Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations will be closed for 22 days this summer, from Saturday July 26 to Sunday August 16, 2026, as Network Rail undertakes a £20 million programme of track, platform and structures upgrades. The closures will impact all routes and services to and from the two central London rail hubs.
Reason for the Closures
The engineering works include structural repairs to the 175-year-old Hungerford Bridge, which supports trains travelling over the Thames and acts as the pedestrian link between Waterloo East and London Waterloo. Southeastern Railway will use the time to complete upgrades to tracks, platforms, and structures.
Additional Closure Dates
In addition to the main 22-day closure, the stations will also be shuttered on Saturday August 22 and Sunday August 23 due to maintenance works, and again on Saturday October 10 and Sunday October 11. Network Rail has advised passengers to check before setting off on those dates, as travel arrangements may differ.
Diverted Services
Southeastern services that normally run into Charing Cross will be diverted to London Victoria, London Cannon Street, London Blackfriars, and some services will terminate at London Bridge.
Underground Services Unaffected
Charing Cross tube services will run as normal on the Bakerloo and Northern lines, meaning passengers can still use the Underground to access central London.
Alternative Travel Options
Rail tickets will be valid on the Jubilee line between London Bridge and Waterloo, and the Circle and District line between Victoria, Blackfriars or Cannon Street and Embankment. Ticket holders can also use Thameslink trains between Elephant and Castle, London Bridge and St Pancras International, and Southern services to and from London Bridge and Victoria. However, only paper tickets will be accepted by TfL at ticket gates; eTickets, sTickets, and Smartcards will not be recognised. Additional staff will be posted at stations to manually check and validate tickets.
Bus Services
Paper tickets will also be accepted on buses during the disruptions. Affected bus routes include: Route 24 between Victoria and Charing Cross via Westminster; Route 26 between Victoria and City Thameslink; Route 139 between Waterloo and Charing Cross; Route 148 between Elephant & Castle and Victoria via Westminster; Route 188 between London Bridge, Elephant & Castle and Waterloo; and Route 453 between Elephant & Castle and Charing Cross via Westminster. Passengers using Contactless or Oyster will be charged for bus journeys but can claim a refund online.
