London Rail Stations Set To Close For 22 Days

Charing Cross and Waterloo East are set to close from July 26th for £20 million upgrade.

Passengers are being urged to plan ahead this summer as train services across the Southeastern network change significantly during a 22‑day programme of engineering work in central London. 

From Sunday 26 July to Sunday 16 August 2026, London Charing Cross and Waterloo East will close to Southeastern services while a £20 million upgrade is delivered to track, platforms and structures in and around the stations. Additional weekend closures will take place before and after the main works. 

During this period: 

• Trains that usually run into Charing Cross will be diverted into other London stations 

• Services across the Southeastern network will run to different times, with some services running less often 

• The times of first and last trains will change over the 22 days 

Customers are strongly advised to plan ahead and check their full journey before travelling, including their last train before travelling. 

No trains will call at Charing Cross or Waterloo East during the closure. Services that usually run into Charing Cross will be diverted to London Victoria, London Cannon Street, London Blackfriars or London Bridge. 

The work will see engineers replace nearly two kilometres of 36-year-old track, rebuild sections of platform at Charing Cross, upgrade drainage systems and carry out structural repairs to the Waterloo East to London Waterloo pedestrian link bridge and Hungerford Bridge. Delivering this work in one extended closure avoids a much longer period of repeated weekend disruption. 

No trains will call at Charing Cross or Waterloo East stations on the following dates: 

• Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July 

• Sunday 26 July to Sunday 16 August – 22‑day closure 

• Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August 

• Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October 

Customers should be aware that service patterns on the preparation and follow‑up weekends may differ from the main closure and are encouraged to check before travelling. 

Service changes 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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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). 

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. 

Sole Street line 

Victoria trains will run with some services retimed. 

Cannon Street peak trains will operate with some services running at different times. 

Medway Valley and Sheerness branch line services will operate as normal. Highspeed services will operate as normal. 

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 line between Victoria, Blackfriars or Cannon Street and Embankment.  

Ticket holders can 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, information on ticket acceptance on London Buses and refunds is available at www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/CharingCrossUpgrades .