Week of disruptions on South London rail network starts on Saturday

Rail passengers in South London are being warned again to plan ahead as Network Rail brings an upgraded signalling system online over seven days.

Upgrade work will mean that no trains will run on parts of the National Rail and London Overground networks for seven days starting on Saturday and finishing on Friday, November 1 (half-term week).

The upgrades taking place between Crystal Palace, Tulse Hill and Peckham Rye are part of a £400 million programme of investment in track and signalling upgrades in South London.

A previous phase of signalling upgrades between East Croydon and London Victoria in 2022 saw signalling related delays cut by more than half.

During the closure, Thameslink passengers travelling between Herne Hill, Wimbledon and Sutton are being advised to use London Buses or alternative National Rail, London Trams or Underground routes.

This coming Saturday and Sunday, 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 services 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 to Friday, 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.

London Overground services between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction will be replaced by buses throughout the seven-day closure. London Overground trains between Sydenham and Crystal Palace are also suspended from Saturday until Tuesday.

Jenny Saunders, of Govia Thameslink Railway, said: “While this major investment in modern signalling is inevitably disruptive, earlier phases of Network Rail’s programme have already brought huge punctuality improvements for our customers on other South London routes. We thank passengers in advance for their patience and understanding.”

The following stations will have no Southern trains for seven days between Saturday 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 and Beckenham Junction.