London Charing Cross and Waterloo East essential engineering works

From Sunday 26 July to Sunday 16 August 2026, London Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations closed for 22 days to allow the railway to complete a £20 million programme of track, platform and structures upgrades

What work has taken place?

The closure enabled the railway to deliver £20 million of essential improvements at London Charing Cross, Waterloo East and the surrounding railway.

The programme included:

• Renewal of 16 point ends between Charing Cross and Waterloo East.
• Reconstruction of Platforms 1 to 6 at London Charing Cross.
• Structural refurbishment works on Hungerford Bridge.
• Station improvement works at Waterloo East.
• Renewal of more than 2,160m² of platform infrastructure.

The work was delivered by hundreds of engineers working around the clock throughout the 22-day closure.

Track upgrades

• 1,800 metres of new track and 16 sets of switches and crossings were installed between London Charing Cross and Waterloo East, replacing track and equipment that had been in use since 1990.
• 8,640 tonnes of new ballast were installed and 7,344 tonnes of spoil removed.
• Fourteen tamping shifts were completed to stabilise and align the track before routes were returned to service.

New platforms

Platforms 1 to 6 at Charing Cross station were reconstructed, with more than 2,160m² of platform infrastructure renewed.

More than 540 tonnes of existing platform and structural materials were removed and around 90 tonnes of new steelwork installed to strengthen the station for the future.

Bridge repairs

Structural repairs were completed on the 175-year-old Hungerford Bridge, which carries the railway over the River Thames, and on the pedestrian link bridge between Waterloo East and London Waterloo. The work will help keep the structures safe and open for decades to come.

Delivering the upgrade

Over the course of the closure, 44 engineering trains supported the programme, transporting materials, equipment and spoil to and from worksites across the route.

How will follow-up work affect me?

The main 22-day closure at London Charing Cross and Waterloo East has now been completed, and both stations are open with train services running as normal.

Some additional weekend closures are still required to complete follow-up work and commission remaining upgrades. During these closures, Southeastern services that normally run into Charing Cross will be diverted to other London stations.

Dates for your diary

Some trains will not call at Charing Cross or Waterloo East stations on the following dates while follow-up work is completed.

• Sunday 23 August 2026
• Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October 2026

Please be aware that the alternative service plans for these weekend closures will be different from those used during the completed 22-day closure. Customers are encouraged to check before travelling.

Plan your journey

For journeys on London Underground, London Buses, as well as cycling and walking routes in London, we recommend that you use TfL’s Plan a Journey page or download the TfL Go app.

Please check before travelling on any remaining engineering work weekends.

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please visit our contact us page or telephone our 24-Hour National Helpline on 03457 11 41 41 quoting Charing Cross Works.

Sign up for email updates