Nine-day disruption on Brixton to Beckenham Junction line

The train line between Brixton and Beckenham Junction is set to face nine days of disruption while Network Rail engineers renew the railway in Penge Tunnel.

The work is set to take place from July 23 to July 31 and will affect Southeastern services.

Network Rail said engineers will be working around the clock to replace almost two-and-a-half miles of track inside the 1.25-mile long tunnel.

Fiona Taylor, Network Rail’s Kent route director, said: “We’d like to thank passengers and residents living alongside the railway for their patience while we carry out this major track replacement at Penge tunnel.

“This will be a challenging task as the tunnel is over a mile long, but the benefits will mean less maintenance will be needed in future as the track and components will be newer, meaning fewer faults and smoother, more reliable journeys for passengers.

“We recognise this work can be disruptive to passengers and those living alongside the railway, and that’s why we’ve tried to fit in other maintenance tasks within the nine-day railway closure so that it causes less disruption and is more cost effective.

“By taking a full nine days, we will significantly reduce overall disruption to passengers, as the alternative to this approach would be five weekends of closure in addition to two separate Sundays.”

The work will involve removing the old track, digging up the track bed, and then replacing the rail and ballast (track stones) using a special track laying machine. 

The £5 million track replacement is part of the £1.25 billion South East Upgrade programme which aims to provide passengers in Kent and South-east London with better journeys and fewer delays by improving railway infrastructure.

Pictured top: Penge tunnel (Picture: Network Rail)