Kent commuters are being warned to expect delays to journeys to and from London as trains are diverted round week-long engineering work in South East London.

The line from Tonbridge and Sevenoaks to Charing Cross and Cannon Street will be closed through Hither Green for nine days from Saturday 25 July to Sunday 2 August 2020.

Trains between Ashford, Tonbridge, Hastings and Tunbridge Wells will take different routes into London and in some cases being diverted to London Victoria.

The work to replace signalling equipment is important to improving punctuality of train services through the Hither Green area.

Fiona Taylor, route director, Kent said: “We know this is a tough ask of passengers who are already managing changes to their journeys and we haven’t taken the decision to close the lines lightly.

“The current signalling system, which controls the movement of trains on the lines through Hither Green, has been in place since the 1970s. It’s old, unreliable, and becoming more difficult to source spare parts and maintain.

“If we don’t upgrade now, it could lead to major delays and crowding for Southeastern passengers in future. That’s a risk we weren’t prepared to take.

“We are extremely grateful to people for their patience in these difficult times. When this vital upgrade is complete, it will provide a more reliable and resilient railway for passengers for decades to come.”

Southeastern train services director, Scott Brightwell said: “We want to warn our customers that trains will be very busy at peak times and journeys could take longer. Where buses replace trains, we expect journey times to be extended with queuing systems at busier times of day. Please avoid travelling if possible.“

Full details of changes to train services can be found by clicking here.

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