During the Christmas period, Network Rail engineers successfully completed planned engineering upgrades to improve reliability across the Kent and Sussex region.

The work was part of a wider £127m programme of investment across the country, and over a ten-day period engineers upgraded tracks, carried out signalling improvements, and installed extra gatelines at London Victoria station that will result in less congestion and smoother journeys for passengers through the station.

The track upgrades saw the rebuilding of a major junction between Clapham and Wandsworth that is used by Southeastern and London Overground services. During the work, engineers replaced 14 sets of switches and crossings with new and more-reliable equipment which involved installing 2,600 new sleepers, laying more than 1,600m of new track and 1,000m of conductor rail, and installing 10,000 tonnes of ballast.

Between Herne Hill and Nunhead, work to upgrade the 1980s signalling system that controls services into London Victoria station continued, with completion planned for late December 2024.

At London Victoria station, new ticket gates were installed which will reduce crowding at gatelines and speed up journeys. Further new ticket gates will be installed during the coming months, with completed scheduled for next summer.

Between Hurst Green and Uckfield in East Sussex, work continued to strengthen the cutting and protect the railway from falling debris and landslips by installing more blocks alongside the railway.

Ellie Burrows, Network Rail’s Southern regional managing director, said: “We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we carried out this programme of investment across South London and parts of Kent and Sussex over the festive period.

“We appreciate that there is never a good time to close the railway, but passenger numbers are a lot lower around the Christmas period which is why we try to pack as much work in as possible and reduce disruption.”