Signalling works mean only a ghost train service at Halloween

If you were hoping to plan any trips by train for the October half-term week – forget it.

There will be no train services on parts of the railway and London Overground network across a large part of south London for seven days at the end of October, as Network Rail conducts works to upgrade its signalling system.

Services to stations affected will include London Bridge, Crystal Palace, West Croydon, Gipsy Hill, Beckenham Junction, Streatham, Mitcham Junction, Carshalton, Sutton and Wimbledon.

Network Rail says, “Upgrade work will mean that no trains will run on parts of the National Rail and London Overground networks for seven days from Saturday October 26 to Friday November 1.”

This is autumn half-term week.

“The upgrades taking place between Crystal Palace, Tulse Hill and Peckham Rye are part of a £400million programme of investment in track and signalling upgrades that Network Rail is delivering in south London,” says Network Rail.

A previous phase of signalling upgrades between East Croydon and London Victoria in 2022 saw signalling related delays cut by more than half. Network Rail hopes the current phase of upgrades will deliver similar benefits for passengers.

Travel advice for Thameslink passengers

During a seven-day closure from Saturday October 26 to Friday November 1, Thameslink passengers travelling between Herne Hill, Wimbledon and Sutton are being advised to use London Buses or alternative National Rail, London Trams or London Underground routes.

Travel advice for Southern passengers

On Saturday Oct0ber 26 and Sunday October 27, there will be no Southern services between Balham and London Bridge; London Victoria and West Croydon (via Crystal Palace); or London Bridge and Streatham.

There will also be no trains between London Bridge and Beckenham Junction. Replacement buses will only run between London Bridge and Streatham Common, via Peckham Rye and Tulse Hill.

For all other routes, paper tickets will be accepted on local London Buses.

From Monday October 28 to Friday November 1, no trains will run between London Bridge and Streatham nor London Bridge and Beckenham Junction. Trains which usually run between London Bridge and London Victoria, and between London Victoria and West Croydon (via Crystal Place), will only run between London Victoria and Streatham Hill.

Additional trains will run between London Bridge and Sutton via West Croydon.

Replacement buses will only run between London Bridge and Streatham Common, via Peckham Rye and Tulse Hill. Paper tickets will be accepted on London Buses for all other routes.

Travel advice for London Overground passengers

London Overground services between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction will be replaced by buses throughout the seven-day closure from Saturday October 26 to Friday November 1.

In addition, London Overground trains between Sydenham and Crystal Palace are also suspended from Saturday October 26 to Tuesday October 29 to allow the improvement works to take place.

If you are travelling to and from Crystal Palace on Saturday to Tuesday, you should use local buses via any reasonable route.

From Saturday October 26 to Tuesday October 29 there will be an amended service on routes between Highbury and Islington and West Croydon and New Cross. From Wednesday October 30 to Friday November 1 some Crystal Palace and New Cross services will be re-timed. Please plan ahead and check before travel.

Further disruption

There will also be some weekend closures in the same area before and after the October half-term closure. These are needed to allow engineers to get the new signalling system ready and then to remove redundant equipment that is no longer required.

Signalling control of the Crystal Palace, Peckham Rye and Tulse Hill areas will move from the Victoria Area Signalling Centre to the state-of-the-art Three Bridges Rail Operating Centre from November.

The switch-on of the new signalling is the culmination of three years of work. Network Rail have installed 65 new signals, new signal gantries, two new power supply points and hundreds of kilometres of signalling, telecoms and power supply cables.

The following stations will have no Southern trains for seven days between Saturday October 26 and Friday November 1 inclusive:

South Bermondsey

Queens Road Peckham

Peckham Rye

East Dulwich

North Dulwich

Tulse Hill

West Norwood

Gipsy Hill

Crystal Palace

Birkbeck

Beckenham Junction

The following stations will have no Thameslink trains for seven days between Saturday October 26 and Friday November 1 inclusive:

Tulse Hill

Streatham

Mitcham Eastfields

Mitcham Junction

Hackbridge

Carshalton

Sutton

West Sutton

Sutton Common

St Helier

Morden South

South Merton

Wimbledon Chase

Wimbledon

Haydens Road

Tooting

The following stations will have no London Overground train service for seven days between Saturday October 26 and Friday November 1 inclusive:

Queens Road Peckham

Peckham Rye

Denmark Hill

Clapham High Street

Wandsworth Road

The following station will have no London Overground service for four days between Saturday October 26 and Tuesday October 29 inclusive:

Crystal Palace

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