Passengers across south-east London and Kent are being urged to plan ahead this summer, as Southeastern begins a major £20 million upgrade that will close London Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations for 22 days. The work, running from Sunday 26 July to Sunday 16 August 2026, will see services diverted across the capital while engineers replace ageing track and strengthen historic structures.
Southeastern has confirmed that no trains will call at Charing Cross or Waterloo East throughout the main closure period, with services normally running into Charing Cross instead diverted to London Victoria, London Cannon Street, London Blackfriars or London Bridge. Beyond the central 22-day closure, additional weekend closures are also planned before and after the main works, on 18–19 July, 22–23 August, and 10–11 October.
Why the work is needed
The upgrade will see engineers replace nearly two kilometres of track dating back 36 years, rebuild sections of platform at Charing Cross, improve drainage, and carry out structural repairs to both the Waterloo East to London Waterloo pedestrian link bridge and Hungerford Bridge. According to Southeastern, carrying out the work in a single extended closure will avoid a much longer period of repeated weekend disruption that would otherwise be needed to complete the same repairs.
Scott Brightwell, Safety, Planning and Performance Director at South Eastern Railway, explained the reasoning behind the investment. “We are investing £20million into upgrading 1990s track and platforms to make journeys safer and more reliable, while strengthening Victorian-era structures for years to come,” he said. He added that passengers should expect noticeable changes throughout the closure: “Services will run differently during the 22-days closure, with changes to routes, frequencies and train times across the network. We’re asking customers to plan ahead, check before you travel, and make sure you know their last train home.”
What passengers should expect
Throughout the closure, journey times, service frequency, and the timing of first and last trains will all change across the Southeastern network, with some routes running less often than usual. Southeastern is advising all customers to check their full journey in advance, including their intended last train home, using the Southeastern journey planner or nationalrail.co.uk. Those travelling within London are also being encouraged to check TfL services for alternative options. Southeastern has noted that service patterns during the preparation and follow-up weekends may differ from those in place during the main 22-day closure, and has urged customers to check ahead of travel on those dates too.
Alternative travel options
While the closure is in effect, ticket holders will be able to use a number of alternative routes into and around central London at no extra cost on designated services. These include the Jubilee line between London Bridge and Waterloo, and the Circle and District lines between Victoria, Blackfriars or Cannon Street and Embankment. Ticket holders will also be able to use Thameslink services between Elephant and Castle, London Bridge and St Pancras International, as well as Southern services to London Bridge and Victoria. Full details on ticket acceptance by ticket type, London Buses acceptance, and refund information are available at southeasternrailway.co.uk/CharingCrossUpgrades.
How individual lines will be affected
| Line | Key changes | Last trains |
|---|---|---|
| Hayes line | Trains via Lewisham run to/from London Bridge; others diverted to London Blackfriars, calling additionally at Lewisham and Elephant & Castle | London Bridge 00.16; London Blackfriars 22.50 |
| Grove Park line | Charing Cross–Orpington/Sevenoaks trains start/terminate at London Bridge, some via Lewisham; Cannon Street–Orpington services continue, though some peak trains cancelled | To Sevenoaks via Grove Park: London Bridge 22.37; To Orpington via Grove Park: London Bridge 00.59 |
| Bromley South line | Victoria–Orpington trains run every 30 minutes instead of 15; Blackfriars–Beckenham Junction peak services continue at revised times | To Orpington via Bromley South: Victoria 23.57 |
| Maidstone East line | Charing Cross services diverted to London Victoria, calling additionally at Bromley South | To Ashford International: 23.35 from Victoria (later departures subject to change due to overnight works) |
| Hastings line | Services run between London Bridge and Hastings, some peak trains via Cannon Street; Tunbridge Wells services diverted to London Victoria via Bromley South | London Bridge 23.48; Victoria 22.23 |
| Paddock Wood line | Services run between London Bridge and Dover Priory/Ramsgate via Ashford International, some peak trains via Cannon Street | To Dover Priory: London Bridge 23.39; To Ramsgate via Canterbury West: London Bridge 22.39 |
| Bexleyheath line | Cannon Street–Barnehurst and Victoria–Gravesend services continue with revised timings; extra Cannon Street peak trains added | London Bridge 00.34; Victoria 00.33 |
| Sidcup line | Gravesend services diverted to London Bridge, calling additionally at Lewisham; Dartford start/terminus services suspended, with extra off-peak Dartford–Cannon Street services via Sidcup | London Bridge 00.38; Cannon Street 23.40 |
| Woolwich line | Services continue into Cannon Street with revised timings; some peak trains retimed, cancelled or diverted via Blackheath | To Dartford via Woolwich: Cannon Street 23.36; London Bridge 00.30 |
| Sole Street line | Victoria and Cannon Street peak services continue with some retimed departures | To Dover Priory: London Bridge 22.10; To Ramsgate: Victoria 21.40 (later departures subject to change due to overnight works) |
