Major rail changes affect West Kent passengers during 22-day London station closure

Rail passengers travelling from West Kent are being advised to check their journeys carefully as London Charing Cross and Waterloo East remain closed for a major programme of engineering work.

The two central London stations are closed to Southeastern services from Sunday 26 July until Sunday 16 August 2026 while Network Rail carries out upgrades worth around £20 million.

Trains are still running into London, but many services have been redirected to London Bridge, Cannon Street, Blackfriars or Victoria. Timetables, service frequencies and first and last train times have also changed across much of the Southeastern network.

Passengers using the Hastings line, including services from Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks, will see significant changes.

Trains between Hastings and London will generally operate to and from London Bridge, with some peak services using Cannon Street. Services that normally start or finish at Tunbridge Wells are being diverted to London Victoria and will also call at Bromley South.

The final trains serving stations on the Hastings line are scheduled to leave London Bridge at 11.48pm and Victoria at 10.23pm.

On the Grove Park route, trains that usually run between Charing Cross and Orpington or Sevenoaks will instead start and finish at London Bridge. Some services will also be diverted via Lewisham.

The last train from London Bridge towards Sevenoaks via Grove Park is due to depart at 10.37pm.

Passengers on the Maidstone East line will find services that normally use Charing Cross operating to and from London Victoria instead. These trains will additionally call at Bromley South, while other Victoria services will run at revised times.

The final train from Victoria towards Ashford International is scheduled for 11.35pm, although later services may vary because of overnight engineering work.

Services on the Paddock Wood line will operate between London Bridge and Dover Priory or Ramsgate via Ashford International. Some peak-time trains will use Cannon Street.

The project includes replacing almost two kilometres of track that has been in use for around 36 years.

Engineers are also rebuilding sections of the platforms at Charing Cross, improving drainage and carrying out structural repairs to Hungerford Bridge and the pedestrian link between Waterloo East and London Waterloo.

Railway operators said completing the work during one extended summer closure would avoid spreading the disruption across approximately 60 separate weekends.

Tickets are being accepted on selected alternative services during the closure.

This includes parts of the Jubilee, Circle and District Underground lines, Thameslink services between Elephant and Castle, London Bridge and St Pancras International, and certain Southern services to London Bridge and Victoria.

Passengers should check the Southeastern or National Rail journey planners before setting off, allow additional travel time and confirm the departure time of their final train home.

Read the original Southeastern information and travel advice.