Southeastern engineering works (October 2026): Is my train running?

• Portsmouth and Hampshire disruption – Major signalling and infrastructure upgrades around Havant and Portsmouth will affect routes between Chichester, Portsmouth Harbour, Southampton and surrounding areas, with replacement buses operating on some sections.
• South Coast route changes – Engineering works will affect services towards Bournemouth and Southampton, with some trains replaced by buses during closures.

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Engineering work is taking place overnight at various locations on the Southeastern network, closing some lines.

Monday to Thursday:

The 22:37 Tonbridge to Gillingham service will only run between Tonbridge and Strood. You should change at Strood for alternative trains to Gillingham. 

• Ebbsfleet International and Gillingham calling at all stations except Higham

• Gillingham and Faversham calling at Rainham (Kent) and Sittingbourne

Tuesday to Friday:

The 00:25 London Victoria to Ashford International service will be diverted and run non stop from Bromley South to Ashford International. If you are travelling to stations between Swanley and Ashford International, please use the 00:40 London Victoria to Rochester / Sole Street service and change at Swanley for the replacement bus service.

Accessible buses will run between:

• Swanley and Maidstone East calling at all stations except Kemsing and East Malling

• Maidstone East and Ashford calling at Bearsted and Lenham

• A minibus will run between West Malling and East Malling*

*If you are travelling to or from East Malling and have additional assistance requirements you should contact the Southeastern accessible travel team, send #Assist to 07866 002960 on WhatsApp or use the help point at the station so Southeastern can ensure appropriate transport is available for you.

Tuesday to Friday:

The 04:17 Gillingham to Tonbridge service will start from Strood at 04:30. A replacement bus will leave Gillingham at 03:55 calling at all stations to Strood.

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday:

From 00:25 until the end of service, accessible buses replace trains between Meopham and Gillingham (Kent) / Faversham. A connecting train will run from Faversham to Ramsgate. The Accessible replacement buses will not serve Teynham, a minibus will run between Sittingbourne and Teynham. *If you are travelling to or from Teynham and have additional assistance requirements, you should contact the Southeastern accessible travel team, send #Assist to 07866 002960 on WhatsApp or use the help point at the station so Southeastern can ensure appropriate transport is available for you.

Wednesday to Friday:

Wednesday and Thursday:

The 23:07 London St Pancras International to Ramsgate via Dover Priory service will be replaced by an accessible bus between Dover Priory and Ramsgate, calling at all stations except Thanet Parkway.

Engineering work is taking place between Meopham and Gillingham (Kent), closing some lines overnight. As a result, the 00:40 London Victoria to Gillingham (Kent) service will terminate at Meopham. A rail replacement bus service will run from Meopham to Gillingham (Kent).

Engineering work is taking place between Lewisham and Hither Green, and also between Sidcup and Dartford, closing all lines.

• Hayes Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hayes (Kent) will not call at Lewisham.
• Grove Park Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Sevenoaks will not call at Lewisham.
• Sidcup Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Dartford / Gravesend will not run. Additional trains will run between London Charing Cross and Gravesend via Bexleyheath.
  

Accessible replacement buses will run between Lewisham and Dartford via Sidcup.

You can use your tickets on London Bus routes P4, 284, and 122 between Ladywell and Lewisham at no extra cost.

Engineering work is taking place in the Denmark Hill area, closing various lines in the area.

London Overground

No services between Clapham Junction and Canada Water. Rail replacement buses will run between Clapham Junction and Canada Water. If you have a National Rail paper ticket or e-ticket, you can use your ticket at no extra cost on the following operators’ services:

• Local buses P12 or 225 / 381 and 177 / 436 between Queens Road Peckham and Surrey Quays

• Local bus P12 between Peckham Rye and Surrey Quays

• Local buses 343 and 484 for journeys between Peckham Rye and Denmark Hill

• Northern line to Clapham North for High Street Clapham

• Mildmay line or National Rail services to Clapham Junction and local bus 87 to Wandsworth Road
  

If you are using contactless payment / Oyster card, you can also use the above alternative travel options but you will be required to pay the normal tap in / tap out fares for your journey.

Southeastern

• Bexleyheath Line: Trains between London Victoria and Dartford / Gravesend via Bexleyheath will not run. Additional trains will run between London Charing Cross and Gravesend via Bexleyheath.
• Sole Street Line: Trains between London Victoria and Dover Priory via Denmark Hill will run non-stop between London Victoria and Bromley South, and will not call at any stations on that route.

You can use your tickets at no extra cost on the following services:

• Thameslink replacement buses between Herne Hill and Beckenham Junction via Denmark Hill / Catford

• London Bus routes P12, 78, and 484 between Denmark Hill and Lewisham

Engineering work is taking place between Borough Green & Wrotham and Ashford International, closing all lines. Trains between London Victoria and Ashford International will run between London Victoria and Borough Green & Wrotham only.

Accessible rail replacement buses will run between:

• Borough Green & Wrotham and Maidstone East, calling at all stations except West Malling and East Malling*

• Maidstone East and Ashford International, calling at all stations

• West Malling and East Malling*, as a minibus shuttle

*If you are travelling to / from East Malling and have additional assistance requirements, you can contact the Southeastern accessible travel team, send #Assist to 07866 002960 on WhatsApp or use the help point at the stations so appropriate transport can be made available for you.

Engineering work is taking place between Canterbury East and Dover Priory, and between Folkestone Central and Deal, closing all lines on Sunday:

• Paddock Wood Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Dover Priory via Tonbridge will run between London Charing Cross and Folkestone Central only.
• Highspeed via Ashford International: Trains between London St Pancras International and Ramsgate via Dover Priory will run between London Charing Cross and Folkestone Central only.
• Sole Street Line: Trains between London Victoria and Dover Priory via Chatham will run between London Victoria and Canterbury East only.

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

• Folkestone West and Deal

• Folkestone West and Dover Priory, calling at Folkestone Central. calling at all stations

• Canterbury East and Dover Priory, calling at all stations

The following stations will be closed all day on Sunday, and will only be served by buses:

• Dover Priory

• Martin Mill

• Walmer

• Kearsney

• Shepherds Well

• Snowdown

• Aylesham

• Adisham

• Bekesbourne

Engineering work is taking place in the Lewisham area, closing some lines overnight. From approximately 23:15 until the end of service, no trains will call at Lewisham or run between Lewisham and Hayes (Kent). Trains via Bexleyheath will not run, or will divert via Sidcup.

On Monday and Tuesday evenings, the last service to / from Hayes (Kent) will be the 22:21 London Charing Cross to Hayes (Kent) service.

Accessible replacement bus services will run between:

• London Bridge and Dartford / Gravesend via Bexleyheath

• Lewisham and Dartford via Woolwich (Wednesday and Thursday only)

• Lewisham and Hayes (Kent) (Monday and Tuesday only)

• Lewisham and Gravesend via Sidcup (00:50 from Lewisham only)

• Lewisham and Orpington (01:10 from Lewisham only)

Engineering work is taking place across the Southeastern network, closing various lines.

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday

The 23:40 London Victoria to Ramsgate service will terminate at Gillingham (Kent). An accessible replacement bus will run between Gillingham (Kent) and Herne Bay (Monday) / Faversham (Wednesday and Thursday), calling at all stations except Teynham.

A minibus will run between Sittingbourne, Teynham* and Faversham.

*If you are travelling to / from Teynham and have additional assistance requirements, you can contact Southeastern's accessible travel team, send #Asist to 07866 002960 on WhatsApp or use the help point at the station to ensure transport is available to you.

Monday to Thursday

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

• Sevenoaks and Maidstone East, calling at all stations except East Malling

• Sevenoaks and Lenham, calling at all stations except Kemsing, East Malling, Hollingbourne, Harrietsham, and Charing

• Maidstone East and Ashford International, calling at all stations

• West Malling and East Malling* (minibus)
  

*If you are travelling to / from East Malling and have additional assistance requirements, you can contact Southeastern's accessible travel team, send #Asist to 07866 002960 on WhatsApp or use the help point at the station to ensure transport is available to you.

From 23:15 until the end of service, buses will replace trains between Dartford and Gravesend.

The 23:20 and 23:50 London St Pancras International to Faversham trains will not run, with accessible replacement buses running between:

• Ebbsfleet International and Gillingham (Kent), calling at all stations except Higham

• Gillingham (Kent) and Faversham, calling at Rainham and Sittingbourne

From 23:45 until the end of service, services between Bromley North and Grove Park will not run. You can use your ticket on London Bus routes 126 and 261 between Bromley North and Grove Park at no extra cost.

Tuesday to Thursday

The 04:33 Gravesend to London Charing Cross (via Sidcup) service will start from Dartford at 04:50. An accessible replacement bus service will run between Gravesend and Dartford, departing at 04:15.

From 23:55 until the end of service, buses will replace trains between Ashford International and Dover Priory.

The 23:07 London St Pancras International to Ramsgate via Dover Priory service will be diverted to run via Canterbury West.

No trains will run to / from London Charing Cross / London Waterloo East all weekend.

A reduced service will run between London Bridge and London Cannon Street. On Sunday, trains will be diverted to run to / from London Victoria instead.

• Paddock Wood line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Ramsgate / Dover Priory via Tonbridge will be diverted to run to / from London Victoria instead. These services will call additionally at Orpington (all weekend) and Hildenborough (Saturday only). On Sunday, these services will run between London Victoria and Ashford International only.
• Hastings line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hastings will run to / from London Bridge instead. These trains will run non-stop between London Bridge and Tonbridge via an alternative route. On Saturday, trains between London Bridge and Tunbridge Wells will not run.
• Maidstone East line: On Saturday only, trains between London Charing Cross and Maidstone East will run to / from London Victoria and call additionally at Bromley South.
• Bexleyheath line: Trains between London Cannon Street and Slade Green, and between London Charing Cross and Dartford via Bexleyheath, will not run. On Sunday, trains between London Victoria and Dartford via Bexleyheath will be extended to run between London Victoria and Strood.
• Woolwich line: On Saturday, trains between London Cannon Street and Gravesend via Woolwich Arsenal, and between London Cannon Street and Slade Green via Greenwich, will not run. An additional service of 4 trains per hour will run between London Cannon Street and Dartford via Greenwich.

On Sunday, trains between London Cannon Street and Slade Green via Greenwich will instead run between London Bridge and Dartford.

• Grove Park line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Sevenoaks will instead run between London Victoria and Sevenoaks. On Saturday, trains between London Cannon Street and Orpington will not run.
• Bromley North line: On Saturday, trains between Grove Park and Bromley North will not run.
• Sidcup line: A reduced service of 2 trains per hour will run between Sidcup and Dartford only.
• Hayes line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hayes will instead run between London Victoria and Hayes.

Replacement Buses

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

• Greenwich and Sidcup calling at all stations via New Cross and Lewisham

• Lewisham and Orpington calling at all stations. On Saturday, these buses will stop additionally at Sundridge Park

• Grove Park and Bromley North non-stop (Saturday only)

Ticket Acceptance

You can use your tickets at no extra cost on London Underground services between Victoria, Charing Cross, Embankment, Waterloo, Southwark, London Bridge and Cannon Street.

Station Closures

The following stations will be closed all weekend, and will only be served by replacement buses:

• New Cross

• St Johns

• Hither Green

• Lee

• Mottingham

• New Eltham

• Grove Park

• Elmstead Woods

• Chislehurst

• Sundridge Park (no Sunday service)

• Bromley North (no Sunday service

No Southeastern trains will run between Rochester and Rainham (Kent).

• Sole Street Line: Trains between London Victoria and Ramsgate / Dover Priory via Chatham will only run between London Victoria and Rochester. Additional trains will run between Rainham (Kent) and Ramsgate / Dover Priory.
• Highspeed via Gravesend: Trains between London St Pancras International and Ramsgate via Faversham will only run between London St Pancras International and Rochester. Additional trains will run between London Victoria and Strood via Bexleyheath.

Accessible replacement buses will run between Rochester and Rainham (Kent) calling at all stations.

The following stations will be closed all weekend and will only be served by accessible buses:

• Chatham

• Gillingham (Kent)

Engineering work is taking place between Ashford International and Dover Priory, closing some lines.

• Highspeed via Ashford International: Trains between London St Pancras International and Ramsgate via Dover Priory will run between London St Pancras International and Ashford International only. Additional trains will run between Dover Priory and Ramsgate.
• Paddock Wood line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Dover Priory via Tonbridge will instead run between London Victoria and Ashford International only.

Accessible buses will run between:

• Ashford International and Dover Priory calling at Folkestone West & Folkestone Central only

• Ashford International and Dover Priory calling at all stations except Westenhanger

• A minibus will run between Sandling and Westenhanger* *If you are travelling to or from Westenhanger and have additional assistance requirements we recommend you contact the Southeastern accessible travel team, send #Assist to 07866 002960 on WhatsApp or use the help point at the station so Southeastern can ensure appropriate transport is available for you.

Engineering work is taking overnight at various locations on the Southeastern network, closing some lines.

Monday and Wednesday

From 23:45 until the end of service services between Bromley North and Grove Park will not run. You will be able to use London Buses routes 126 and 261 at no extra cost between Bromley North and Grove Park.

Monday to Thursday

The 23:40 London Cannon Street to Dover Priory (Monday) / Canterbury West and Dover Priory (Tuesday) and 23:34 London Charing Cross to Canterbury West and Dover Priory (Wednesday and Thursday) will be diverted between London Bridge and Ashford International, running non stop between London Bridge and Ashford International.

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

• Tonbridge and Headcorn (calling at all stations)

• Headcorn and Ashford International calling at Pluckley

If you are travelling to Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, or connecting to the replacement bus at Tonbridge, please use alternative trains between London, Sevenoaks and Tonbridge.

Tuesday and Wednesday

The 00:26 London Cannon Street to Dartford via Greenwich will not run. An accessible bus will run between London Bridge and Dartford via Greenwich You will need to use an alternative train from London Cannon Street to London Bridge to connect with the bus.

Thursday only

The 23:07 London St Pancras International to Ramsgate via Dover Priory service will be replaced by an accessible bus between Dover Priory and Ramsgate calling at all stations except Thanet Parkway.

The 23:40 London St Pancras International to Margate via Canterbury West service will be replaced by an accessible bus between Canterbury West and Margate calling at Thanet Parkway, Ramsgate and Broadstairs.

The 22:34 London Charing Cross to Ramsgate will be replaced by an accessible bus between Minster and Ramsgate.

Thursday and Friday

The 00:22 London Charing Cross to Dartford via Woolwich will be diverted to run via Bexleyheath. An accessible bus will run between Lewisham and Dartford via Woolwich.

Engineering work is taking place between Maidstone East and Ashford International, closing some lines each morning from Monday to Friday.

To allow maintenance and inspection work to take place in daylight between Maidstone East and Ashford International, off-peak trains between London Victoria and Ashford International will run hourly from 08:20 until approximately 12:00.

The 08:25 London Victoria to Ashford International services will be diverted to run via Tonbridge, calling additionally at Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Paddock Wood, Marden, Staplehurst, Headcorn and Pluckley.

The following trains will not run:

• The 08:25, 09:25 and 10:25 London Victoria to Ashford International services.

• The 09:28 and 10:27 Ashford International to London Victoria services.

Engineering work is taking place between St Johns, Hither Green and Dartford closing the lines between Lewisham and Orpington and between Lewisham and Sidcup all weekend.

Saturday

• Paddock Wood Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Ramsgate / Dover Priory via Tonbridge will be diverted to run to and from London Victoria.
• Hastings Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hastings will run at different times for part of the journey and are diverted via an alternative route between London Bridge and Orpington. Stopping services between London Charing Cross and Tunbridge Wells will not run.
• Maidstone East Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Maidstone East will run from London Victoria, and call additionally at Bromley South.
• Grove Park Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Sevenoaks will run non stop between Lewisham and Petts Wood via an alternative route. Trains between London Cannon Street and Orpington will not run.
• Sidcup Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Dartford via Sidcup will not run. Trains between London Charing Cross and Gravesend via Sidcup will only run between Sidcup and Gravesend.
• Bromley North Line: Trains between Grove Park and Bromley North will not run.

• Hayes Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hayes (Kent) will run every 30 minutes, via Lewisham.

• Bexleyheath Line: Additional trains will run between London Charing Cross and Dartford via Bexleyheath.

Sunday

• Paddock Wood Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Ramsgate / Dover Priory via Tonbridge will be diverted to run to and from London Victoria.
• Hastings Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hastings will run at different times for part of the journey and are diverted via an alternative route between London Bridge and Orpington.
• Grove Park Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Sevenoaks will run non stop between Lewisham and Petts Wood via an alternative route.
• Sidcup Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Dartford via Sidcup will not run. Trains between London Charing Cross and Gravesend via Sidcup will only run between Sidcup and Gravesend.
  

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

• Lewisham and Orpington (on Saturday, these buses stop additionally at Sundridge Park)

• Lewisham and Sidcup

• Grove Park and Bromley North non-stop (Saturday only)

Alternative travel options

You can use the following alternative services at no extra cost:

• London Underground between Victoria, Charing Cross, Embankment, Waterloo, Southwark and London Bridge
  

The following stations will be closed and will only be served by replacement buses:

• Hither Green

• Grove Park

• Elmstead Woods

• Chislehurst

• Lee

• Mottingham

• New Eltham

• Sundridge Park (no Sunday service)

• Bromley North (no Sunday service)

Engineering work is taking place between Gillingham (Kent) and Faversham, and all routes through Sittingbourne will be closed.

• Sole Street Line: Trains between London Victoria and Dover Priory / Ramsgate via Chatham will only run between London Victoria and Gillingham (Kent).
• Highspeed via Gravesend: Trains between London St Pancras International and Ramsgate via Faversham will only run between London St Pancras International and Gillingham (Kent).
• Sheerness Line: Trains between Sittingbourne and Sheerness-on-Sea will not run.

Additional trains will run between:

• Faversham and Ramsgate

• Faversham and Dover Priory

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

• Gillingham (Kent) and Faversham calling at all stations except Teynham

• Sheerness-on-Sea and Sittingbourne

• A minibus will run between Sittingbourne and Faversham via Teynham*

*If you are travelling to or from Teynham and have additional assistance requirements we recommend you contact the Southeastern accessible travel team, send #Assist to 07866 002960 on WhatsApp or use the help point at the station so Southeastern can ensure appropriate transport is available for you. 

The following stations will be closed all day and will only be served by replacement buses:

• Rainham (Kent)

• Newington

• Sittingbourne

• Teynham

• Kemsley

• Swale

• Queenborough

• Sheerness-on-Sea

Engineering work is taking place overnight at various locations on the Southeastern network, closing some lines.

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday

The 23:20 and 23:50 London St Pancras International to Faversham services will be replaced by accessible buses between Ebbsfleet International, Gillingham (Kent) and Faversham calling at all stations except Higham, Newington and Teynham.

From 23:50 until the end of service, accessible buses replace trains between Sittingbourne and Faversham, Herne Bay, Ramsgate and Dover Priory. The accessible replacement buses will not serve Teynham or Selling, a minibus will run between Sittingbourne and Faversham via Teynham*, and between Faversham and Selling*

*If you are travelling to or from Teynham or Selling and have additional assistance requirements we recommend you contact the Southeastern accessible travel team, send #Assist to 07866 002960 on WhatsApp or use the help point at the station so Southeastern can ensure appropriate transport is available for you.

Monday to Thursday

From 23:10 until the end of service, trains between London Victoria and Orpington via Beckenham Junction will be diverted between London Victoria and Shortlands and will stop additionally at Denmark Hill.

Accessible replacement buses will run between Denmark Hill and Orpington via Beckenham Junction calling at all stations except Brixton.

Trains towards London Victoria will run non-stop between Shortlands and London Victoria, changing at Bromley South for an accessible bus to London Victoria calling at all stations via Beckenham Junction except Brixton.

If you are travelling to or from Brixton you can use the London Underground between Victoria and Brixton at no extra cost.

From 23:45 until the end of service, services between Grove Park and Bromley North will not run. You will be able to use London Bus routes 126 and 261 at no extra cost between Grove Park and Bromley North.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

From 01:15 until the end of service, accessible buses replace trains between Slade Green and Gravesend.

The 00:30 London Cannon Street (Wednesday) / 00:25 London Charing Cross (Thursday and Friday) to Dartford via Bexleyheath trains will be diverted after Barnehurst to Slade Green. An accessible bus will run between Slade Green and Gravesend.

Engineering work is taking place between Paddock Wood and Strood, closing some lines. To allow maintenance and inspection work to take place in daylight, trains between Paddock Wood and Strood will run hourly between 09:00 until approximately 14:00 each day.

Half hourly trains resume in each direction from the following trains:

• 13:33 Strood to Paddock Wood

• 14:33 Paddock Wood to Strood

Engineering work is taking place between Tonbridge and Wadhurst, closing all lines. Background information on the work can be found below. Buses will replace trains between Tonbridge and Wadhurst.

On Sunday 1 November only, these buses will be extended to run between Tonbridge and Battle. Network Rail will be carrying out a major programme of railway improvements between Tonbridge and Wadhurst.

The main work will renew a worn slab track in Grove Hill Tunnel, just south of Tunbridge Wells. The slab track is fixed to a concrete base and is used in some tunnels to strengthen and stabilise the railway. Engineers will replace the old track slab and restore key railway systems in the tunnel.

Teams will also use the nine-day closure to complete maintenance, renewal and inspection work across the line.

Engineering work is taking place between Nunhead / Beckenham Junction and St Mary Cray / Petts Wood, closing all lines.

On Saturday, buses will replace trains between Bromley South and Orpington.

On Sunday, buses will replace trains between Beckenham Junction and Orpington, and trains between London Victoria and Ramsgate / Dover Priory / Ashford International via Maidstone East will be diverted not to call at Bromley South. Additional trains will run between Grove Park and Bromley North, calling at Sundridge Park.

For Bromley South, you can use your tickets at no extra cost on Thameslink replacement buses between Bromley South and Swanley to connect with diverted trains.

Engineering work is taking place between Greenwich and Woolwich Arsenal, closing all lines.

No trains will run to / from London Cannon Street, and no trains will run between London Bridge and Dartford via Woolwich Arsenal all day.

Trains between London Victoria and Dartford will run normally, and additional trains will run between London Bridge and Dartford via Bexleyheath.

Accessible rail replacement bus services will run between Lewisham and Dartford via New Cross, Greenwich and Woolwich Arsenal.

You can use your ticket at no extra cost on London Underground services between Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Embankment, Waterloo, Southwark, and London Bridge, and on Docklands Light Railway services between Lewisham and Greenwich.

Engineering work is taking place across the Southeastern network, closing various lines.

Tuesday to Thursday

The 00:27 London Victoria to Orpington via Beckenham Junction service will be diverted to call additionally at Denmark Hill. This service will not call at stations between London Victoria and Shortlands. A rail replacement bus service will run between London Victoria and Orpington via Beckenham Junction, calling at all stations except Brixton. For Brixton, you can use your tickets on London Underground services at no extra cost.

Monday to Thursday

From 23:20 until the end of service, buses will replace trains between Maidstone East and Ashford International.

From 23:45 until the end of service, trains between Bromley North and Grove Park will not run. You can use your ticket on London Bus routes 126 and 261 between these stations at no extra cost.

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday

The 23:20 and 23:50 London St Pancras International to Faversham services will be replaced by buses between Ebbsfleet International, Gillingham (Kent) and Faversham, calling at all services except Higham, Newington and Teynham.

From 23:20 until the end of service, buses will replace trains between Sittingbourne and Sheerness-on-Sea.

From 23:45 until the end of service, buses will replace trains between Gillingham (Kent) and Faversham / Herne Bay.

Wednesday and Thursday

The 23:07 London St Pancras International to Ramsgate via Dover Priory service will be diverted to run an alternative route between Dover Priory and Ramsgate, calling additionally at Margate and Broadstairs. A replacement bus service will run between Dover Priory and Ramsgate calling at all stations.

All Southeastern engineering works are planned and published well in advance, so you can easily check out before your day out in Kent or London. Most of the time you can still get to where you need to be—it just might take a little longer than usual or involve a different route.

Here's what to expect and how to work around it.

1. Rail replacement buses. Southeastern usually operates rail replacement buses between stations where the service is disrupted. Station staff will direct you to the bus, which normally waits for passengers at the bus stop outside. These buses often follow the same route as the train and call at most (or all) of the same stops. You can board them with your normal Southeastern ticket, too. Journey times on rail replacement buses will be longer than the train, so factor that in.
2. Diverted services. Southeastern often diverts its services to other nearby stations during maintenance. For example, when London Charing Cross, London Cannon Street or London Waterloo East are closed, services may get diverted to London Victoria or London Bridge. 
3. Reduced routes. Some services may terminate at an earlier station, with rail replacement buses to take you to the remaining stations on the line. For example, some services from London to Sevenoaks with Southeastern may run to Orpington during engineering works, with buses to take you to the remaining part of the route.
4. Schedule changes. When there are works planned, there may be changes to the timetables, including later first trains and earlier last trains.

While there'll always be an alternative in place to get you to your destination, here are a few tips to keep your trip smooth:

• Give yourself extra time, especially if you're heading to the Kent coast for a day out. An extra 30 to 40 minutes of buffer can make all the difference on your day out to Canterbury.

• Try to avoid booking tight same-day connections to ferries from Dover or Eurostar services from St Pancras during engineering work weekends. Sometimes engineering works can overrun. 

• Travelling earlier in the day often means fewer crowds on replacement buses and more options if something changes.

• Wait until amended timetables are confirmed before booking your tickets, so you know the exact journey you'll need to take.

• If you're heading to the seaside for the weekend—Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate or Dover—consider turning your day trip into a mini overnight stay instead of trying to do it all in one day. Remember, you can book hotels for the Kent coast on Trip.com.

Southeastern engineering works can often affect huge patches of the rail network in south-east London and Kent. Here's where they tend to be most common:

Coastal routes to places like Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate and Dover are often affected during bank holidays, particularly the section between Herne Bay and Ramsgate. Replacement buses usually operate between affected stations, so you can still reach the coast—just allow extra journey time. 

Are Southeastern tickets valid on rail replacement buses? 

Yes, your existing Southeastern ticket, season ticket or railcard-discounted fare is valid on all rail replacement bus services and there is no need to buy a separate bus ticket.

Does engineering work affect High Speed 1 services? 

Southeastern's engineering work can often affect the High Speed 1 line between London St Pancras and Ashford International. Trains may terminate earlier (for example, at Ashford instead of Ramsgate) or run at different times. Be sure to check ahead before planning your day out.

Can I get a refund if I no longer wish to travel? 

Yes, if engineering works mean you no longer want to make the trip, you can usually claim a refund for your unused ticket. Some exceptions apply, though, so be sure to double-check before you book. 

How far in advance are closures announced? 

Are London terminal closures more common during bank holidays? 

Yes, London terminals often face disruption over long weekends as this is when Network Rail carries out its biggest engineering projects. With very few commuters on Sundays and bank holidays, there's less disruption on these days.