• Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Lewisham area resignalling and associated line closures 2025-26

brad465

brad465

Veteran Member
Joined
11 Aug 2010
Messages
11,400
Location
Taunton or Kent
This weekend the aforementioned section is shut, to the point that very little is going into London Bridge, and even Cannon St is not being used a diversion for all bar a few services.

The Sidcup line and SEML from Chislehurst-Hither Green have no service Sunday (Blackfriars Saturday), the SEML mainline, Bexleyheath and Hayes' lines only have Victoria services, with the Greenwich line being the sole receiver of Cannon St trains, going via Greenwich.

Based on this, I'm guessing the work area is actually more around New Cross (or this is in addition to Charing X), which, while given a reference, is poorly described on NRE. Is there also a reason why the Sidcup line has nothing, rather than at least having a shuttle from Gravesend to Sidcup or Hither Green, which have turnback capability?

Rail Engineering works: CHX 4 Oct | National Rail

No Southeastern trains to London Charing Cross or Waterloo East on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 October . See details of routes affected by planned rail engineering works, including when they take effect, alternative timetables, advice for alternative travel, including info about engineering work and...
www.nationalrail.co.uk www.nationalrail.co.uk

Description​

Engineering work is taking place between London Charing Cross and New Cross, closing all lines.

On Saturday and Sunday, no trains will run to / from London Charing Cross, or to / from / via London Waterloo East.

On Saturday, a limited service will run to / from London Cannon Street and London Bridge.

On Sunday, London Cannon Street will also be closed with a limited service running to / from London Bridge.



Saturday:​

Paddock Wood Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Ramsgate / Dover via Tonbridge will be diverted to run / and from London Victoria and will stop additionally at Orpington and Hildenborough. Trains between London Victoria and Dover Priory will only run between London Victoria and Ashford International because of further engineering work.

Hastings Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hastings will run to / from London Bridge and run non stop between London Bridge and Tonbridge via an alternative route. Trains which usually only run between Charing Cross and Tunbridge Wells will not run.

Maidstone East line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Maidstone East will run from London Victoria, and will call additionally at Bromley South.

Bexleyheath Line: Trains between London Cannon Street and Slade Green, and between London Charing Cross and Dartford via Bexleyheath will not run. Services between London Victoria and Gravesend via Bexleyheath are not affected and will run normally.

Woolwich Line: Trains between London Cannon Street and Gravesend via Woolwich will be diverted to run via Greenwich. Trains between London Cannon Street and Slade Green via Greenwich will be extended to run to / from Dartford.

Grove Park Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Sevenoaks and between London Cannon Street and Orpington will not run. Additional trains will run between London Blackfriars and Orpington, calling at all stations between Lewisham and Orpington.

Sidcup Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Dartford / Gravesend will not run.

Hayes Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hayes will run from London Victoria and will run every 30 minutes.

Bromley North Line: Trains between Grove Park and Bromley North will run at different times than usual.

Bromley South Line: Trains between London Victoria and Orpington via Beckenham Junction will run at different times than usual.



Sunday:​

Paddock Wood Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Ramsgate / Dover Priory via Tonbridge will be diverted to run to / from London Victoria and will stop additionally at Orpington and Hildenborough. Trains between London Victoria and Dover Priory will only run between London Victoria and Ashford International because of further engineering work.

Hastings Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hastings will run to / from London Bridge and run non stop between London Bridge and Tonbridge via an alternative route.

Bexleyheath Line: Trains between London Cannon Street and Slade Green via Bexleyheath will not run. Services between London Victoria and Dartford via Bexleyheath will run normally.

Woolwich Line: Trains between London Cannon Street and Dartford via Woolwich will not run. Trains between London Cannon Street and Slade Green via Greenwich will run to / from London Bridge and will be extended to run to / from Strood via Gravesend.

Grove Park Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Sevenoaks will run from London Victoria and will run nonstop between London Victoria and Petts Wood.

Sidcup Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Dartford / Gravesend will not run.

Hayes Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hayes will run from London Victoria.

Bromley South Line: Trains between London Victoria and Orpington via Beckenham Junction will run at different times than usual.

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

  • Greenwich and Dartford via Sidcup calling at New Cross, St Johns and then all stations between Lewisham and Dartford
  • Lewisham and Orpington calling at all stations.


Alternative travel options:

You can use London Underground between Victoria, Charing Cross, Embankment, Blackfriars, Waterloo, Southwark, London Bridge and Cannon Street at no extra cost.

The following stations will be closed and will only be served by replacement buses:

  • New Cross
  • St Johns
  • Hither Green
  • Lee
  • Mottingham
  • New Eltham
  • Sidcup
  • Albany Park
  • Bexley
  • Crayford
  • Grove Park
  • Elmstead Woods
  • Chislehurst
  • Sundridge Park
  • Bromley North
Check before you travel:

You can plan your journey using the National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner

You can plan your journey on London Underground by using the Transport for London Journey Planner

Replacement Bus Travel Advice:

For helpful advice if you need to travel on a rail replacement service, including accessibility and bicycle information, please use our Rail Replacement Services page.

You can find the pick-up and set-down location of rail replacement services by checking station signage or by searching for your station on our Find a Station page.

Please be advised that replacement vehicles may be busier than usual, and you should allow extra time for your journey.
Click to expand...
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

brad465

brad465

Veteran Member
Joined
11 Aug 2010
Messages
11,400
Location
Taunton or Kent
There's another equivalent closure tomorrow, and then also the first 4 days of 2026 will have the same closure too. Does anyone know what work is going on the New Cross area that warrants these closures, and why the Sidcup line doesn't at least get trains between Sidcup and Dartford/Gravesend, something that is not uncommon in the past? (I'm guessing a complex renewal as the area is not due for resignalling or any upgrade)

Rail Engineering works: Charing Cross Waterloo East | National Rail

No services at London Charing Cross / London Cannon Street / London Waterloo East / via Hither Green on Sunday 12 October. See details of routes affected by planned rail engineering works, including when they take effect, alternative timetables, advice for alternative travel, including info...
www.nationalrail.co.uk www.nationalrail.co.uk

Engineering work is taking place between London Charing Cross and London Bridge, in the New Cross area, and also between Hither Green and Petts Wood. Various lines will be closed.

The following alterations will take place:

  • Paddock Wood line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Ramsgate / Dover Priory via Tonbridge will be diverted to run to and from London Victoria. Trains between London Victoria and Dover Priory via Tonbridge will only run between London Victoria and Ashford International because of further engineering work
  • Hastings line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hastings will run to and from London Victoria and will only run between London Victoria and Robertsbridge because of further engineering work
  • Grove Park line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Sevenoaks via Grove Park will not run
  • Sidcup line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Dartford / Gravesend via Sidcup will not run
  • Hayes line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hayes (Kent) will run to / from London Victoria instead
  • Woolwich line: Trains between London Cannon Street and Slade Green via Greenwich will not run. Additional trains will run between London Bridge and Gravesend via Greenwich and Woolwich Arsenal
  • Bexleyheath line: Trains between London Cannon Street and Slade Green via Bexleyheath will not run. Trains between London Victoria and Dartford will run normally, so there will be two trains per hour on the Bexleyheath line all day
  • Bromley South line: Trains between London Victoria and Orpington will be extended to run to and from Sevenoaks
Click to expand...

Rail Engineering works: Southeastern trains at London Charing Cross or London Waterloo East | National Rail

No Southeastern trains at London Charing Cross or London Waterloo East from Thursday 1 to Sunday 4 January. See details of routes affected by planned rail engineering works, including when they take effect, alternative timetables, advice for alternative travel, including info about engineering...
www.nationalrail.co.uk www.nationalrail.co.uk

Description​

Engineering work is taking place between London Charing Cross and Hither Green, closing various lines.

On Saturday 3 January, a limited service will run to / from London Cannon Street / London Bridge, with most services diverted to run to / from London Victoria.

On Thursday 1 and Sunday 4 January, London Cannon Street will also be closed with a limited service running to / from London Bridge with most services diverted to / from London Victoria.

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

  • Lewisham and Orpington calling at all stations. On Friday 2 and Saturday 3 January, these buses will stop additionally at Sundridge Park
  • Greenwich and Dartford via New Cross and Sidcup calling at all stations. On Sunday 4 January, these buses will only run between Greenwich and Sidcup
  • Grove Park and Bromley North (Friday and Saturday only)
Click to expand...
 
S

ScotGG

Established Member
Joined
3 Apr 2013
Messages
1,585
Yep poor communications and/or replacements provided.

Not great from newly combined SE and NR organisation under single management recently lauded.
 
M

Mattplans

Member
Joined
27 Sep 2024
Messages
698
Location
London, UK
We can only assume they're actually doing work on the line via Sidcup. There's no T3 markers on the Traksy diagram - not sure how accurate this is for indicating whether works are ongoing. I often wonder the same thing when trains terminate at Sidcup (because Dartford area is closed), why not reintroduce the rounder services so Crayford gets a service as well? One can only assume NR take the opportunity to complete work between Sidcup and Dartford as well in this circumstance.


Wonder if it's really that much trouble one of these days for them to keep one of the lines via New Cross open.
 
S

Stephen42

Member
Joined
6 Aug 2020
Messages
804
Location
London
There is an ongoing resignalling project referred that have seen referred to as either Lewisham or Parks Bridge. Network Rail has a page here with scope of work listed as:
  • Replacement of all signalling equipment on the south east London lines running through Lewisham, from New Cross to Blackheath and Hither Green
  • Installing Automatic Route Setting (ARS) at Three Bridges Rail Operating Centre to improve route management efficiency in this area.
  • Improved signalling layout and modified signal positions.
Click to expand...
Ian Visits has a more detailed description of some of the work involved providing far more info than usually published for this kind of work. In short it's mostly the interlocking, backend of the signalling than the physical signals themselves but does include replacing track circuits.

Today Hither Green is in the bounds of possession. Sidcup to Dartford is available though has only had a railhead treatment train. It might be a resource constraint, a Sidcup shuttle is planned for the 4th January when the line beyond Dartford to Gravesend is also blocked.
 
brad465

brad465

Veteran Member
Joined
11 Aug 2010
Messages
11,400
Location
Taunton or Kent
Mattplans said:
We can only assume they're actually doing work on the line via Sidcup. There's no T3 markers on the Traksy diagram - not sure how accurate this is for indicating whether works are ongoing. I often wonder the same thing when trains terminate at Sidcup (because Dartford area is closed), why not reintroduce the rounder services so Crayford gets a service as well? One can only assume NR take the opportunity to complete work between Sidcup and Dartford as well in this circumstance.
Click to expand...
There are plans to fill in the old passenger subway at Bexley, now the accessible footbridge has opened, which I assume would need a railway closure to do, so maybe they're combining that as well.
Stephen42 said:
There is an ongoing resignalling project referred that have seen referred to as either Lewisham or Parks Bridge. Network Rail has a page here with scope of work listed as:

Ian Visits has a more detailed description of some of the work involved providing far more info than usually published for this kind of work. In short it's mostly the interlocking, backend of the signalling than the physical signals themselves but does include replacing track circuits.

Today Hither Green is in the bounds of possession. Sidcup to Dartford is available though has only had a railhead treatment train. It might be a resource constraint, a Sidcup shuttle is planned for the 4th January when the line beyond Dartford to Gravesend is also blocked.
Click to expand...
I do wonder why this needs doing now, when one would've thought the Three Bridges resignalling in 2020 covered all this. The NR piece also suggests linespeeds will be improved due to new signalling positions, so will be interesting to see where this applies specifically.
 
M

Mattplans

Member
Joined
27 Sep 2024
Messages
698
Location
London, UK
Mattplans said:
We can only assume they're actually doing work on the line via Sidcup. There's no T3 markers on the Traksy diagram - not sure how accurate this is for indicating whether works are ongoing. I often wonder the same thing when trains terminate at Sidcup (because Dartford area is closed), why not reintroduce the rounder services so Crayford gets a service as well? One can only assume NR take the opportunity to complete work between Sidcup and Dartford as well in this circumstance.


Wonder if it's really that much trouble one of these days for them to keep one of the lines via New Cross open.
Click to expand...
Upcoming works in April Southeastern are finally doing this, so the stations between Sidcup and Crayford get a service (they usually just terminate at Sidcup during dartford blockades)

Trains from Cannon Street via Greenwich willl form Victoria services after Barnehurst,
trains from Charing Cross via Lewisham and Sidcup will form Cannon Street via Bexleyheath services after Barnehurst
and trains from Cannon Street will divert to Crayford instead of Slade Green

Perhaps since this is pretty much what will be done during the Feb half term blockade it will become the standard way of doing things so that lines that are not affected by engineering works can have a service. But... I notice that today there are no trains stopping at New Cross and St Johns even though the line is open however

<https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:BNH/2026-04-05/1742>
 
brad465

brad465

Veteran Member
Joined
11 Aug 2010
Messages
11,400
Location
Taunton or Kent
This weekend is the latest closure associated with the big re-signalling job around Lewisham, and from what I can tell, no Class 376s have been in service today (or at most 1-2 pairs I haven't found). 707s have done the Dartford-Sidcup shuttles and some of the Gravesend/Dartford-Cannon St via Greenwich services, but with all other lines having reduced services and diversions into Victoria, metro services have to be dominated by 8-car 465 formations.
 
brad465

brad465

Veteran Member
Joined
11 Aug 2010
Messages
11,400
Location
Taunton or Kent
Having passed through the area a few times in recent days, some visible signs of the Lewisham resignalling work have materialised.

The main features are what look like two new banner repeaters on the up fast, one just after Parks Bridge Jct, the other just after Tanners Hill flyover joins. These I'm guessing will be for signals that are being re-sited, given no banner repeaters currently operate at these specific locations.

I'm guessing lots of other invisible work (such as cable installations) has also been done, while there also appears to have been some track renewals, including the crossover at Parks Bridge jct mainly used by Sidcup line Charing X services avoiding Lewisham. No sign of anything new yet in the Lewisham station area and connecting lines.

Upcoming closures that appear related are multiple Sundays while the Charing X blockade is ongoing, while looking on Realtime trains at Parks Bridge Jct, there appear to be full weekend closures for the 10-11th and 17-18th October that I assume will see further progress made, then nothing until Christmas when the "go live" work takes place.
 
H

hwl

Established Member
Joined
5 Feb 2012
Messages
8,246
Were the signalling changes when Tanners Hill fly down was doubled fairly minimal?
Hence a bit of a wider reset to optimise the positioning when everything is being renewed?
 
brad465

brad465

Veteran Member
Joined
11 Aug 2010
Messages
11,400
Location
Taunton or Kent
hwl said:
Were the signalling changes when Tanners Hill fly down was doubled fairly minimal?
Hence a bit of a wider reset to optimise the positioning when everything is being renewed?
Click to expand...
Pretty much; TL238 replacing a signal that was before the road bridge, not after, and TL236 being moved further forward as well appear to be the only location changes. TL232 and TL233 are in unchanged locations and TL243 is in the same location except on the additional line.

If linespeed increases are taking place, the current work so far suggests the 45mph on at least the fast lines will be raised through the area. Ideally Tanners Hill, the Parks Bridge Crossover (US-UF/DF-DS) and various restrictions through Lewisham will be raised too, however geometry will be a big limiting factor for these.
 
B

Bald Rick

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Sep 2010
Messages
35,648
hwl said:
Were the signalling changes when Tanners Hill fly down was doubled fairly minimal?
Hence a bit of a wider reset to optimise the positioning when everything is being renewed?
Click to expand...

It was a big interlocking change for a geographical relay interlocking though.
(Westinghouse Westpac Mk 3 I think).
 
N

Nicholas Lewis

Established Member
Joined
9 Aug 2019
Messages
7,991
Location
Surrey
Bald Rick said:
It was a big interlocking change for a geographical relay interlocking though.
(Westinghouse Westpac Mk 3 I think).
Click to expand...

The area was recontrolled to Three Bridges ROC only a few years back but basically its the 1976 lineside signalling and Wespac interlocking at Parks Bridge Relay room which was installed under London Bridge resignalling some 50yrs ago so its done its time.
 
brad465

brad465

Veteran Member
Joined
11 Aug 2010
Messages
11,400
Location
Taunton or Kent
TL244 and TL242 (the two towering up line signals before St Johns) survived were the last two signals in the area to retain their original filament heads until replaced with LED heads I think in 2022, even though the Three Bridges switchover took place during Covid.

While they now have LED heads, I can see them being completely replaced in this work, especially given the new banner repeater on the Up Fast (just infront of TL244) awaiting commissioning.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Top