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

• No Southeastern services via Lewisham (26–27 September) – Major weekend works will close Lewisham station and affect routes between London, Dartford, Hayes (Kent) and Sevenoaks. Replacement buses will run, with several stations only served by bus.
• Buses replace trains on routes via Tonbridge (27 September) – Engineering works will significantly affect Hastings, Ramsgate and Dover Priory services, with amended trains and replacement buses operating on several routes.
• No trains to/from London Cannon Street or via Greenwich (20 September) – Cannon Street services will be suspended, with replacement buses running between Lewisham and Charlton. Several stations, including Greenwich and Deptford, will only be served by buses.
• No trains via Swanley (19–20 September) – Weekend works will affect routes between London Victoria, Ramsgate, Dover Priory, Ashford International and Gravesend, with several stations replaced by bus services.
• Ramsgate, Deal and Canterbury West disruption (13 September) – Line closures will affect services from London Charing Cross and London St Pancras International, with replacement buses running between key Kent destinations.

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

Tuesday to Thursday:

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

• Tonbridge and Paddock Wood

• Paddock Wood and Ashford International calling at all stations

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

Wednesday only:

• 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.

• 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 Minster and Margate calling at all stations except Dumpton Park.

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 in the Maidstone East area; off-peak trains between London Victoria and Ashford International will run hourly from 08:20 until approximately 12:00.

The following services 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

Engineering work is taking place between Plumstead and Gravesend, closing some lines. 

• 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 be a reduced service of 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 be amended to run between London Charing Cross and Sidcup only.
  

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

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

Monday only

From 22:45 until the end of service, accessible buses replace trains between Tonbridge and Wadhurst / Hastings.

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 Gravesend.

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

Engineering work is taking place between Paddock Wood and Strood, closing some lines throughout the week.

To allow maintenance and inspection work to take place in daylight, trains between Paddock Wood and Strood will run hourly between 09:10 and 15:00 each day.

Engineering work is taking place at Lewisham station, and between Lewisham and Dartford via Bexleyheath, closing all lines. No trains will run via, or call at Lewisham.

• Bexleyheath Line: Trains between London Victoria and Dartford 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 call at Lewisham
• Sidcup Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Dartford via Sidcup will not call at Lewisham
• Grove Park Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Sevenoaks will not call at Lewisham

Accessible replacement buses will run between New Cross and Dartford via Bexleyheath, calling at all stations.

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

• Docklands Light Railway between Lewisham and Greenwich

• London Bus routes:

  • P12 & 78 between Peckham Rye & Nunhead

  • 484 between Denmark Hill and Lewisham

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

  • P4, 284 & 122 between Lewisham and Ladywell

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

Engineering work is taking place between Ramsgate and Deal / Canterbury West, closing all lines:

• Paddock Wood Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Ramsgate via Ashford International will only run between London Charing Cross and Canterbury West.
• High-speed services via Ashford International: Trains between London St Pancras International and Margate via Canterbury West will only run between London St Pancras International and Canterbury West. Trains between London St Pancras International and Ramsgate via Dover Priory will only run between London St Pancras International and Deal.
  

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

• Canterbury West and Margate, calling at Ramsgate and Broadstairs

• Canterbury West and Ramsgate, calling at all stations

• Deal and Ramsgate, calling at Sandwich

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

Monday to Wednesday (14-16 Sep)

• From 23:55 until the end of service, accessible buses will replace trains between Beckenham Junction and Orpington, calling at all stations.

Monday only (14 Sep)

• From 22:45 until the end of service, accessible buses will replace trains between Tonbridge and Wadhurst / Hastings.

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday (14, 16-17 Sep)

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

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

Monday to Thursday (14-17 Sep)

• From 23:05 until the end of service, accessible buses replace trains between Maidstone East and Ashford International.

• The 22:25 and 23:25 London Victoria to Ashford trains will be diverted between Otford and Ashford International to run via Sevenoaks. Change at Otford for a connecting train to Maidstone East, and the onward replacement bus for stations towards Ashford International.

• The 22:29 London Charing Cross and 23:33 London Cannon Street (Monday and Tuesday) / 23:29 London Charing Cross (Wednesday and Thursday) to Ashford International trains will only run between London Charing Cross & Maidstone East. These trains will additionally stop at Kemsing, East Malling and Barming.

• The 00:25 London Victoria to Ashford International service will only run between London Victoria and Maidstone East. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings, this train will run later than usual.

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (15,17-18 Sep)

• From 00:10 until the end of service, accessible buses replace trains between Gillingham and Faversham calling at all stations except Teynham. A connecting train will run from Faversham to Ramsgate. A minibus will run between Sittingbourne and Teynham*

Tuesday only (15 Sep)

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 (minibus shuttle)

Wednesday and Thursday (16-17)

• 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 Bickley and Borough Green & Wrotham / Rochester, closing all lines.

19 Sep

• Sole Street Line: Trains between London Victoria and Ramsgate / Dover Priory via Chatham will be diverted to run non-stop between London Victoria and Strood. Stopping services between London Victoria and Gillingham via Denmark Hill will not run.
• Maidstone East Line: Trains between London Victoria and Ashford International via Maidstone East will only run between Borough Green & Wrotham and Ashford International. Trains between London Charing Cross and Maidstone East will not run. You should use alternative trains to/from Chislehurst, and change there for the replacement bus service to/from Borough Green & Wrotham. 
• Bexleyheath Line: Trains between London Victoria and Gravesend via Bexleyheath will not run. Additional trains will run between London Charing Cross and Dartford via Bexleyheath.

• Additional trains will run between London Victoria and Bromley South via Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye and Nunhead.

20 Sep

• Sole Street Line: Trains between London Victoria and Ramsgate via Chatham and will be diverted to run non-stop between London Victoria and Strood. At Faversham, a portion of the train will be attached / detached to run between Faversham and Dover Priory. Stopping services between London Victoria and Dover Priory via Denmark Hill will not run.
• Maidstone East Line: Trains between London Victoria and Ashford International via Maidstone East will only run between Borough Green & Wrotham and Ashford International. 
• Additional trains will run between London Victoria and Bromley South via Denmark Hill.
  

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

• Thameslink between Orpington and Blackfriars via Denmark Hill / Catford.

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

• Accessible replacement buses will run between:

  • Bromley South and Meopham, calling at all stations except Bickley

  • Meopham and Strood (non-stop)

  • Bromley South and Borough Green & Wrotham, calling at Chislehurst, St Mary Cray, Swanley and Otford
    

A minibus service will run between

• Meopham and Sole Street

• Borough Green and Kemsing
  

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

• St Mary Cray

• Swanley

• Farningham Road

• Longfield

• Meopham

• Sole Street

• Eynsford

• Shoreham (Kent)

• Otford

• Kemsing (no scheduled services on Sunday)

• Bat & Ball

Engineering work is taking place between Ladywell and Hayes (Kent), closing all lines. Trains between London Charing Cross and Hayes (Kent) will not run.

Accessible replacement buses will run between Lewisham and Hayes (Kent), calling at all stations and additionally at Beckenham Junction to connect with alternative trains to/from London Victoria.

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

• Ladywell

• Catford Bridge

• Lower Sydenham

• New Beckenham

• Clock House

• Elmers End

• Eden Park

• West Wickham

• Hayes

No trains will run to/from London Cannon Street, or via Greenwich.

• Woolwich Line: Trains between London Cannon Street and Slade Green via Greenwich will not run. Additional trains will run between London Charing Cross and Dartford via Woolwich Arsenal.
• Bexleyheath line: Trains between London Cannon Street and Slade Green via Bexleyheath will not run. Trains between London Victoria and Dartford will run normally.

Accessible replacement buses will run between Lewisham and Charlton via New Cross and Greenwich.

Alternative travel options:

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

• You can use Docklands Light Railway between Lewisham and Greenwich at no extra cost.

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

• St Johns

• Deptford

• Greenwich

• Maze Hill

• Westcombe Park

• Charlton

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

21 Sep only

• From 22:45 until the end of service, accessible buses replace trains between Tonbridge and Wadhurst / Hastings.

22-25 Sep

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

• The 00:40 London Victoria to Gillingham service will be diverted and run non-stop between London Victoria and Rochester. You should use the 00:42 London Victoria to Ashford International train to connect with accessible buses running between Bromley South, Meopham and Gillingham.

• The 00:25 London Victoria to Ashford International service will leave London Victoria later than usual at 00:42, and after Bromley South will call additionally at Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Ashford International.

Accessible buses will run between:

• Bromley South and Ashford International

• Maidstone East and Ashford International, calling at Bearsted and Lenham

• West Malling and East Malling

22 Sep 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)

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.
• Sidcup Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Dartford via Sidcup will not stop at Lewisham.
• Hayes Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hayes (Kent) 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 Arsenal will be diverted between London Bridge and Charlton to run via Greenwich.
  

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

• Docklands Light Railway between Lewisham and Greenwich

• London Buses routes:

  • 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 between Brixton and Shortlands, closing the lines via Herne Hill and Beckenham Junction.

• Bromley South Line: Trains between London Victoria and Orpington will be diverted, calling additionally at Denmark Hill, and running non-stop between Denmark Hill and Shortlands.

Brixton station will be closed all day. Accessible replacement buses will run between Denmark Hill and Bromley South, calling at all stations via Beckenham Junction except Brixton. You can use London Underground at no extra cost between Victoria and Brixton.

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

• Herne Hill

• West Dulwich

• Sydenham Hill

• Penge East

• Kent House

• Beckenham Junction

Engineering work is taking place in the morning in the Dartford area, closing some lines.

• The 06:50 Dartford to London Charing Cross via Sidcup service will start from Crayford. Accessible buses will run between Dartford and Crayford, leaving Dartford at 06:40.

• The 07:33 Gravesend to London Charing Cross via Sidcup service will depart Dartford at 07:50. An accessible bus will depart Gravesend at 07:03, calling at all stations, to Dartford.

• Hastings Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Hastings will only run between London Charing Cross and Sevenoaks. Additional trains will run between Wadhurst and Hastings.
• Paddock Wood Line: Trains between London Charing Cross and Ramsgate / Dover Priory via Tonbridge will run hourly and be diverted between London Bridge and Ashford International to run via Maidstone East calling additionally at Otford (for connections to/from Sevenoaks) and Maidstone East. At Ashford International, the train will divide, and one portion of coaches will run between Ashford International and Canterbury West, and the other portion will run between Ashford International and Dover Priory via Folkestone Central. Additional trains will run between Paddock Wood and Ashford International.
  

Accessible replacement buses will run between:

• Sevenoaks and Paddock Wood calling at Tonbridge only

• Sevenoaks and Wadhurst calling at all stations except Frant

• A minibus will run between Tunbridge Wells and Frant

Engineering work is taking place between Dover Priory and Ramsgate, closing the line via Deal.

Trains between London St Pancras International and Ramsgate via Dover Priory will only run between London St Pancras International and Dover Priory.

Accessible replacement buses will run between Dover Priory and Ramsgate, calling at all stations.

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

28 Sep

• From 22:45 until the end of service, accessible buses replace trains between Tonbridge and Wadhurst / Hastings.

28 Sep - 1 Oct

• The 22:37 Tonbridge to Gillingham service will only run between Tonbridge and Strood. Change at Strood for alternative trains to Gillingham.

• The 23:50 London St Pancras International to Faversham service will be replaced by accessible buses between:

  • Ebbsfleet International and Gillingham calling at all stations except Higham

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

29 Sep

• 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 (minibus shuttle)

29 Sep - 2 Oct

• 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 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

• 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.

29 Sep, 1-2 Oct

• 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. 

• Accessible replacement buses will not serve Teynham; a minibus will run between Sittingbourne and Teynham.

30 Sep

• From 00:30 until the end of service, accessible buses replace trains between Rochester and Gillingham (Kent) / Faversham. A connecting train will run from Faversham to Ramsgate. 

• Accessible replacement buses will not serve Teynham; a minibus will run between Sittingbourne and Teynham.

30 Sep - 1 Oct

• 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.

30 Sep - 2 Oct

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

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.