Charlton to Blackheath line closure

Blackheath tunnel repair work

The line between Charlton and Blackheath will be closed for essential repair work for 10-weeks from Sunday 18 May through to Sunday 27 July inclusive.

The line will re-open for the start of service on the morning of Monday 28 July.

Network Rail is carrying out essential repairs in the 175-year-old Victorian-era structure as the mile-long tunnel is prone to water damage, which can cause delays. The tunnel is safe but needs major investment to protect it for the future.

This £10 million project is part of a wider £2.9 billion investment being made by Network Rail on our route over the next five years to help improve reliability and deliver better journeys.

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What is the travel advice while the line is closed?

We want to thank customers for bearing with us while this essential repair work is carried out in tunnel. Alternative travel options are set out below, please check before you travel and allow more time for your journey.

Alternative travel

• To minimise disruption services from Dartford to Cannon Street via Charlton and Lewisham will run via Greenwich, stopping additionally at Westcombe Park, Maze Hill, Greenwich, and Deptford. This offers the option to travel on the DLR from Greenwich to Lewisham, which will add around seven minutes to journeys for people who use service which normally travel through the tunnel.
• The Woolwich Line will have six trains per hour in the off peak (including SE and GTR services) and up to eight trains per hour in the peak.
• There will be a reduction of two trains per hour via Charlton and Blackheath into Cannon Street, which instead both run via Greenwich, but some trains at peak times will run from Dartford to Cannon Street via Bexleyheath instead of via Charlton and will stop at all stations.
• Our direct services to Charing Cross on the Bexleyheath line are not affected.
• The Bexleyheath Line will have five trains per hour in the off peak (two to Cannon Street, one to Charing Cross and two to Victoria) and eight in the peak (four to Cannon Street, two to Charing Cross and two to Victoria).

Buses

• There will be no replacement bus service as there are several TfL buses
• To minimise disruption, you can use a valid rail ticket at no extra cost on the 54 and 380 bus routes for travel from Blackheath to Charlton, Blackheath to Woolwich and Charlton to Greenwich (To connect with the Elizabeth line and DLR).
• The Superloop 3 express (limited stop) bus route runs from Thamesmead to Bromley North via Abbey Wood, Bexleyheath, and Sidcup train stations. There are four to six buses an hour.

Accessible travel

Customers with a valid ticket who need accessible travel between Blackheath and Charlton can take a taxi. The cost will be covered by Southeastern.

You can also book Passenger Assist in the usual way – full details are available on our accessible travel page.

Delay Repay

• If you are delayed by 15 minutes or more then you may be entitled to Delay Repay. For a timetabled journey that takes longer than travelling through the tunnel, such as by TfL bus or on a DLR service, then this is not covered by Delay Repay, as advance warning of the changes has been provided.

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Why is the tunnel closing for 10 weeks?

We know there’s never a good time to close the railway and that changes to services for a 10-week period is a long time. The alternative would have been a year of weekend closures, causing significantly more inconvenience.

Weekend closures would take much longer as working in a cramped and narrow tunnel is incredibly difficult. Engineering teams would spend at least 50% of a weekend bringing materials and plant in and out of the tunnel, leaving limited time for the repair work.

A 10-week closure also allows for more efficient working, causes the least disruption, is easier for customers to plan, and means we can deliver the customers benefits more quickly.

Why over the summer?

The work has been planned for the summer for two reasons. Working in the tunnel while challenging at the best of times, is even more difficult during periods of rainfall. Doing it in summer allows more efficient working and is also safer for those undertaking the work.

Additionally, our customer data shows that during the summer months the railway is quieter. However, we are conscious that we need to liaise closely with local schools during term-time to ensure students can get to school on time and safely.

Will the work be completed when the tunnel reopens in July?

The 10-week closure this summer is part of an ongoing programme of work that will last until at least 2026. Engineers will return for a 10-week period each year until the works are completed. Further closures may be needed after 2026 depending on how the project progresses.

You can find out more about the repair work on the Network Rail website.

Is there other tunnel work on the Southeastern network?

The Blackheath tunnel closure is part of an ongoing programme of tunnel repairs (Penge, Mountfield, Selling and Wadhurst, Bopeep, Sevenoaks and Ore) to help improve performance and reliability.

Is this tunnel work starting at the same time as your new timetable?

Yes. Our new timetable starts from Sunday 18 May, you can find full details on our timetables page.