Thameslink services have resumed between St. Pancras International and London Blackfriars and Herne Hill following trackwork which took place over the festive period.

The 5-day closure saw one mile of track replaced on the section of line between London Blackfriars and Farringdon.

This included cutting out and removing old rails, which have been sent for recycling before new rails were laid in place.

All the points between London Blackfriars and Farringdon have also been seen to and connected to the new rails with insulated block joints.

During the closure, drainage maintenance was also carried out through the tunnels to prevent flooding during prolonged wet weather.

This work ensures the busiest part of the Thameslink network is now open just in time for New Year’s Eve when hundreds of people will use the line to head into London to see the fireworks display on the Thames or to attend other celebrations across London.

“I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we completed this work.

The rails between St Pancras International and Blackfriars were installed in 2011, and after 13 years and thousands of trains passing over the track, the track had become worn and we needed to install brand new rail to prevent faults delaying passenger journeys.

With the railway closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day our engineers were able to get a head start on the work so that we could reopen this crucial route.”

David Davidson, Kent Route Director for Network Rail