Bank Holiday weekend travel disruption looms with works planned …

Rail passengers have been warned about travel disruption over the late May Bank holiday weekend as engineering works are planned on South London rail lines.

Network Rail has announced it needs to make “vital upgrades” to railways from May 27 to 28.

Engineers will be carrying out signalling work between Streatham Hill and Crystal Palace and West Croydon.

This means that buses will replace trains between Streatham Hill and Crystal Palace, calling additionally at Tulse Hill, and between Streatham Hill and West Croydon via Norwood Junction

Southern services between London Bridge and Beckenham Junction will also be affected.

This work is part of the wider London Victoria signalling programme, a major four-year package of upgrades to modernise 1980s track and signalling – the traffic lights of the railway – in South London and into London Victoria.

Following the completion of upgrades on the lines between Balham, Clapham Junction and London Victoria earlier this month, Network Rail has started work on the lines between Tulse Hill, Peckham Rye and Crystal Palace.

The new signalling system on these lines will be switched on over the February half term 2024.

Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail’s Sussex route director, said: “I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we carry out these important upgrades over the late May bank holiday.

“There is never a good time to close the railway, but we have chosen to complete this work over the bank holiday weekend when passenger numbers are generally lower to help minimise disruption.

“The work is vital in modernising the dated track because it’s important that we give passengers better and more reliable journeys.

“I encourage any passengers who are planning to travel by train over the weekend to plan ahead and check their journeys with their train operator.”

Pictured top: Network Rail engineers on a line in Oxted (Picture: Network Rail)

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