London Charing Cross and Waterloo East closed for essential engineering works

From Sunday 26 July to Sunday 16 August 2026, London Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations will close for 22 days to allow the South Eastern Railway to complete a £20 million programme of track, platform and structures upgrades

What work is taking place?

The closure will allow the railway to deliver £20 million of essential improvements.

Track upgrades

• 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 track and equipment that’s been in use for since 1990.
• Track drainage will be upgraded at Waterloo East station, helping to maintain track quality and a smooth ride at full line speed for passengers.

New platforms

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.

Bridge repairs

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.

How will this work affect me?

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.

For full details of ticket acceptance on London Underground, London Buses, alternative rail routes, and our refund policy if your route or ticket type isn’t covered by the ticket acceptance we have in place, see below.

Those who are able are encouraged to cycle or walk to complete shorter journeys.

Please be aware that first and last trains will run at different times over the closures. Please check first and last train times to avoid being caught out.

Ticket acceptance

London Underground 

Tickets holders can use the Jubilee line between London Bridge and Waterloo, and the Circle and District line between Victoria, Blackfriars or Cannon Street and Embankment.

Most paper tickets will be accepted at TfL ticket gates. However, eTickets, sTickets and Smartcards will not be recognised. To help with this, we’ll have additional staff at the London Underground stations referenced above to manually check and validate tickets where needed.

Unfortunately, it isn’t practical to have Southeastern staff at every London Underground station to check tickets.  If ticket isn’t accepted and you’re charged, you can claim a refund.

If your journey via a reasonable route isn’t covered by the ticket acceptance we have in place or you use Contactless or Oyster and you’ve been charged, you can claim a refund. See refund policy below.

Alternative rail services

Ticket holders can use Thameslink between Elephant and Castle, London Bridge and St Pancras International, and Southern services to/from London Bridge and Victoria.

London Buses

Paper tickets will be accepted on:

• Route 24 between Victoria and Charing Cross via Westminster
• Route 26 between Victoria and City Thameslink
• Route 139 between Waterloo and Charing Cross
• Route 148 between Elephant & Castle and Victoria via Westminster
• Route 188 between London Bridge, Elephant & Castle and Waterloo
• Route 453 between Elephant & Castle and Charing Cross via Westminster.

If you travel using Contactless or Oyster or if you are unable to use your normal ticket, you will be charged. However, you can claim a refund. See refund section below.

Refund

Refunds for all ticket types and for travel via reasonable alternative routes can be claimed using our dedicated form, which has been designed to make the process as straightforward as possible. The claim form will be available on the from Sunday 26 July.

Please be aware that proof of travel will be needed, and you must show receipts.

If using Contactless or Oyster you need to register your card on the TfL Go app to receive receipts.

Plan your journey

To plan your train journeys over the closure period, go to .

For journeys on London Underground, London Buses, as well as cycling and walking routes in London we recommend you use or download the .

Dates for your diary

No trains will call at Charing Cross or Waterloo East stations on the following dates.

• Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July
• Sunday 26 July to Sunday 16 August – 22-day closure
• Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August
• Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October.

Please be aware that alternative service plan for preparation and follow-up weekend closures may be different than the main 22-day closure and customers are encouraged to check before travelling.

Why is the work needed?

The main driver for the 22-day closure is the replacement of the track. It was last replaced in the early 1990s and is now increasingly unreliable.

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.

The country end of the platforms at Charing Cross is another critical project. The platforms are subsiding and the concrete surfaces are deteriorating. If we don’t do the work now, we’d have to close the station again in the future.

To make best use of the time the railway is closed, structural repairs will be carried out on Hungerford Bridge, which takes the railway over the Thames, and the pedestrian link bridge between Waterloo East and London Waterloo.

The £20 million investment will deliver a safe, reliable and high-performing railway and improve infrastructure on a critical stretch of track.

Managing impacts from the works

We recognise the importance of minimising impacts on residents, businesses and public spaces on the Southbank and the borough more widely.

Clear, timely and ongoing communication with local stakeholders and the wider community will be at the heart of our delivery approach.

Online and face-to-face drop-in sessions will be held, giving residents and businesses opportunities to speak directly with the project team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Line of route travel summary

When Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations are closed, trains will be diverted, and timetables will change. Find out what’s changing on your line below.

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please visit our contact us page or telephone our 24-Hour National Helpline on 03457 11 41 41 quoting Charing Cross Works.

Sign up for email updates