Rail passengers are urged to plan ahead while a major upgrade to the railway junction Dartford takes place in ten days’ time.
With ten days to go, rail passengers in south east London and Kent are being reminded to plan ahead so that an essential £10 million track upgrade can take place in Dartford over the February half term.
Dartford Junction is the busiest railway junction in Kent, and this upgrade will improve the reliability of the junction and help to provide better journeys for customers travelling between Kent and London. A programme of station improvements will also be delivered at the same time to take advantage of the line closure.
From Saturday 14 February to Sunday 22 February, accessible buses will replace Southeastern and Thameslink services between Gravesend and Dartford towards Crayford, Barnehurst, and Slade Green. Services will run as normal into London along the Sidcup, Bexleyheath and Woolwich routes.
Passengers are advised to allow extra time for their journeys, especially during peak hours when there could be queues for the replacement buses.
During the work, no Southeastern or Thameslink services will operate between Slade Green, Barnehurst, Crayford, and Gravesend via Dartford. Replacement bus services will be provided.
No Thameslink services will operate between Plumstead and Gravesend. An hourly Thameslink shuttle train service will run between Gravesend and Rainham.
All Southeastern metro routes continue as normal into London via Sidcup, Bexleyheath and Woolwich lines but times will change. There will be extra services on the Bexleyheath line.
Highspeed services to and from St Pancras via Gravesend will continue to operate as normal.
Buses will replace trains at the following stations:
- Dartford
- Stone Crossing
- Greenhithe for Bluewater
- Swanscombe
- Northfleet
The upgrade includes the renewal of 10 switches and crossings, also known as points – the moveable sections of track that allow trains to change direction – and around 400 yards of new rail will be laid between Slade Green and Dartford.
To take advantage of the line closure, station improvements will be delivered at the same time. At Dartford, the station will be repainted and the stepping distance between platforms and trains will be reduced. The station’s lifts will receive maintenance to improve reliability. Work will also take place to improve the reliability of the track in the nearby sidings.
While the main upgrade of the junction is scheduled to take place during the nine-day closure between 14 and 22 February, there will also be additional weekend closures on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 February for preparation work and then follow-up work on Sunday 1 March and Sunday 5 April. A replacement bus service will be running on these dates.
Image credit: Network Rail