Southeastern passengers are in for a weekend of disruption, with trains cancelled, diverted or retimed across south-east London as engineering works close two key lines.
The works shut the railway between Lewisham and Orpington and between Lewisham and Sidcup on Saturday and Sunday, October 17 and 18. Services through the Bromley area are among the worst affected, with some routes suspended entirely and several stations left with no trains.
Southeastern is urging passengers to check their journeys before setting off and to allow extra time, with replacement buses and amended timetables in place throughout the weekend.
At a glance
- What: Southeastern weekend engineering works
- When: Saturday October 17 and Sunday October 18
- Lines closed: Lewisham to Orpington and Lewisham to Sidcup
- Trains not running: Grove Park to Bromley North (Saturday), Charing Cross to Dartford via Sidcup, Cannon Street to Orpington, Charing Cross to Tunbridge Wells stopping services
- Alternatives: replacement buses, Underground at no extra cost, buses 261 and 126
Why the lines are closing
Engineers will be working on the railway between St Johns, Hither Green and Dartford across the weekend. With those lines closed, trains that normally run between Lewisham, Orpington and Sidcup cannot operate, and services from central London have to be cancelled, diverted or cut short.
Major engineering works are routinely scheduled at weekends, when fewer people travel, so that essential maintenance and upgrades can be carried out. Shutting busy commuter lines on a weekday instead would affect far more passengers.
Saturday: which trains are affected
Saturday brings the widest set of changes. Long-distance Southeastern services from Charing Cross to Ramsgate and Dover Priory via Tonbridge will start and finish at London Victoria instead of Charing Cross, while trains to Hastings will run at different times for part of the journey and take an alternative route between London Bridge and Orpington.
Stopping services between Charing Cross and Tunbridge Wells will not run at all on Saturday, and there will be no trains between Cannon Street and Orpington.
Maidstone East passengers get a partial reprieve: their trains will run from London Victoria rather than Charing Cross and will make an additional stop at Bromley South. Trains to Sevenoaks will run non-stop between Lewisham and Petts Wood via a diversionary route.
On the Dartford corridor, services via Sidcup are suspended — trains from Charing Cross to Dartford will not run, while trains to Gravesend will operate only between Sidcup and Gravesend. To compensate, extra trains will run between Charing Cross and Dartford via Bexleyheath.
For Bromley passengers, the headline change is the suspension of trains between Grove Park and Bromley North on Saturday. Services between Charing Cross and Hayes will run every 30 minutes via Lewisham.
Sunday: which trains are affected
Many of Saturday’s alterations carry over into Sunday. Ramsgate and Dover Priory services via Tonbridge will again run to and from Victoria rather than Charing Cross, Hastings trains will keep to altered times and take the diversionary route between London Bridge and Orpington, and Sevenoaks services will again run fast between Lewisham and Petts Wood.
Trains between Charing Cross and Dartford via Sidcup remain suspended on Sunday, with Gravesend services continuing to run only between Sidcup and Gravesend.
Saturday v Sunday: the key differences
- Both days: the Lewisham to Orpington and Lewisham to Sidcup lines are closed; Ramsgate and Dover Priory trains via Tonbridge are diverted to Victoria; Hastings trains are retimed and diverted; Sevenoaks trains run non-stop between Lewisham and Petts Wood; Dartford trains via Sidcup are suspended; Gravesend trains via Sidcup run between Sidcup and Gravesend only.
- Saturday only: no trains between Grove Park and Bromley North; no trains between Cannon Street and Orpington; no Charing Cross to Tunbridge Wells stopping services; Maidstone East trains run from Victoria with an extra stop at Bromley South; Charing Cross to Hayes trains run every 30 minutes via Lewisham; extra trains run between Charing Cross and Dartford via Bexleyheath.
- Sunday only: Sundridge Park has no train service at all and no replacement buses — the station is served by buses on Saturday.
Replacement buses and station closures
Accessible replacement buses will run between Lewisham and Orpington, with additional stops at Sundridge Park on Saturday, and between Lewisham and Sidcup.
Seven stations will be closed to trains and served by replacement buses instead: Hither Green, Grove Park, Elmstead Woods, Chislehurst, Lee, Mottingham and New Eltham. Sundridge Park will be closed and served by buses on Saturday, but will have no service on Sunday.
Tube, bus and ticket acceptance
Passengers can use the London Underground between Victoria, Charing Cross, Embankment, Waterloo, Southwark and London Bridge at no extra cost while the works are under way.
Between Grove Park and Bromley North, London bus routes 261 and 126 will also accept rail tickets at no extra cost.
The Southeastern works land on a weekend of wider disruption across the capital’s transport network. Travellers heading to the airport should note that no Piccadilly line trains will run to Heathrow this weekend, while four London Overground lines face closures. Our guide to the weekend’s Tube closures has the full picture.
Tips for travelling this weekend
- Check before you travel. Live departure boards on the Southeastern website and app, or National Rail Enquiries, will show what is actually running.
- Allow much more time than usual. Replacement buses are slower than trains, and diverted services are likely to be busier.
- Know your back-up route. If your usual line is closed, check whether the Tube, an accepted bus route or a diverted train can get you where you need to go.
- Keep your ticket to hand. You may need to show it on replacement buses and on the Underground where ticket acceptance applies.
