- Southern
- | Southern: Sussex
Major track upgrade will affect train services across parts of south London
Passengers in the Crystal Palace area are advised to plan ahead if travelling from Saturday 24 August to Sunday 1 September as Network Rail carry out a major track upgrade.
Five sets of switches and crossings, the moveable rails that allow trains to transfer between lines, and 1500m of track will be replaced with brand new equipment.
The work will help reduce train delays and improve passenger journeys.
While the work is taking place, from Saturday 24 August to Sunday 1 September, there will be no Southern trains at West Norwood, Gipsy Hill, Birkbeck and Beckenham Junction stations.
No trains will run to or from Crystal Palace on Saturday 24, Sunday 25 or Monday 26 August. The work will also impact trains at stations from Streatham Hill to Norwood Junction and Sydenham. There will also be a reduced Southern service through Peckham Rye, East Dulwich, North Dulwich, Tulse Hill, Norwood Junction and West Croydon stations.
Passengers will be able to use their tickets on London Underground, London Overground and London Buses.
The project in numbers:
- Five new sets of switches and crossings
- Replacement around 1,500 metres of rail
- Installing 730 metres of new conductor rail – the third rail that powers trains
- Installing an additional 4,000 metres of new signalling and telecom cables.
Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail’s Sussex Route Director, said: “Upgraded track and equipment at the busy Crystal Palace junction which controls the movement of trains across south London will help reduce train delays and improve passenger journeys.
“We're advising people to plan ahead and use London Buses, London Underground or alternative National Rail services. Please check before you travel and thanks for bearing with us while this essential work is carried out. “
Chris Fowler, Network Operations and Performance Director for Govia Thameslink Railway which operates Southern trains said: “This is major work that will deliver long-term improvements for our customers but create a significant impact in the short-term.
“Please plan ahead and consider your alternative travel arrangements with London Overground, the Tube and London Buses.”
People are asked to check train times at www.nationalrail.co.uk and plan alternative routes at www.tfl.gov.uk
Notes to Editors
The work will run from Saturday 24 August to Sunday 1 September inclusive.
Whilst the work is taking place, for nine days from Saturday 24 August to Sunday 1 September there will be no Southern trains at West Norwood, Gipsy Hill, Birkbeck and Beckenham Junction stations. The work will also impact trains at stations from Streatham Hill to Norwood Junction and Sydenham.
There will also be a reduced Southern service through Peckham Rye, East Dulwich, North Dulwich, Tulse Hill, Norwood Junction and West Croydon stations.
At Crystal Palace there will be no Southern or London Overground trains from Saturday 24 August to Monday 26 August.
Between Tuesday 27 and Friday 30 August Southern services will run to and from London Bridge via Sydenham and Brockley, but there will be no Southern services to or from Streatham Hill and Victoria. On Saturday 31 August and Sunday 1 September there will be no Southern services to or from Crystal Palace.
Paper rail tickets will be accepted on the following alternatives:
Monday to Saturday:
- London Buses: 109, 157, 196, 201, 249, 255, 315, 322, 417, 432, 450, 468 between Streatham Hill and Norwood Junction / West Croydon.
- London Trams: East Croydon and Beckenham Junction.
- London Underground: London Bridge and Canada Water (Jubilee Line)
- London Overground: Canada Water and West Croydon.
Sunday:
- London Buses: 109, 157, 196, (on Sunday 24 August only)
- London Buses: 201, 249, 255, 315, 322, 417, 432, 450, 468 between Streatham Hill and Norwood Junction / West Croydon.
- London Underground: London Bridge and Canada Water (Jubilee Line)
- London Overground: Canada Water and Sydenham / Crystal Palace / West Croydon.
For further information about the impact of this work on train services, please visit the Southern website.
In the same area, there will be further re-signalling work taking place in Autumn 2024. Please see London Victoria and South London re-signalling programme - Network Rail for further information as it is announced.
Main picture credit: Crystal Palace Tunnel and Junction cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Robin Webster - geograph.org.uk/p/4332669
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.
Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
Follow us on Twitter: @networkrail
Visit our online newsroom: www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk