£160 million track and signalling upgrade for London Victoria approaches

Track and signalling on the approaches to London Victoria station is being replaced, in a phased project which will run to 2025.

Signalling at Victoria on the West London LIne from Shepherds Bush-Clapham Junction and Balham & Clapham will transfer to the Three Bridges Rail Operating Centre.

All signalling in the Balham, Clapham and London Victoria areas will be replaced. Junctions around Clapham and Balham will be renewed, and the track layout remodelled between Clapham Junction and London Victoria to improve line speeds and reliability.

Some 93 LED signals will be installed, 17 signal gantries replaced, 186 new axle counters fitted, 200,000 metres of signalling, telecoms and power supply cable laid, and eight junctions and 50 points replaced.

A programme of weekend closures between Victoria and

East Croydon started on February 13/14, with two nine-day blockades planned for Christmas 2022 and 2023.

Future phases of the scheme will upgrade track and signalling between Tulse Hill, Peckham Rye and Crystal Palace, and between Nunhead, Herne Hill and the Battersea area between 2022 and 2025.

NR Sussex Route Director Shaun King explained: “It’s vital that we continue to modernise the rail network so that we can build back better, stronger and more reliable than ever before for passengers and freight users.

“Much of the track and signalling in South London is more than 40 years old and is also some of the most intensively used in the country.

“The work we are doing on the lines into Victoria over the next few years will keep passengers moving safely and reliably long into the future.”