Wednesday 22 Jul 2026
STARTING SUNDAY: London Charing Cross and Waterloo East to close for 22 days as railway carries out £20millon programme of engineering work, but routes into London remain open
- Region & Route:
- Southern: Kent
- Essential works will replace 36-year-old track, sections of platform and strengthening structures
- Major changes will affect Southeastern services for 22 days this summer, with no trains at Charing Cross or Waterloo East and services diverted across London
- Passengers urged to plan ahead and check before travelling, as timetables, service frequency and first and last train times will change
Passengers travelling with Southeastern this summer are being urged to plan ahead, as London Charing Cross and Waterloo East will close for 22 days for a £20million programme of essential engineering work.
From Sunday 26 July until Sunday 16 August, no Southeastern trains will serve Charing Cross or Waterloo East. Instead, services will operate to London Victoria, Cannon Street, Blackfriars and London Bridge, with revised timetables, altered service frequencies and changes to first and last train times across much of the network.
Routes into London will be available during the work, however customers are encouraged to check their journey before travelling and allow extra time where needed.
Engineers will replace almost two kilometres of 36-year-old track, rebuild sections of platform at Charing Cross, improve drainage, and carry out structural repairs to the Waterloo East–London Waterloo pedestrian link bridge and Hungerford Bridge. This renewal will ensure the railway is fit for decades to come and is part of our wider commitment to delivering a safer, better and more reliable railway, at a reduced cost to taxpayers.
Completing the work in one extended summer holiday closure, when commuter numbers are around 20% lower means we are inconveniencing less passengers overall, and avoids the alternative of having to carry out the work across 60 weekends. ,
Scott Brightwell, Safety, Planning and Performance Director, South Eastern Railway, said:
“We know closing two of London's busiest stations for more than three weeks will be inconvenient for many of our customers, and we'd like to thank them for their patience while this essential work takes place.
"The good news is that customers will still be able to travel into central London throughout the closure using alternative routes, although journeys and train times will be different.
"Engineers will undertake extensive work to replace track and platforms that have been in use since the 1990s, as well as essential structural repairs, and by carrying out the work in one block, means we’re not needing to close the railway over 60 weekends which would have been the alternative.
“We would encourage everyone travelling during this period to check their journey before travelling and make sure they know the time of their last train home."
Customers can plan their journeys using the Southeastern journey planner or at www.nationalrail.co.uk and are encouraged to check before travelling. Customers travelling within London are advised to use the TfL Go to TfL ‘Plan a journey’ to plan travel on London Underground, London Buses, and walking and cycling routes for those who are able.
What customers need to know:
During the closure:
- No Southeastern trains will serve London Charing Cross or Waterloo East
- Services that normally run to Charing Cross will instead operate to London Bridge, Cannon Street, Blackfriars or Victoria
- Train times and service frequencies will change across much of the network
- First and last trains will be different on many routes
- Customers should check their journey before travelling and allow extra time where necessary
Ticket acceptance
During the main 22-day closure, ticket holders can use the Jubilee line between London Bridge and Waterloo, and the Circle and District lines between Victoria, Blackfriars or Cannon Street and Embankment.
Ticket holders can also use Thameslink between Elephant and Castle, London Bridge and St Pancras International, and Southern services to London Bridge and Victoria.
Full details of ticket acceptance by ticket type, including acceptance on London Buses and refund information, are available at www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/CharingCrossUpgrades.
Notes to Editors
Service changes, and last train times, by line of route
Hayes line
Trains to and from Hayes via Lewisham will run to and from London Bridge. Other trains will be diverted to and from London Blackfriars and will call additionally at Lewisham and Elephant & Castle.
- Last trains for stations on the Hayes line will depart London Bridge at 00.16 and London Blackfriars at 22.50
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.
- The last train for stations to Sevenoaks via Grove Park will depart London Bridge at 22.37
- The last train for stations to Orpington via Grove Park will depart London Bridge at 00.59
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.
- The last train for stations to Orpington via Bromley South will depart Victoria at 00.27
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.
- The last train for stations to Ashford International for the three weeks of the closure is 23.35
Services after this are subject to change due to overnight engineering work taking place on this line of route, please check journey planners before travelling as departures from Victoria will vary.
Hastings line
Trains to and from Hastings will run between London Bridge and Hastings, with some peak hour trains running to and from London Cannon Street.
Trains that usually start or end their journey at Tunbridge Wells will be diverted to run to and from London Victoria, calling additionally at Bromley South.
- Last trains to stations on the Hastings line will depart London Bridge at 23.48 and Victoria at 22.23
Paddock Wood line
Trains will run between London Bridge and Dover Priory / Ramsgate via Ashford International, with some peak hour trains running to and from London Cannon Street.
- Last train for stations on the Paddock Wood line to Dover Priory will depart London Bridge at 23.39
- Last train for stations on the Paddock Wood line to Ramsgate via Canterbury West will depart London Bridge at 22.39
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.
- Last trains for stations on the Bexleyheath line will depart London Bridge at 00.34 and Victoria at 00.33
Sidcup line
Trains that usually start or end their journey at Gravesend, will run to and from London Bridge and call additionally at Lewisham.
Trains that start and terminate at Dartford will not run; additional services will operate in the off peak between Dartford and Cannon Street via Sidcup (these do not call at Lewisham).
- Last trains to stations on the Sidcup line will depart London Bridge at 00.38 and Cannon Street at 23.40
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.
- Last trains to Dartford via Woolwich will depart Cannon Street at 23.36 and London Bridge at 00.30
Sole Street line
Victoria trains will run with some services retimed.
Cannon Street peak trains will operate with some services running at different times.
- The last train for stations to Dover Priory will depart London Bridge at 22.10
- The last train for stations to Ramsgate will depart Victoria at 23.40
Services after this are subject to change due to overnight engineering work taking place on this line of route, please check journey planners before travelling as departures from Victoria will vary.
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.
Contact information
Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Tom Moore
Communications Manager
Network Rail
07354531500
Thomas.Moore@networkrail.co.uk
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