A £20 million engineering upgrade will close two major London train stations for 22 days, affecting Southeastern railway services. Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations will shut from Sunday, July 26 to August 16, with additional weekend closures before and after the main works.
Scope of the upgrade
Network Rail is replacing just over a mile (2km) of track that has been in service for 36 years. The work also includes rebuilding platforms at Charing Cross, repairs and drainage upgrades to a pedestrian bridge linking Waterloo East to London Waterloo station. Scott Brightwell, Safety, Planning and Performance Director at Southeastern Railway, said: "We're asking customers to plan ahead, check before you travel and make sure you know [your] last train home."
Service changes and diversions
During the closure, Southeastern trains that normally stop at Charing Cross will be diverted to London Victoria, London Cannon Street, London Blackfriars or London Bridge. No trains will call at Charing Cross or Waterloo East on July 18-19, July 26 to August 16, August 22-23, and October 10-11. Services may also differ during the 22-day closure compared with the weekends before and after.
Alternative travel options
Ticket holders during the 22-day closure can use the Jubilee Line between London Bridge and Waterloo, the Circle and District lines between Victoria, Blackfriars or Cannon Street and Embankment. Thameslink services between Elephant and Castle, London Bridge and St Pancras International, as well as Southern services to London Bridge and Victoria, are also available. Travellers are advised to check their journey with Southeastern or at nationalrail.co.uk.
Mr Brightwell added: "We are investing £20m into upgrading 1990s track and platforms to make journeys safer and more reliable, while strengthening Victorian-era structures for years to come. Services will run differently during the 22-days closure, with changes to routes, frequencies and train times across the network."
