Network Rail is reminding passengers in South East London about the upcoming nine-day closure of the Bexleyheath line later this month.
Passengers should check and plan their journeys in advance. The Bexleyheath line will be closed between Blackheath and Barnehurst from Saturday 15 February to Sunday 23 February 2020.
The project to protect the line from landslips is taking place over half term, there have been four landslips on the line in the last ten years.
Although there are no trains on the Bexleyheath line while the line is closed, Southeastern are running extra services and longer trains on the Sidcup and Greenwich lines.
In addition, a replacement bus service will be in operation, and train tickets will be accepted on other reasonable routes, London Underground, the DLR and London Buses.
During the 9 day closure of the Bexleyheath line, Network Rail and Southeastern are also continuing with a £700k station and track improvement programme.
This Includes
- Deep cleaning of the stations, painting of booking halls and platform furniture, toilet facility improvements, and clearing vegetation.
- Track maintenance to improve track quality and provide smoother rides from Blackheath Junction to Falconwood station.
- Refurbishment of Perry Street Fork Junction, where the Bexleyheath line meets the Greenwich line, to prevent faults and reduce delays.
- Signalling and power supply upgrades to reduce the risk of failures.
Further details can be found on the Network Rail website www.networkrail.co.uk/Bexleyheathline
What did the officials say?
Dan Athol, Programme Director, Network Rail, said:
“The last landslip on the Bexleyheath line, in February last year, closed the line for seven days. We want to provide a safe, permanent solution to prevent further disruption to passengers. We're also making the most of the closures by bringing forward more work to give passengers the benefits quicker and prevent future engineering closures.
“We know there is never a good time to close the railway and have been working hard with Southeastern colleagues to make people aware of the closure and alternative travel options.
“If you do need to travel, please don't get caught out. You can now your journey at www.networkrail.co.uk/bexleyheathline.”
Southeastern Train Services Director, Scott Brightwell, said:
“This is vital improvement work that needs to be done to help prevent future landslips but I do want to apologise to any of our passengers that are affected by the line closure.
“To get everyone where they need to be, we are putting on extra trains with more carriages on the alternative routes through Sidcup and Woolwich. The bus replacement services will run along the Bexleyheath line and also over to the alternative routes. Please check the Southeastern website for more information.”
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