London Rail Closure

Rail passengers travelling into central London this summer are being urged to plan ahead after Network Rail confirmed that London Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations will close for **22 consecutive days** as part of a major £20 million infrastructure upgrade. The closure will run from **Sunday 26 July until Sunday 16 August 2026**, with additional weekend engineering work taking place before and after the main project.

The programme of work will see engineers replace around 1.8 kilometres of ageing track and install 16 new sets of switches and crossings, replacing equipment that has been in service since the early 1990s.

Platforms at Charing Cross will also be rebuilt, drainage systems upgraded at Waterloo East, and vital repairs carried out to the historic **Hungerford Bridge** and the pedestrian bridge linking Waterloo East with London Waterloo.

During the closure, **no Southeastern trains will call at either Charing Cross or Waterloo East**. Instead, services will be diverted to **London Victoria**, **London Cannon Street**, **London Blackfriars**, or terminate at **London Bridge**. Passengers will also be able to use parts of the London Underground network at no extra cost with valid rail tickets on selected routes.

Rail operators say the work has been deliberately scheduled during the school summer holidays, when passenger numbers are typically lower, helping to minimise disruption while delivering long-term improvements to reliability and punctuality across one of the capital's busiest rail corridors.

Passengers are advised to check journey planners before traveling, as first and last train times will change during the engineering works, and some services will operate less frequently than usual. Network Rail and Southeastern say the investment will help create a safer, more reliable railway for millions of passengers using the route each year.