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

• Dartford, Gravesend and Medway Valley closures (1 November): Major closures affect routes between Dartford, Ebbsfleet International, Maidstone West and Gillingham. Several stations will be closed, with replacement buses operating across the affected routes. Highspeed services to Ramsgate via Faversham will terminate at Ebbsfleet International.
• Faversham–Ramsgate and Medway Valley closures (8 November): No trains will run between Faversham and Ramsgate, or between Paddock Wood and Strood. Replacement buses will serve affected stations, with services on several routes starting or terminating early.
• Central London and Lewisham disruption (14–15 and 21–22 November): No Southeastern trains will serve Charing Cross, Waterloo East or Cannon Street on 14–15 November, with services diverted to other London terminals. Lewisham station will then close for the weekend of 21–22 November, affecting multiple routes and requiring replacement buses.
• Kent coast and Medway route closures (15 and 22 November): Engineering work will affect services between Sittingbourne, Herne Bay and Dover Priory on 15 November, and between Meopham, Strood and Rainham on 22 November. Replacement buses will operate, with some services terminating short of their usual destinations. A separate closure between Robertsbridge and Hastings on 22 November will also require buses.
• Maidstone East, Ashford and London Victoria (23–29 November): An hourly off-peak service will run between London Victoria and Ashford International from 23–27 November, with some trains diverted via Tonbridge. Further closures affect routes around Ebbsfleet, Ashford and Canterbury on 28–29 November; on 29 November, no Southeastern trains will serve London Victoria, with services diverted to Cannon Street or Blackfriars.

Sidcup line

Trains between London Charing Cross and Gravesend will not run. Services which usually run between London Charing Cross and Dartford via Sidcup will run normally, so trains on the Sidcup line will run every 30 minutes.

Medway Valley line

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

• Ebbsfleet International and Strood, calling at Gravesend only

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

• Strood and Maidstone West, calling at all stations

• Gravesend and Strood (minibus service, calling at Higham)
  

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

• Stone Crossing

• Greenhithe for Bluewater

• Swanscombe

• Northfleet

• Gravesend

• Higham

• Strood

• Cuxton

• Halling

• Snodland

• New Hythe

• Aylesford

• Maidstone Barracks

The main work will renew worn slab track in Grove Hill Tunnel, just south of Tunbridge Wells. 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.

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

Hastings / Ore

• Southern services between Ashford International and Ore / Hastings

• Southeastern Highspeed services between London St Pancras International and Ashford International

• Southeastern (mainline) services between London and Ashford International via Tonbridge / Maidstone East

Stonegate, Wadhurst, Frant and Tunbridge Wells

• Southern services between London Bridge and Uckfield

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

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

The 00:10 and 00:40 London Victoria to Gillingham (Kent) servicesw will be departing London Victoria at 00:12 and 00:42, and will be diverted and run non stop between London Victoria and Rochester. For stations between Bromley South and Meopham / Sole Street, use the 00:10 and 00:40 London Victoria to Swanley services to connect with accessible replacement buses from Swanley to Gillingham (Kent), calling at all stations except Sole Street. A connecting bus will run between Meopham and Sole Street.

Tuesday to Friday

From 00:15 until the end of service, accessible buses will replace trains between Lewisham and Gravesend via Sidcup. Trains will be diverted via alternative routes via Bexleyheath / Woolwich Arsenal.

Engineering work is taking place between Faversham and Ramsgate, closing all lines.

• Sole Street Line: Trains between London Victoria and Ramsgate via Chatham will only run between London Victoria and Faversham.
• Highspeed via Gravesend: Trains between London St Pancras International and Ramsgate via Faversham will only run between London St Pancras International and Faversham.
• Highspeed via Ashford International: Trains between London St Pancras International and Margate via Canterbury West will only run between London St Pancras International and Ramsgate.
  

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

• Faversham and Margate calling at all stations

• Faversham and Margate calling at Whitstable, Herne Bay and Birchington-on-Sea only

• Margate and Ramsgate calling at all stations

• Margate and Ramsgate calling at Broadstairs only
  

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

• Whitstable

• Chestfield & Swalecliffe

• Herne Bay

• Birchington-on-Sea

• Westgate-on-Sea

• Margate

• Broadstairs

• Dumpton Park

Engineering work is taking place between Paddock Wood and Strood, closing all lines. Trains between Paddock Wood and Strood will not run. Accessible replacement buses will run between:

• Paddock Wood and Maidstone West calling at all stations

• Maidstone West and Strood calling at all stations
  

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

• Cuxton

• Halling

• Snodland

• New Hythe

• Aylesford

• Maidstone Barracks

• Maidstone West

• East Farleigh

• Wateringbury

• Yalding

• Beltring

The first trains to run on the Hayes line calling at all stations will be:

• 08:51 London Charing Cross to Hayes (Kent) which will leave London Charing Cross at 08:59

• 09:41 Hayes (Kent) to London Charing Cross
  

Accessible replacement buses will run between Lewisham and Hayes (Kent), calling at all stations.

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

Monday to Thursday

• The 23:50 London St Pancras International to Faversham service will be diverted between Ebbsfleet International and Faversham to run via Ashford International. An accessible bus will run between Ebbsfleet International, Gillingham (Kent) and Faversham calling at all stations except Higham and Teynham.
  

Trains from Hayes (Kent) towards Lewisham and London are not affected.

Tuesday to Friday

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

Tuesday only

The weekly late-night engineering work between Faversham and Ramsgate will not take place, and trains will run normally between Faversham and Margate

The 23:07 London St Pancras International to Ramsgate via Dover Priory service will divert between Dover Priory and Ramsgate via an alternative route and will stop additionally at Faversham, Margate and Broadstairs. An accessible bus will run between Dover Priory and Ramsgate calling at all stations except Thanet Parkway

Wednesday to Friday

From 00:10 until the end of service, accessible buses replace trains between Lewisham and Dartford via Bexleyheath. Trains will be diverted to run via Sidcup instead.

Saturday

• Paddock Wood Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Ramsgate / Dover Priory via Tonbridge will be diverted to run to / from London Victoria and will stop additionally at Hildenborough.
• Hastings Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hastings will run to / from London Bridge and run non-stop between London Bridge and Tonbridge via an alternative route which will take approximately 20 minutes longer than usual. Trains which usually only run between London Charing Cross and Tunbridge Wells will not run.
• Maidstone East Line: 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 Charing Cross and Dartford, and between London Cannon Street and Slade Green via Bexleyheath will not run. Trains between London Victoria and Gravesend via Bexleyheath will run normally, which will mean that trains on the Bexleyheath line will run every 30 minutes.
• Woolwich Line: Trains between London Cannon Street and Dartford via Woolwich Arsenal and trains between London Cannon Street and Slade Green via Greenwich will not run. Additional trains will run between London Bridge and Dartford via Greenwich.
• Grove Park Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Sevenoaks will be diverted to run to / from London Blackfriars. Services between London Cannon Street and Orpington will not run, so stopping trains between Lewisham and Orpington will run every 30 minutes.
• Sidcup Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Gravesend will run to / from London Victoria. A reduced service of 2 trains each hour will run between London and Dartford via Sidcup.
• Hayes Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hayes (Kent) will run to / from London Blackfriars and will run every 30 minutes.
• Bromley North Line: Trains between Grove Park and Bromley North will run at different times than usual.
• Bromley South Line: Trains between London Victoria and Orpington via Bromley South will run at different times than usual.

Sunday

• Paddock Wood Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Ramsgate / Dover Priory via Tonbridge will be diverted to run to / from London Victoria.
• Hastings Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hastings will run to / from London Victoria.
• Bexleyheath Line: Services between London Cannon Street and Slade Green via Bexleyheath will not run. Services between London Victoria and Dartford via Bexleyheath will run normally, so trains on the Bexleyheath line will run every 30 minutes.
• Woolwich Line: Trains between London Cannon Street and Slade Green via Greenwich will run to / from London Bridge, and will be extended to / from Gravesend.
• Grove Park Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Sevenoaks will not run because of further engineering work.
• Sidcup Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Gravesend will not run because of further engineering work. A reduced service of 2 trains each hour will run between Sidcup and Dartford.
• Hayes Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hayes (Kent) will run to / from London Victoria.
• Bromley South Line: Trains between London Victoria and Orpington via Bromley South will be extended to run to / from Sevenoaks.
  

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

• Grove Park Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Sevenoaks will not run.
• Sidcup Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Dartford via Sidcup will only run between Sidcup and Dartford. Trains between London Charing Cross and Gravesend via Sidcup will not run.
  

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

• Lewisham and Sidcup

• Lewisham and Orpington
  

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

• Sole Street Line: Trains between London Victoria and Ramsgate via Chatham will only run between London Victoria and Sittingbourne. Additional trains will run between Herne Bay and Ramsgate. Trains which normally between London Victoria and Dover Priory via Denmark Hill 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 Sittingbourne.
• Sheerness Line: Trains between Sittingbourne and Sheerness-on-Sea will be retimed to provide connections with the amended train services at Sittingbourne.

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

• Sittingbourne and Herne Bay, calling at all stations except Teynham

• Sittingbourne and Canterbury East, calling at Faversham only

• Canterbury East and Dover Priory, non stop

• Canterbury East and Dover Priory, calling at all stations

• Sittingbourne and Selling (minibus)

Engineering work is taking place at several locations on the Southeastern network, closing various lines overnight from Monday evening until Friday morning.

Monday to Thursday

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

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

• Maidstone East and Ashford International, calling at all stations

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

• A minibus will run between West Malling & East Malling

Tuesday to Friday

The 04:33 Gravesend to London Charing Cross via Sidcup train will start from Dartford at 04:50. A replacement bus will run earlier than usual from Gravesend at 04:10 to Dartford, connecting with the train.

Accessible replacement buses will run on the following routes:

• London Bridge and Dartford via Bexleyheath

• London Bridge / Lewisham and Hayes (Kent) (Monday and Tuesday only)

• London Bridge and Dartford via Lewisham / Woolwich Arsenal (Wednesday and Thursday only)

Engineering work is taking place at Lewisham, closing the station and the Bexleyheath line all weekend:

• Bexleyheath Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Dartford via Bexleyheath (Saturday only) will not run. Trains between London Victoria and Dartford / Gravesend will not run. Services between London Cannon Street and Slade Green via Bexleyheath will be diverted to run via Sidcup and will not stop at Lewisham.
• Hayes Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hayes will not stop at Lewisham.
• Sidcup Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Dartford via Sidcup will not stop at Lewisham.
• Grove Park Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Sevenoaks will not call at Lewisham.
• Woolwich Line (Saturday only): Trains between London Cannon Street and Dartford via Lewisham and Woolwich will be diverted between London Bridge and Charlton to run via Greenwich.
  

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

London Buses routes you can also use:

• P12 and 78 between Peckham Rye and Nunhead

• 484 between Denmark Hill and Lewisham

• 21, 225 and 273 between Hither Green, Lewisham and New Cross

• P4, 284 and 122 between Lewisham and Ladywell

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

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

• Lewisham

• Blackheath

• Kidbrooke

• Eltham

• Falconwood

• Welling

• Bexleyheath

• Barnehurst

Engineering work is taking place in the Rochester area, closing all lines:

• Sole Street Line: Trains between London Victoria and Ramsgate / Dover Priory via Chatham will only run between London Victoria and Sole Street. Additional trains will run between Rainham 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 Strood.
• Sheerness line: Trains between Sittingbourne and Sheerness-on-Sea will run at different times than usual.
• Sidcup Line: Services which usually only run between London Charing Cross and Gravesend via Sidcup will be extended to run to / from Strood.
  

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

• Meopham and Rainham (Kent) calling at all stations except Sole Street

• Strood and Rainham (Kent) calling at all stations
  

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

• Rochester

• Chatham

• Gillingham (Kent)

Engineering work is taking place between Robertsbridge and Hastings, closing all lines. Trains will only be able to run between London Charing Cross and Robertsbridge. Accessible replacement buses will run between:

• Robertsbridge and Hastings calling at all stations except Crowhurst

• A minibus will run between Battle and Crowhurst

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

Monday to Thursday

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 with the replacement bus at Tonbridge, you should use alternative trains between London, Sevenoaks and Tonbridge

Tuesday and Wednesday

The 00:26 London Cannon Street to Dartford via Greenwich will be diverted to run via Bexleyheath. An accessible bus will run between London Bridge and Dartford via Greenwich.

Wednesday and Thursday

The 22:34 London Charing Cross to Ramsgate via Canterbury West train will be replaced by an accessible bus between Minster and Ramsgate, calling at Thanet Parkway.

Thursday and Friday

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

The following trains will be diverted to run via Tonbridge, calling additionally at Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Paddock Wood, Marden, Staplehurst and Headcorn:

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

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

During this time, trains from London Charing Cross to Maidstone East will stop additionally at Kemsing, East Malling and Barming.

• Canterbury West

• Thanet Parkway

• Folkestone West

• Folkestone Central
  

The following additional trains will run between Ashford International and London Charing Cross, calling at London Bridge and Waterloo East:

• 23:20 Ashford International to London Charing Cross

• 00:40 (Sunday) London Charing Cross to Ashford International

You can use London Underground, Elizabeth line and Docklands Light Railway between Stratford (London) and central London at no extra cost to connect with the additional trains at Charing Cross, Waterloo East and London Bridge.

Engineering work is taking place between Slade Green / Sidcup and Gravesend, closing all lines. No trains will run to / from / via Dartford.

• Woolwich Line: Trains between London Cannon Street and Slade Green via Greenwich will run normally.
• Bexleyheath Line: Trains between London Cannon Street and Slade Green via Bexleyheath will run normally. Services between London Victoria and Dartford will not run, so there will only be two trains per hour from stations between Barnehurst and Blackheath.
• Sidcup Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Gravesend will not run. Services between London Charing Cross and Dartford via Sidcup will only run between London Charing Cross and Sidcup.

Accessible buses will run between:

• Slade Green and Gravesend, calling at all stations

• Sidcup and Dartford, calling at all stations

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

• Albany Park

• Bexley

• Crayford

• Dartford

• Stone Crossing

• Greenhithe for Bluewater

• Swanscombe

• Northfleet

A reduced service will run between London St Pancras International and Ebbsfleet International. Additional trains will run between Canterbury West and Margate. If you are travelling between London St Pancras International, Stratford International or Ebbsfleet International, and stations between Ashford International and Ramsgate via Dover Priory or Canterbury West, you will need to use the replacement bus service between Ebbsfleet International and Maidstone East, and then a connecting train between Maidstone East and Ashford International. A connecting train service will run between Ashford International and Ramsgate via Dover Priory, and replacement buses between Ashford International and Canterbury West.

Trains between London Charing Cross and Dover Priory will also only run between London Charing Cross and Ashford International.

Additional fast trains will run between London Charing Cross and Ramsgate via Dover Priory.

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

• Ebbsfleet International and Maidstone East

• Ashford International and Canterbury West non-stop

• Ashford International and Canterbury West calling at all stations
  

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

• Wye

• Chilham  

• Sole Street Line: Trains between London Victoria and Ramsgate via Chatham will run to / from London Cannon Street instead of London Victoria, and run non-stop between London Bridge and Swanley. Trains between London Victoria and Dover Priory via Chatham will run from London Cannon Street instead, and run non-stop between London Bridge and Bromley South using an alternative route.
• Maidstone East Line: Trains between London Victoria and Ashford International via Maidstone East will run to / from London Cannon Street instead, and run non-stop between London Bridge and St Mary Cray.
• Bromley South Line: Trains between London Victoria and Orpington will run to / from London Blackfriars, calling additionally at Elephant & Castle. Brixton station will be closed all day.
• Bexleyheath Line: Trains between London Victoria and Dartford via Bexleyheath will not run.
  

You can use the London Underground at no extra cost between Victoria, Brixton, Elephant & Castle, Blackfriars, Charing Cross, Embankment, Cannon Street, London Bridge, Southwark and Waterloo.

Engineering work is taking place at several locations on the Southeastern network, closing some lines overnight from Monday evening until Friday morning.

Monday only

From 22:55 until the end of service, accessible buses replace trains between Tonbridge and Wadhurst / Hastings.

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday

From 23:50 until the end of service, accessible buses will replace trains between Faversham and Ramsgate via Margate, and between Faversham and Dover Priory.

Monday to Thursday

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

Tuesday only

From 23:40 until the end of service accessible buses replace trains between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings and will run between:

• Tunbridge Wells and Hastings calling at Wadhurst, Battle, West St Leonards and St Leonards Warrior Square

• Tunbridge Wells and Robertsbridge (calling at all stations)

• Battle and Crowhurst (mini bus shuttle)

Wednesday to Friday

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

After 00:45, the last train between London and Dartford via Bexleyheath will be diverted to terminate at Slade Green, connecting with a replacement bus service between Slade Green and Dartford.

Engineering work is taking place between Paddock Wood and Strood, closing some lines during the day from Monday to Friday. Between 09:10 and 15:00, a reduced service will run hourly between Paddock Wood and Strood.

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.