Nine day closure of South East London rail lines

The railway through Hither Green, in South East London, will be closed for nine days from Saturday July 25 to Sunday August 2 for signalling upgrades through the area.

The work is the commissioning of new signalling equipment and the transfer of control from London Bridge Area Signalling Centre to Three Bridges Rail Operating Centre. It will mark the end for the old signalling location, which has been in continuous use since 1975.

The work is a key part of Network Rail’s £250m investment to improve signalling and track reliability through the busy Lewisham area of South East London.

Network Rail says the 1970s signalling system, which controls the movement of trains on the Bromley North, Sidcup branches and main line through Hither Green, is being completely replaced with a modern, more reliable system.

Buses will replace trains on affected routes for the nine days, with services resuming on Monday August 3

Extra buses will be laid on to make sure social distancing can be achieved on the replacement services. Tickets will be accepted on alternative routes and Transport for London services, which will also be increased to ensure passengers travelling can maintain a 2m distance.

While extra capacity will be laid on, only critical passengers and those who absolutely must travel are advised to.

Network Rail route director Fiona Taylor said: “This work is so important for delivering a reliable railway for the many passengers who travel through this area. “The signalling system is very old and in urgent need of upgrade.

“We wanted to get this work done over Easter but because technicians can’t work closely together for long periods, it is going to take double the amount of time it would normally take to finish the job.

“We have taken the decision to complete the work in the summer holidays because we wanted to give those passengers who are still travelling, many of them critical workers, enough time to plan ahead.

“We also need time to put alternative travel options in place, such as an enhanced bus replacement service.

“Our advice to passengers over the nine days remains the same - please only travel if you really have to, leaving space on trains for those who really need it.

“We are working with Southeastern to make provision for social distancing at stations and on buses.

“I recognise that this is a tough ask for people who are already coping with changes to travel, but this vital upgrade will provide a more reliable and resilient railway for years to come.”

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.