Waterloo East and Charing Cross stations will close for 22 days this summer, from Sunday 26 July to Sunday 16 August, while Network Rail and South Eastern Railway deliver a £20 million programme of essential engineering work.
The track between the two stations was last replaced in the early 1990s and has become increasingly unreliable, causing hundreds of hours of delays in recent years. Doing the work in one concentrated block avoids more than a year of rolling weekend closures, and it’s been timed for the summer, when passenger numbers are around 20% lower.
The key dates
- Main closure: Sunday 26 July – Sunday 16 August. No trains will call at Waterloo East or Charing Cross during this period.
- Weekend closures either side, including Saturday 18 – Sunday 19 July and Saturday 22 – Sunday 23 August, with a further weekend planned for 10–11 October. Service plans on these weekends may differ from the main closure, so check before travelling.
- Work sites will be operational 24/7 for the duration, with cranes and hoardings in place around the line.
Getting to Waterloo during the closure
London Waterloo mainline services are unaffected, and the Underground will run as normal throughout – including Charing Cross tube station.
For anyone who normally arrives via Waterloo East:
- Southeastern services that usually run into Charing Cross will be diverted to Victoria, Cannon Street and Blackfriars, with some trains terminating at London Bridge.
- Tickets will be accepted on the London Underground, London Buses and alternative rail routes at no extra cost. From London Bridge, it’s one stop on the Jubilee line to Waterloo – or a 25-minute walk along the river.
- A revised timetable will be in place, and first and last trains will run at different times – worth flagging to anyone on your team who works early or late shifts.
Plan journeys using the Southeastern journey planner or the TfL Go app, and find full details on the Network Rail website.
We’re in contact with Network Rail’s resilience team and will share updates as the works progress. If you have a specific concern or question about how the closure affects your business, email info@wearewaterloo.co.uk and we’ll help where we can.
