We’re busy this Christmas period upgrading signalling around South London. The upgrades will help make your journeys into London Victoria, London Blackfriars and London Waterloo stations more reliable.
Christmas works
Our teams will be busy this Christmas installing a new signalling system on the south London lines between Herne Hill, Nunhead and Battersea.
We’ll also begin working on a project to install a new signalling system in the nearby Lewisham area.
More reliable journeys
Reliable signals are essential to helps trains run smoothly and safely across our railway. And we’ve been successfully upgrading the signalling in South London since 2020.
For example, our upgrades between East Croydon and London Victoria in 2022 cut signalling-related delays by more than a half.
We hope to similar improve your journeys with this next set of signal upgrades.
We’ll be ready to use the new signalling in the Herne Hill, Nunhead and Battersea areas next Christmas. The new signalling in Lewisham will be switched on in 2026.
South London signalling project
We’ll also install three signal structures, 57 new, brighter colour signals and over 160km of cable as part of the wider signalling upgrade in South London. The new equipment will be easier to maintain and repair when something does go wrong – leading to fewer train delays.
We’ll also eventually move signalling control in the Herne Hill and Nunhead area to the Three Bridges Rail Operating Centre.
Moving signalling to signal centres like this are an important part of upgrading our railway. Signal centres use modern digital signalling technology that helps trains run more reliably, safely and more frequently.
Check before you travel
The south London and Lewisham signalling work will take place over Christmas Day and Boxing Day. We’ll need to close parts of the railway around these areas so our teams can carry out the work safely and efficiently.
Daniel Matthews, head of operations delivery at Network Rail, said: “We would like to apologise to passengers who will be impacted by this vital work over the festive period. This work is essential, and it will mean smoother, faster, and more reliable journeys for customers.”
On Christmas Day, Wednesday 25 December, and Boxing Day, Thursday 26 December, there will be no Southeastern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services. A limited Southern service will run between London Victoria and Brighton, and across some Southern Metro routes.
Services will restart on Friday 27 December.
Thank you for bearing with us during this work and please check before you travel.
