[title]
For travellers looking to explore Covent Garden and the West End, Charing Cross station is an invaluable jumping off point, with trains from all over the southeast terminating at this major transport hub.
But this summer, getting into town will be a little bit more fiddly. Southeastern trains has warned that the stretch of railway leading from London Bridge to Charing Cross is in serious need of an upgrade, so it’s embarking on a three week long programme of engineering works.
Usually, works like this are staggered over a series of weekends. But after conducting a review, Southeastern trains has discovered that the works are so extensive that the line would need to be closed for more than a year’s worth of weekends (120 days in total). As well as being highly disruptive, that would have a catastrophic knock-on effect for businesses who rely on weekend visitors buzzing into the city’s entertainment centre to enjoy its restaurants, cinemas, theatres and bars.
So instead, the plan is to go for a single 22-day summer closure period, chosen to be a time when schools are on holiday and commuter numbers are lower.
During this time, engineers will replace over 1,800 metres of worn out track that’s been in situ since the early 1990s. In recent years, growing numbers of faults on the track have caused hundreds of hours of delays, so this work will have a positive impact on future journey times. The programme of works will also include drainage improvements at Waterloo East station, which is also closing, as well as structural repairs to Hungerford Bridge.
London Charing Cross station closures in summer 2026
Both London Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations will be closed between Sunday July 26 and Sunday August 16 2026, so be sure to make alternative travel plans for that 22-day period.
How to avoid travel disruption at Charing Cross in summer 2026
Trains that usually come into Charing Cross will be diverted to other destinations, such as London Victoria, London Cannon Street or London Blackfriars, while others will terminate early at London Bridge. The most obvious alternative route between London Bridge and Charing Cross is simply to get the Jubilee line from London Bridge to Waterloo, then switching to the Northern line to Charing Cross. However, there is a long and annoying tunnel-based interchange at Waterloo to contend with.
So if you’d rather avoid that prospect, here’s a better route that’ll take just 15 minutes. Take the three-minute walk from London Bridge to Monument Station, hop on the Circle or District line to Embankment, and then it’s a four minute walk to Charing Cross. Easy!
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.