Two London stations shut for 22 days this summer

Two London rail stations will close for more than three weeks this summer, with journeys diverted to other stations and passengers told to expect longer journeys.

Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations will close between 26 July and 16 August to allow engineering work to take place.

Southeastern services which normally run into Charing Cross will be diverted to Victoria, Cannon Street and Blackfriars stations, while others will terminate at London Bridge.

Scott Brightwell, director of operations and safety at Southeastern Railway, apologised for the disruption and said 1,800m (6,000ft) of track will be replaced to create a "more reliable railway for everyone".

The 22-day repair programme includes drainage improvements at Waterloo East and structural repairs to Hungerford Bridge.

"This section of track is more than 35 years old and has caused thousands of minutes of delays for passengers in recent years," said Brightwell.

"By replacing it now, and combining that with platform, drainage and bridge works, we're tackling the root causes of disruption in one go.

"This means fewer closures in the future."

He added the team had explored options for carrying out the work and, while all had some impact, a single summer closure would be the least disruptive and most efficient.

Tickets will be accepted on alternative rail routes, as well as on the Tube and buses.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk