Charing Cross and Waterloo East closed 26 July – 16 August
A £20m programme of engineering works will be upgrading the infrastructure around Charing Cross and Waterloo East, to improve the reliability and safety of the network.
How this will affect services
London Charing Cross and Waterloo East will close from Sunday 26 July to Sunday 16 August 2026, with supporting weekend closures for preparation and follow-up work.
Southeastern services that normally run into Charing Cross will be diverted to:
London Victoria
London Cannon Street
London Blackfriars
Some services will terminate at London Bridge
You can use your ticket on London Underground and London Buses at no extra cost.
Those who are able are encouraged to cycle or walk to complete shorter journeys
Engineering work will replace track from the 1990s
1,800 metres new track and 16 sets of switches and crossings will be installed between London Charing Cross and Waterloo East, replacing the existing kit that’s been in use for since 1990.
The country end of the platforms at Charing Cross station will be rebuilt with new foundations and surfaces to keep them safe and open for passengers to use.
Track drainage will be upgraded at Waterloo East station, helping to maintain track quality and a smooth ride at full line speed for passengers.
Structural repairs will be carried out on the 175-year-old Hungerford Bridge, which takes the railway over the Thames, and the pedestrian link bridge between Waterloo East and London Waterloo. The work will keep the structures safe and open for decades ahead.
Recent faults have caused over 21,000 minutes (350 hours) of delays to customers. Without intervention, faults and delays would continue to increase, causing more frustration for commuters.
Why are we doing this over the summer holidays?
A 22-day closure, plus some preparation and follow-up weekends either side, is the most efficient and least disruptive way to complete the work.
Engineers, planners and timetable specialists assessed a range of delivery options, including:
Weekend-only working: Would require around 60 weekend closures over 14 months, including bank holidays and would create prolonged and repeated disruption.
Four separate 9-day closures would need to be spread over 10–16 months, causing repeated impacts on commuters, schools and businesses and add significant cost and complexity.
The chosen option of 22-days avoids months of rolling disruption and takes advantage of the summer period, when passenger numbers are lower, making it the least disruptive approach overall.
More information
More information about this programme of work can be found on our website