South East London train services subject to severe disruption this weekend

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South East London train services subject to severe disruption this weekend

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Picture of Roger Smith

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Work on Lewisham area resignalling. // Credit: Network Rail
Work on Lewisham area resignalling. // Credit: Network Rail

This weekend, Saturday, 18th and Sunday, 19th January there will be severe disruption to train services in south-east London because a £90m re-signalling project in the Lewisham area is getting underway.

There will be no trains to or from London Charing Cross, Waterloo East, or London Cannon Street, with most trains diverted to or from London Victoria.

At the same time, New Cross and St Johns stations will be closed all weekend.

Lewisham track renewal
Renewing track at Lewisham. // Credit: Network Rail

There will a much-reduced service from London Bridge, with two trains per hour from London Bridge to Hastings via / Redhill and two trains per hour from London Bridge to Dartford via Greenwich.

A rail-replacement bus service using accessible buses will run between Lewisham and Greenwich calling at St Johns and New Cross.

In addition, rail tickets will be valid for travel on the London Underground between Victoria, Charing Cross, Embankment, Waterloo, Southwark, London Bridge, Cannon Street, Blackfriars and Elephant & Castle, and on the Docklands Light Railway between Lewisham and Greenwich.

The overall project will result in fewer faults and delays for passengers in south-east London and All signalling equipment in the Lewisham area will be replaced with new and more reliable technology that provides a more efficient control of trains on the network.

Southeastern trains at Cannon Street station. // Credit: Southeastern
Southeastern trains at Cannon Street station. // Credit: Southeastern

In addition, maximum line speeds in the area will be improved by improving the layout and positions of signal positions.

Automatic Route Setting software will also be installed at the Rail Operating Centre which controls all trains in the area.

The project is due to last two years and will require an extended closure of the railway network in the area during Christmas 2026.

Last May, Southeastern published an Invitation to Negotiate with several bidders to supply new trains for the area’s Metro services and is currently replacing its older Networker trains with newer, more comfortable City Beam trains.

London Charing Cross
Aerial view of Charing Cross station. // Credit: Network Rail

“The Lewisham area is among the busiest and most congested parts of the country’s rail network. More than a third of Southeastern trains pass through Lewisham each day. Any fault or delay in this area has a major impact on services in southeast London and out to Kent. This £90 million investment in new signalling will reduce signalling related delays and support a more reliable service for all passengers. We have just completed major signalling upgrades in the Tulse Hill, and Crystal Palace areas.  A major signalling upgrade of the lines from Battersea, up to Herne Hill, Brixton, and Nunhead is set to be completed over the next year. Collectively, these projects bring our signalling investment in south London up to nearly half a billion pounds in recent years and demonstrate our commitment to upgrading old and less reliable infrastructure to improve the railway for our passengers”.

David Davidson, Kent route director, Network Rail

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