Commuters facing week of woe

Train users warned of major disruption as stations shut for Thameslink work

Commuters in Kent are being told to expect major disruption as railway stations they use are closed for more than a week.

Southeastern announced there will be no services to major hubs in the capital such as Waterloo and Cannon Street as work is carried out for the Thameslink programme.

There will also be no trains to and from Charing Cross, London Bridge and Waterloo East stations between Saturday, August 26, and Saturday, September 2.

It means anyone who would normally travel to and from those stations with Southeastern will be diverted elsewhere.

Network Rail has enforced the closures to allow time for engineers to fit the infrastructure for the project which will give passengers easier access to London’s Crossrail scheme.

In addition to those closures, there will also be no service at Blackfriars on Monday, August 28, and Saturday, September 2.

Trains will not run at Cannon Street between Saturday, August 26 and Sunday, August 27, Victoria on Sunday, September 3, and Waterloo between Saturday, August 26, and Monday, August 28, and again between Saturday, September 2, and Sunday, September 3.

During the time works are ongoing trains will be sent to Southeastern services will be diverted during work to London rail terminals other stations in the capital. Between Tuesday, August 29, and Friday, September 1, trains on the Maidstone East line will be diverted to London Victoria.

Public transport campaigner from the Campaign for Better Transport Lianna Etkind said: “This is part of the Thameslink programme which is improving rail links between Kent and London and it’s going to be incredibly frustrating for commuters that week.

“But the good news is that after those engineering works hopefully there will be a knock-on positive effect for journeys made.

“I think this is a case of shortterm pain for long-term gain. It’s going to be frustrating for people who look forward to the traditional bank holiday weekend by the sea side.”

Simon Blanchflower, Network Rail’s Thameslink Programme director, said: “I would like to thank passengers for their patience while we continue to rebuild the UK’s fourth busiest station and upgrade the railway to make it fit for the 21st Century.

“I strongly advise passengers to plan their journeys ahead and check before they travel as we build a better, more reliable railway with greater capacity for the millions of passengers that use it each year.”

Train passengers will also face disruption to various Southeastern late-night services linking Kent and London between Monday, July 24, and Friday, July 28, due to separate engineering work.