Southeastern services have now resumed at Charing Cross and Waterloo East following a 22-day closure for essential engineering work, which saw teams replace almost two kilometres of 36-year-old track, as well as switches and crossings south of Hungerford bridge.
Wheel timbers have been renewed, and structural repairs on sections of the Hungerford bridge’s steelwork have also been completed, alongside a total repaint of the structure.
Additionally, teams also used the once-in-a-generation closure to rebuild sections of platform at Charing Cross, removing 540 tonnes of concrete and installing over 2,000m2 of glass-reinforced plastic. Work was carried out across all six platforms simultaneously, as teams demolished sections, installed new steelwork and laid new surfaces.
Elsewhere, teams at Waterloo East completed a number of works that would not be feasible whilst trains and passengers were using the station. Engineers cleaned, treated and repainted the footbridge steelwork to protect it from the weather, and replaced window panels with self-cleaning glass intended to introduce more light into the passageways, as well as be opened to improve ventilation.
Both Network Rail and Southeastern, working together as the integrated South Eastern Railway, spent 18 months planning the closure, and combined all essential renewals in to the one 22-day programme.
Scott Brightwell, Safety, Planning and Performance Director, South Eastern Railway, said:We are pleased to have reopened the line between Charing Cross and London Bridge after 22 days of intensive work.
We know closing two of London’s busiest stations for more than three weeks caused inconvenience for many customers, I am sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience. Completing this essential work in one 22-day closure, rather than over 60 weekends, allowed us to carry out station improvement works that would, otherwise, have been impossible to achieve.
Our teams replaced track and platforms dating back to 1990s, completed essential structural repairs to Hungerford Bridge (over the Thames) and Waterloo East station improvements.
Thank you to customers for bearing with us whilst we complete the works and thank you to the hundreds of colleagues who worked 24/7 through the high temperatures.
