No trains will run through Dartford for nine days in a row in February next year to allow major work to take place on the track.

Southeastern Metro and Thameslink trains will not be able to run between Slade Green, Barnehurst or Crayford and Gravesend because of the £10 million project to replace the switches and crossings that allow trains to change tracks. 

Platforms at Dartford station will also have their height adjusted to make boarding trains safer.

The main closure will take place across the February half-term holiday, from February 14 to 22, with buses replacing trains. Some peak-time trains will be cancelled on the Sidcup and Hayes lines, with “minor impacts” on the Bexleyheath, Greenwich and North Kent routes. 

Other closures will take place on the weekend of February 8 and 9, March 1 and April 5.

Thameslink trains will terminate at Plumstead during the closures, with an hourly shuttle running between Gravesend and Rainham. 

Thameslink class 700 at Charlton
Thameslink trains through Greenwich, Charlton and Woolwich will only run as far as Plumstead. Image: The Greenwich Wire

Lines between SE London and Kent are now managed jointly by Southeastern and Network Rail under an entity called South Eastern Railway, as a stepping stone to the creation of Great British Railways.

South Eastern Railway said it wanted to give passengers an early warning of the disruption, and said it would give more details of what services would be affected in November. 

“The work at Dartford Junction, where 650 trains pass every day, is a vital investment in the long-term resilience and efficiency at one of the busiest sections on the South Eastern Railway network,” its chief operating officer David Davidson said.

“We know there’s never a good time to do work like this, but we’ve deliberately chosen the half- term to minimise disruption, when schools are on holiday and fewer people are commuting. To make the most of the time available, we’ll also carry out additional improvement work at Dartford station.

“We understand this closure will significantly impact travel, and we’re working hard to ensure passengers are fully informed about its impact and the alternative travel arrangements available.”

Elsewhere on the network, trains will start running between Blackheath and Charlton again on Monday after a second closure for tunnel refurbishment work.

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