Major disruption coming to London trains as Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations close for extended period
Terminals terminated
There’s more train-related faff ahead for London commuters, and for once it’s not down to strikes,
London Charing Cross and Waterloo East are closed, and will remain shut until 16th August.
The closure began on Sunday 26th July, and runs for three weeks in order to accommodate major engineering work.
Trains will instead head to Victoria, London Bridge, Blackfriars or Cannon Street, depending on the route. It likely means a whole lot of trains effectively terminating early at London Bridge.
This work affects Southeastern trains, and the provider warns the schedule will change during the affected period too. You’re advised to check the timetable for more details.
The works are part of a renovation project of Hungerford Bridge, which connects Charing Cross to the other side of the Thames. £20 million is being spent on works including the replacement of around a mile of track and associated switches, letting trains more smoothly transition to the six platforms at Charing Cross station.
That station’s platforms nearer the bridge end will also be rebuilt, having suffered from subsidence, according to Network Rail.
It’s part of a wider refurb of the bridge, which was built in the 1840s. That project began in earnest in 2025 and is planned to conclude in 2028.
“The £20 million investment we are delivering will see 1990s track and platforms upgraded to make journeys safer and more reliable, and Victorian-era structures strengthened to remain fit for the future,” says South Eastern Railway’s Scott Brightwell.
This three week stint isn’t the only closure of the stations we’ll see this year either. Charing Cross and Waterloo will also be figuratively shuttered on 22nd and 23rd August, and on 10th and 11th October, as part of the same works plan.
If you travel retro and have paper tickets that cover travel to these stations during the affected periods, they will apparently be accepted on Jubliee line services into Waterloo, relevant Thameslink trains, Southern services heading into Victoria and London Bridge, and a handful of buses serving the affected area.
These include the 24, 26, 148, 188, 139 and 453 routes.
Want some good news? There’s no London Underground strike action planned at the moment, although East Midlands Railway staff associated with the RMT union do plan to strike 2-7 August, 9-14 August and 16th August, which will affect some trains going out of St Pancras. And the LNR network will be affected by strike action this week on 31st July and 1st August, impacting some services running out of London Euston.
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