Passengers are reminded that due to upgrade works, no trains will operate on certain sections of the Southern, Thameslink and London Overground networks from Saturday, 26 October to Friday, 1 November, coinciding with the half-term week.

The upgrades will occur between Crystal Palace, Tulse Hill, and Peckham Rye as part of Network Rail’s £400 million investment programme in track and signalling improvements across South London.

The previous phase of signalling upgrades between East Croydon and London Victoria in 2022 resulted in a reduction of signalling-related delays by over 50%.

Network Rail is optimistic that the ongoing phase of upgrades will yield comparable improvements for passengers.

Thameslink Passengers

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

The listed stations will not be serviced by Thameslink trains for a period of seven days, starting from Saturday, 26 October, to Friday, 1 November, 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

Southern Passengers

On Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th October, Southern services will not operate between Balham and London Bridge, London Victoria and West Croydon (via Crystal Palace), or London Bridge and Streatham. 

Additionally, there will be no train services between London Bridge and Beckenham Junction.

Replacement buses will operate only between London Bridge and Streatham Common, passing through Peckham Rye and Tulse Hill. For alternative routes, paper tickets will be accepted on local London Buses.

From Monday, October 28th to Friday, November 1st, there will be no train services between London Bridge and Streatham or between London Bridge and Beckenham Junction.

Trains that normally operate between London Bridge and London Victoria, as well as those between London Victoria and West Croydon (via Crystal Palace), will be limited to running only between London Victoria and Streatham Hill.

Extra trains will be provided between London Bridge and Sutton via West Croydon.

Replacement bus services will operate between London Bridge and Streatham Common, passing through Peckham Rye and Tulse Hill. For all other routes, paper tickets will be honoured on London Buses.

The listed stations will not be serviced by Southern trains for a period of seven days, starting from Saturday, 26 October to Friday, 1 November, inclusive:

• South Bermondsey
• Queens Road Peckham
• Peckham Rye
• East Dulwich
• North Dulwich
• Tulse Hill
• West Norwood
• Gipsy Hill
• Crystal Palace
• Birkbeck
• Beckenham Junction

London Overground Passengers

London Overground services from Surrey Quays to Clapham Junction will be substituted with bus services during the seven-day suspension from Saturday, 26 October to Friday, 1 November.

Additionally, London Overground services between Sydenham and Crystal Palace will be suspended from Saturday, 26th to Tuesday, 29th October due to improvement works.

From Saturday, October 26 to Tuesday, October 29, services on routes between Highbury & Islington and West Croydon, as well as New Cross, will be modified.

Additionally, from Wednesday, October 30th to Friday, November 1st, the timetables for some services to Crystal Palace and New Cross will be adjusted. It is advisable to plan your journey and verify the schedule before travelling.

The listed stations will see a suspension of London Overground train services for seven consecutive days, starting from Saturday, 26th, to Friday, 1st November:

• Queens Road Peckham
• Peckham Rye
• Denmark Hill
• Clapham High Street
• Wandsworth Road

In addition to these closures, there will be no London Overground trains from Crystal Palace over a period of four consecutive days between Saturday 26th to Tuesday 29th October.

“It’s vital that we continue to invest to modernise our assets and give passengers the delay free journeys they expect.  

Signalling upgrades between East Croydon and London Victoria in 2022 saw delays cut by more than half and we are expecting this phase of signalling upgrades in the Crystal Palace, Tulse Hill and Peckham Rye areas to deliver a similarly impressive reduction in delays when it comes into use. 

We know the work means days of major changes to journeys for passengers and we are sorry for the disruption. Please plan ahead, look out for further updates and follow travel advice.”

Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail’s Sussex route director

Additionally, there will be weekend closures in the same area preceding and following the October half-term closure. These are necessary to enable engineers to prepare the new signalling system and to dismantle obsolete equipment afterwards.

Control of the signalling for the Crystal Palace, Peckham Rye, and Tulse Hill areas is set to transition from the Victoria Area Signalling Centre to the modern Three Bridges Rail Operating Centre starting in November.

The activation of the new signalling system marks the culmination of three years of effort. Network Rail has installed 65 new signals, signal gantries, two new power supply points, and hundreds of kilometres of cables for signalling, telecommunications, and power supply.

The ongoing works are a segment of the Sussex Railway Upgrade plan, aiming to modernize the railway network and enhance passenger experiences throughout Network Rail’s Sussex region.

From 2024 to 2029, Network Rail will be investing £900 million in the Sussex Railway Upgrades, focusing on the modernization of tracks, signalling, stations, structures, and earthworks. Part of the works were completed back in August, when the lines around Crystal Palace were closed for a full 10 days.