Timetable updates

Gravesend to London Cannon Street via Dartford, Woolwich and Greenwich

Download Woolwich line route map PDF

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All trains on this route will now go to London Cannon Street because we’ve reduced congestion at busy junctions to give better punctuality and fewer cancellations overall.

To do this, we needed to reduce the number of trains crossing one another at busy junctions. This means that our customers looking to travel for London Charing Cross will now need to change at London Bridge instead of travelling directly.

We know that for some of our customers this will be less convenient, and we've ensured that there are frequent trains from London Bridge to London Charing Cross. For more detailed information about changing trains at London Bridge, download the leaflet for Woolwich line customers below.

Download Woolwich line of route leaflet PDF

As part of the timetable change, trains to and from Dartford will now continue on to Gravesend.

In addition to Southeastern services, Thameslink will run 2 trains an hour all day Monday to Saturday between Rainham and Luton and Sunday between Rainham and Kentish Town.

Peak
Between 0700-0959 there will be 15 Southeastern services running via Woolwich to London Cannon Street.
Between 1600-1859 there will be 12 services running from London Cannon Street via Woolwich.

Off-peak and Saturdays 
There will be 2 trains per hour to and from London Cannon Street via Greenwich and Woolwich.
There will also be 2 trains per hour between Gravesend and Cannon Street via Woolwich and Lewisham

Sundays
There will be 2 trains per hour to and from London Cannon Street via Greenwich and Woolwich.

Dartford via Bexleyheath to London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Victoria

Download Bexleyheath line route map PDF

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Off-peak and weekend trains on the Bexleyheath line will now go to London Cannon Street because we’ve reduced congestion at busy junctions to give better punctuality and fewer cancellations overall.

To do this, we needed to reduce the number of trains crossing one another at busy junctions. This means that our off-peak and weekend customers looking to travel to London Charing Cross will now need to change at London Bridge instead of travelling directly.

We know that for some of our customers this will be less convenient, and we've ensured that there are frequent trains from London Bridge to London Charing Cross. For more detailed information about changing trains at London Bridge, download the leaflet for Bexleyheath line customers below.

Download Bexleyheath line route leaflet PDF

Peak

Between 0700-0959 there will be 21 Southeastern trains to London and between 1600-1859 there will be 19 Southeastern services to/from London. These trains will serve London Cannon Street, London Charing Cross or London Victoria.

Off-peak and Saturdays

Off-peak and weekend trains on the Bexleyheath line will now go to London Cannon Street and Victoria. There will be 2 trains per hour between Dartford and London Victoria, and 2 trains per hour to/from London Cannon Street.

Customers at Blackheath, Kidbrooke, Eltham, Falconwood, Welling, Bexleyheath and Barnehurst will not have an off-peak service to London Charing Cross and will need to change at London Bridge.

Sundays

Sunday services have been increased from 2 trains per hour to 4 to serve both London Victoria and to add additional services via London Bridge to London Cannon Street.

Gravesend via Sidcup to London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Blackfriars

Download Sidcup line route map PDF

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Off-peak and weekend trains on the Sidcup line will now go to London Charing Cross because we’ve reduced congestion at busy junctions to give better punctuality and fewer cancellations overall.

To do this, we needed to reduce the number of trains crossing one another at busy junctions. This means that our off-peak and weekend customers looking to travel to London Cannon Street will now need to change at London Bridge instead of travelling directly.

We know that for some of our customers this will be less convenient, and we’ve ensured that there are frequent trains from London Bridge to London Cannon Street. For more detailed information about changing trains at London Bridge, download the leaflet for Sidcup line customers below.

Download Sidcup line route leaflet PDF

Peak

Between 0700-0959 there will be 18 services towards London and between 1600-1859 there will be 18 services from London. Trains will serve London Cannon Street and London Charing Cross.
A new service will also run in the morning and evening peaks between Crayford and London Blackfriars calling at all stations to Lewisham, then Nunhead, Peckham Rye, Denmark Hill, Elephant & Castle. 

Off-peak and Saturdays and Sundays

There will be 2 trains per hour from Gravesend to London Charing Cross, and 2 trains per hour from Dartford calling at all stations except Albany Park via Lewisham and then London Bridge.
Customers from Albany Park for Lewisham should change at Hither Green for a 5-minute connection. Customers from Lewisham should change at Sidcup for a 5-minute connection.

Hayes to London Charing Cross

Download Hayes line route map PDF

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All trains on the Hayes line will now go to London Charing Cross because we’ve reduced congestion at busy junctions to give better punctuality and fewer cancellations overall.

To do this, we needed to reduce the number of trains crossing one another at busy junctions. This means that our customers looking to travel to London Cannon Street will now need to change at London Bridge instead of travelling directly. Customers for St Johns and New Cross should change at Lewisham.

We know that for some of our customers this will be less convenient, and we've ensured that there are frequent connecting trains. For more detailed information about changing trains at London Bridge or Lewisham, download the leaflet for Hayes line customers below.

Download Hayes line route leaflet PDF

Peak

Between 0700-0959 there will be 13 services to London Charing Cross and between 1600-1859 there will be 12 services from London Charing Cross to Hayes.

Off-peak and Saturdays

2 trains per hour will call at all stations to Lewisham and then London Bridge, London Waterloo East and London Charing Cross.

2 trains per hour will call at all stations to Ladywell and then fast to London Bridge, London Waterloo East and London Charing Cross.

Sundays

2 trains per hour will call at all stations to Lewisham then London Bridge, London Waterloo East and London Charing Cross.

Sevenoaks / Orpington via Grove Park to London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross and Grove Park to Bromley North

Download Grove Park line route map PDF

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Peak

Between 0700-0959 there will be 14 trains towards London and between 1600-1859 there will be 12 trains from London.

Chelsfield will continue to receive fast trains to/from London Bridge.

Orpington will continue to receive fast trains to/from London and there will be, for the first time for many years, a half hourly fast service in the morning peak from Orpington to London Charing Cross, and in the evening peak from London Charing Cross to Orpington.

Off-peak and Saturdays

There will be 2 trains per hour between Sevenoaks and London Charing Cross, and 2 trains per hour between Orpington and London Cannon Street. There will also be a half hourly fast service all day from Orpington to London Bridge (at some times of the day this is increased to 4 trains an hour).

Sundays 

2 trains per hour will operate between Sevenoaks and London Charing Cross calling at all stations to Lewisham then fast to London Bridge, London Waterloo East and London Charing Cross.
There will also be a half hourly fast service all day from Orpington to London Bridge.

Grove Park to Bromley North

Mondays to Saturdays

2 trains an hour will operate at half hourly intervals between Grove Park and Bromley North calling at Sundridge Park. Connections at Grove Park will be available to and from London Charing Cross.
In the morning peaks, 3 trains an hour will operate between Grove Park and Bromley North running at a 20-minute interval.

Sundays

There will be no service on the Bromley North Branch on Sundays.

Orpington via Herne Hill to London Victoria / London Blackfriars

Download Bromley South line route map PDF

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All London Victoria trains now run to Orpington increasing the frequency at Bickley, Petts Wood and Orpington from 2 trains per hour to 4 in the peak. 
Peak-time Beckenham Junction to London Blackfriars services are reinstated.

Peak

Between 0700-0959 there will be 18 trains to London   and between1600-1859 there will be 14 trains from London.

Off-peak 

Up to 4 trains per hour will run between London Victoria and Orpington via Herne Hill and Bromley South. 
Saturdays and Sundays
2 trains per hour will run between London Victoria and Orpington via Herne Hill and Bromley South.

Catford Loop

Bellingham and Crofton Park will have a limited number of Southeastern services to London Victoria, which will call at these stations during peak times only. These trains will run in addition to the Thameslink services via London Blackfriars.

Ramsgate / Dover Priory via Chatham to London Cannon Street / London Victoria

Download Sole Street line route map PDF

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Peak

Between 0700-0959 there will be 22 trains to London via Chatham and between 1600-1859 there will be 23 trains from London via Chatham.

Off-peak and Saturdays

There will be 1 train per hour between Ramsgate and London Victoria, 1 train per hour between Dover Priory and London Victoria and 1 train per hour between Gillingham and London Victoria.

Sundays 

There will be 1 train per hour between Ramsgate and London Victoria and 1 train per hour between Dover Priory and London Victoria.

Ashford via Maidstone East to London Charing Cross / London Victoria

Download Maidstone East line route map PDF

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A new all day hourly service on Monday to Saturday is introduced between Maidstone East and London Charing Cross calling at West Malling, Borough Green & Wrotham, Otford, Swanley then fast to London Bridge, London Waterloo East, and London Charing Cross. 

Peak

Between 0700-0959 there will be 10 trains to London and between 1600-1859 there will be 9 trains from London (including the Victoria service).
There are no longer any direct trains from Maidstone East to London Blackfriars and customers should change at London Bridge for Thameslink services. For more detailed information about changing trains at London Bridge, download the leaflet for Maidstone East line customers below.

Download Maidstone East line route leaflet PDF

Off-peak and Saturdays

1 train per hour will run from Maidstone East to London Charing Cross and 1 train per hour will run from Ashford International to London Victoria.

Sundays

1 train per hour will run from Ashford International to London Victoria calling at all stations to Otford (except Kemsing), then Swanley, St Mary Cray, Bromley South and London Victoria.

Ramsgate / Dover Priory via Ashford International to London Charing Cross and London Cannon Street

Download Paddock Wood line route map PDF

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Peak

Between 0700-0959 there will be 27 trains via Tonbridge to London Charing Cros s or London Cannon Street and between 1600-1859 there will be 24 trains from London Charing Cross or London Cannon Street via Tonbridge.

Off-peak, Saturdays and Sundays

There will be 1 train per hour between Ramsgate and London Charing Cross and 1 train per hour between Dover Priory and London Charing Cross.

Hastings via Tonbridge to London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross

Download Hastings line route map PDF

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Peak

Between 0700-0959 there will be 15 trains via Tunbridge Wells to London   and between 1600-1859 there will be 15 trains from London via Tunbridge Wells.

Off-peak, Saturdays and Sundays

1 train will run from Hastings to London Charing Cross calling at all stations to Tunbridge Wells, then High Brooms, Tonbridge, Hildenborough, Sevenoaks, Orpington then fast to London Bridge, London Waterloo East and London Charing Cross.

1 train will run from Hastings to London Charing Cross calling at St Leonards Warrior Square, Battle, Wadhurst, Tunbridge Wells, High Brooms, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, Orpington, then fast to London Bridge, London Waterloo East and London Charing Cross.

At other busy times on Monday to Friday and in the morning on Saturday some additional trains will run between Tunbridge Wells and London Charing Cross calling at High Brooms, Tonbridge, Hildenborough, Sevenoaks, Orpington, London Bridge, London Waterloo East and London Charing Cross.

Paddock Wood to Strood via Maidstone West

Download Medway Valley line route map PDF

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Trains no longer run to Tonbridge, except at school times and at the beginning and end of the day, because we've reduced congestion at busy junctions to give better punctuality and fewer cancellations overall.

To do this, we needed to reduce the number of trains crossing one another at busy junctions. This means that our customers looking to travel between Strood and Tonbridge will now need to change at Paddock Wood instead of travelling directly.

We know that for some of our customers this will be less convenient, and we've ensured that trains have been timed to allow for transfers.

For more detailed information about changing trains at Paddock Wood, download the leaflet for Medway Valley line customers below.

Download Medway Valley line route leaflet PDF

Trains connect at Strood with Highspeed services to and from London St Pancras Intl as well as Thameslink services to Rainham and London via Dartford.

Mondays to Saturdays

2 trains per hour run between Paddock Wood and Strood calling at all stations via Maidstone West (currently hourly). 

Sundays

1 train per hour runs between Paddock Wood and Strood calling at all stations via Maidstone West.

Sittingbourne to Sheerness-on-Sea

Download Sheerness line route map PDF

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1 train an hour will run between Sittingbourne & Sheerness-on-Sea calling at all stations. Connections will be available at Sittingbourne for trains to and from London or Ramsgate and Dover.

On Monday to Friday at peak times 2 trains an hour will run between Sittingbourne and Sheerness-on-Sea, although some trains will not stop at Swale.

London St Pancras via Ashford International

Download HS via Ashford line route map PDF

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Peak

Between 0700-0959 there will be 9 trains and between 1600-1859 there will be 8 trains via Ashford International to/from London St Pancras Intl.

Off-peak, Saturdays and Sundays

1 train an hour will run from Margate to London St Pancras Intl and 1 train an hour will run from London St Pancras Intl to Ramsgate via Dover Priory.

London St Pancras via Gravesend and Maidstone West High Speed

Download HS via Gravesend line route map PDF

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Peak

Between 0700-0959 there will be 5 trains and between 1600-1859 there will be 6 trains via Chatham to/from London St Pancras Intl.
There will be 2 trains in the morning and evening between Maidstone West and London St Pancras Intl.

Off-peak Saturdays and Sundays

There will be 1 train per hour between Ramsgate and London St Pancras Intl calling at Broadstairs, Margate, Birchington-on-Sea, Herne Bay, Whitstable, Faversham, Sittingbourne, Rainham, Gillingham, Chatham, Rochester, Strood, Gravesend, Ebbsfleet Intl and Stratford International.

After travel demand plateaued between July and December 2022, we are now seeing record post-Covid travelling in the evening peak, with most customers now travelling between 17.00-18.30. We recognise this change in customer travel habits is different to our expectations which is why we are listening to our customers, have added some extra trains and extra carriages to some services.

Extra trains

From 30 January:

• We have added two additional trains in the PM peak from Cannon St to Orpington. Both services are formed of 10 carriages and are in journey planners.

London Cannon Street	17.36	18.05
London Bridge	17.40	18.10
Hither Green	17.50	18.20
Grove Park	17.54	18.24
Elmstead Woods	17.58	18.27
Chislehurst	18.01	18.29
Petts Wood	18.04	18.33
Orpington	18.09	18.40

From 13 February:

• We will run an additional service at 07.33 from Crayford to Charing Cross via Sidcup calling all stations via Lewisham to reduce crowding on the 07:09 Strood to Charing Cross service which will run non-stop from New Eltham to London Bridge from 13th February.
• We will start the 08.54 Tonbridge to Cannon St later and divert it to Charing Cross. By running later, the service will be cheaper for our customers who will be able to buy off peak tickets. This change will also help reduce crowding on the 07:40 Ramsgate to Charing Cross. 

Longer trains

The services below will be given extra carriages from 13th February and will run with 12 carriages:

• 06:24 Ore to Cannon Street
• 07:15 Margate to St Pancras
• 18:29 Charing Cross to Ramsgate

We will continue to monitor how busy our trains are and act accordingly.

To improve punctuality, we are:

• Reducing the number of trains being divided and re-attached at Ashford and at Tunbridge Wells to remove the risk of knock on delays.  
• Reducing the number of temporary speed restrictions on the network caused by ground conditions.  We have already reduced the number from 35 to 18 and are targeting the rest to reduce delays even further.
• Retiming and changing platforms for some trains to avoid knock on delays.   
• Introducing thermal imaging technology on our Metro and Mainline train fleet to identify some infrastructure faults early so we can fix them before they cause delays and cancellations. 
• Starting some trains from Hastings three minutes earlier than originally timetabled, to give more time to stop at stations, so they can arrive at Tunbridge Wells on time. This small change will deliver a more reliable, punctual service, and remove a knock on delay for following trains from Tonbridge, whilst Tunbridge Wells trains will still arrive in London at the same time as now. The re-timed services will be available in online Journey Planners from 9 February.

We will continue to adapt our services to best match demand. The pandemic has changed travel habits and we’ve seen substantial changes in customer demand for rail travel.

Government funding for Southeastern is currently over £300m per annum. We are a public sector, not for dividend, company. It would not be fair to taxpayers to run too many lightly used trains given the cost involved.

As we recover from the pandemic, we need to ensure our train services meet the needs of the way our customers travel now. We have developed timetables that match customer demand, whilst delivering the good performance customers expect, and providing value for the taxpayer.

This new timetable provides a simpler, more reliable service for our customers with the ability to grow in the future.

We normally make two changes to the timetable every year. However, throughout the pandemic we’ve had to rewrite our timetables at pace, and even today we are still experiencing unpredictable demand for our services.

Since March 2020, we have changed our timetable 15 times and the December 22 timetable is our next timetable, not our final timetable, as we recover from the pandemic and focus on providing a better railway for everyone.

We understand that timetable changes can be difficult to adjust to and may not always meet everyone's specific needs.

We recognise even a minor change in timings might have a big impact at a local level. This timetable is the next iteration of our service following the pandemic, and we will be taking feedback on board for future timetable changes as we build on this base and can add more trains as customer travel habits change.

We have two timetable changes a year, in line with the rest of the rail industry. We’ll continue to listen and take further feedback on board for future timetable changes.

If you have any concerns, please contact our Customer Services team via our app or website at https://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/help-and-contact/get-in-touch/contact-us.

Since the pandemic began in March 2020, Southeastern, like many train companies, has experienced a change in demand especially in the peak. While the number of weekend customers has recovered strongly, weekday journeys are between 58% of pre-Covid demand on Monday/Friday and 70% Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday.

In absolute terms, the number of customers currently travelling in the peak hours remains significantly higher than those travelling in the off peak, as illustrated in the chart below:

Fewer season tickets customers are also travelling with us – compared with before the pandemic, season ticket journeys are down by two thirds.

Our customers have changed the way they travel and are now commuting only a few days a week. While off-peak travel has recovered faster than peak-time travel, hybrid working is clearly here to stay.

These changes are why we are revising the timetable so it can best suit the needs of the majority of our customers – put simply we are providing space where it is needed most. We know these changes will not please everyone, and that some are losing out. In order to improve the railway’s punctuality, reliability and affordability we had to make some tough decisions, and we are sorry that for some of our customers it will mean fewer trains per hour or changing at London Bridge for a frequent connecting service.

We do know that based on current travelling patterns the revised timetable will continue to meet customer numbers, whilst prioritising the good performance customers expect and need. We also know that these timetable revisions will lay the foundations for expected growth in the future as customer travel habits change and takes other factors (such as future housing developments) into consideration.

We want to give customers a timetable that is fundamentally simpler and which will perform better. The new timetable means trains on our network will run on time more often, with fewer cancellations and will have sufficient space to match our current demand. It is also scalable so as more customers return in the future, or new developments such as local housing schemes progress, we can adapt services.

Our new ‘standard hour’ timetable means a more predictable all-day service with most trains leaving stations at broadly the same time each hour, making the timetable simpler and easier to understand.

The new timetable, jointly developed with Network Rail, will also improve the ability to recover from disruption meaning services are more reliable for our customers.

Customers have repeatedly told us that their top priorities are punctuality and reliability – as highlighted by numerous surveys, including those undertaken by Transport Focus, over recent years but we acknowledge there is a trade-off for some customers with the loss of direct services to some destinations.

The timetable has been created to match today’s customer numbers with the flexibility to adapt services in the future as demand grows. The table below shows the significant fall in usage on specific lines ranging from a 40-45% drop.

The new timetable will provide a more consistent service which reflects the reduction in peak-time demand following the pandemic and the new preference for travel, but still maintains peak time space on trains to match demand from those who need these services.

We’ll have the flexibility to adapt as customer travel habits change in the future, including key developments such as new local housing schemes.

The success of the Elizabeth Line has reduced demand on our own train services and ahead of our new timetable coming into effect, changes to the DLR timetable will see more frequent trains including for services from both Greenwich and Woolwich Arsenal offering more journey options to the city, with onward connections to central London.

We are listening to customers and have already made some changes to the December timetable in response to specific feedback regarding school flows not previously provided for and some other straight forward improvements that can be made. These are:

• 0726 New Cross to Cannon St service via Sidcup, Woolwich & Greenwich calling at all stations, except Lewisham. This provides a link to the Sidcup line for school children travelling from the Chislehurst and Orpington areas, as well as a peak time service from the Sidcup line to Abbey Wood (Interchange to Elizabeth Line) and an additional arrival into London from the Greenwich line.
• The 0752 Crayford to Cannon St service via Sidcup will start back from Cannon St at 0705 and run via Greenwich and Woolwich calling at all stations providing a direct service from the North Kent line to Sidcup for school children.
• 0615 Barnehurst to Cannon St additional service calling at all stations via the Bexleyheath line.
• The 0611 Tonbridge to Ramsgate will be retimed to run slightly later to facilitate a connection from the 0533 Strood to Paddock Wood Medway Valley line service for those travelling to stations east of Paddock Wood.
• The 0613 Maidstone East to Charing Cross will now start from Ashford at 0550 and stop additionally at Bearsted.
• The 0714 Maidstone East to Charing Cross will now start from Ashford and stop additionally at Charing, Lenham, Harrietsham, Hollingbourne & Bearsted.

However, we are not able to make large scale changes to the timetable in advance of it going live on 11 December.

We’re matching space on trains with demand.

Our new City Beam trains, for example, have more space for customers than the older trains. On some trains in today’s timetable there are many spare seats on trains arriving in London and for the December timetable we’ve done a lot of work to match the demand for our train services with appropriate space for customers. 

There will be more carriages on several services where demand has been higher over the last six months.

You can use our Journey Planner on our app or website at https://ticket.southeasternrailway.co.uk/search.

The number of trains varies each weekend as engineering works take place across our network. Weekend services are matched to the demand for travel on certain routes, while additional trains help us meet demand for events, such as football matches or the London Marathon.

In the December timetable services on the Bexleyheath line increase from two to four trains per hour.

For the past few years, it’s been necessary to stop some late-night and early-morning trains running from certain London terminals to keep Network Rail workers safe during their essential weekly maintenance and safety checks on the tracks. This means that after 23.20 and before 05.35 some trains will only run on certain days, and these are labelled in online timetables on this page. We’re sorry that this can be inconvenient but it’s important to keep our people safe while also providing rail services.

Extra staff will be on hand at London Bridge to provide assistance to you on your journey.

You can also book Assisted Travel for your journey here. 

We don't underestimate the impact that changing our timetable will have on our customers who rely on travelling on a specific train and we apologise that there hasn’t been a formal consultation before we announced these changes.

It takes many months to design and consult upon a timetable change. During Covid we had to make timetable changes at pace, adapting to constantly changing customer demand and travel habits. This December change is our latest version and makes some fundamental changes to deliver a more punctual railway for more of our customers after the upheaval of the pandemic. The December 22 timetable is our next timetable not our final timetable, and we will use customer feedback to inform future timetable changes.

We want to give customers a timetable that is fundamentally simpler and which will perform better. To create a better base for our future, we worked closely with Network Rail to develop and announce our new timetable. Our plans were developed earlier this year and the Department for Transport allowed us to proceed without a formal consultation programme given fluctuating customer demand and to deliver changes as quickly as possible to help build back services to facilitate recovery.  It would have been disingenuous to seek consultation without time to change the timetable based on feedback. Equally maintaining the current timetable has several disbenefits which will only get worse as customers return to the railway.

The new timetable means trains on our network will run on time more often, with fewer cancellations and sufficient space to match our current demand. 

We recognise how important it is that we understand the experiences and views of our customers as well as any concerns they may have. We are communicating these changes widely and holding regular sessions at our stations to share our thinking and hear any feedback or concerns that our customers may have. 

We welcome feedback on the new timetable. Customers can contact our Customer Services team via the form on our app or website. Future changes will be based on customer feedback, demand and, of course, available funding.

We currently have two timetable changes a year, in line with the rest of the rail industry, and so the next changes will be in May 2023 and December 2023.

We do not, as yet, have a specific date for when we would return to running ‘formal consultations’ though it remains our intention to return to consultation for future timetable changes. We are listening to feedback now from customers, Councils, User Groups and MPs and will use this in considering our future timetables. We have a good track record of making changes, for example, to protect school journeys, when gaps have been highlighted by customers.

We don't underestimate the impact that changing our timetable will have on our customers who rely on travelling on a specific train and we apologise that there hasn’t been a formal consultation before we announced these changes.

We recognise even a minor change in timings might have a big impact at a local level. This timetable is the next iteration of our service following the pandemic, and we will be taking feedback on board for future timetable changes as we build on this base and can add more trains as customer travel habits change.

We have two timetable changes a year, in line with the rest of the rail industry. We’ll continue to listen and take further feedback on board for future timetable changes. 
If you would like to share feedback on our December timetable please use our Contact form.

Yes. We have made some structural changes to enable our trains to be more reliable and punctual by reducing congestion at busy junctions, such as the notorious bottleneck at Lewisham Junction, where trains may have to wait for others to cross key junctions. This has been achieved by reducing the number of complicated train crossing moves on overlapping routes on our network by two thirds in the December timetable.

For example, trains on the Hayes line currently have to cross Lewisham to go to Cannon Street, while trains on the Woolwich Line have to cross Lewisham to go to Charing Cross. This causes trains to halt and wait for others to cross in front of them, and any issues at Lewisham cause a ‘ripple effect’ of delays across the multiple lines that intersect there.

Below is a graphical representation of the structural change at Lewisham Junction from December, which illustrates routes running direct to a London terminus. It means in the new timetable, lines north of Lewisham Junction, including the Woolwich Line, will naturally run direct to Cannon Street, while lines south of Lewisham Junction, including the Hayes Line, will naturally run direct to Charing Cross, reducing crossovers and delays.

 

As a result, modelling predicts 12% fewer cancellations and some 300,000 more ‘on time’ (within 59 seconds) station stops each year.

Other work is underway to reduce the other sources of delay (such as infrastructure, trains, trespass, weather) but this timetable will result in less congestion and fewer delays.

Yes. The EqIA is a living document and so changes will be made in response to feedback and reuploaded when required.

Download the Equality Impact Assessment PDF

We’ve removed First Class from our mainline services to create an inclusive railway which provides access to more seats for our mainline customers.

Removing First Class will provide access to an average of 60 more seats on a 12-car train.

That’s almost:

• 16,000 seats a day
• 80,000 seats a week
• 4 million seats a year

First Class use has been in decline for some time and is a source of frustration for Standard Class customers when trains are busy and First Class seats are empty.

If not already contacted by our Customer Services team, those with First Class Season tickets can apply for a refund by filling out our refund form.

Refund form

The aim is to complete removal across all trains by March 2023. In the meantime, all Southeastern train staff and Revenue Protection Officers are fully briefed that First Class will be available for all customers to use from 11th December.

If you’re unhappy about this change, please contact our Customer Services team.

First Class Season ticket holders can apply for a refund. 

You can use our handy SeatFinder tools to help you find trains with more seats.

We also have priority seating areas and you can apply for a Priority Seating card online.

You can use our handy SeatFinder tools to help you find trains with more seats.

We also have priority seating areas and you can apply for a Priority Seating card online.

A revised one-way route for platform 1 will operate in the morning peak to improve customer flow through the station, increasing the safety of our customers. Download the leaflet below for more information including a route map.

Download Lewisham station leaflet PDF

Quick connections are available at London Bridge.

Between 07.00-09.59, there will be 59 departures from London Bridge to Charing Cross for transferring customers.

Between 16.00-18.59 there will be 62 departures from Charing Cross to London Bridge for transferring customers.

We will be making the interchange at London Bridge as seamless and accessible as we can. London Bridge Station is safe, gated, well-lit and weatherproof, with CCTV, customer help points, 17 defibrillators (one on every platform), free Wi-Fi and extra staff on hand to help with assisted travel. The British Transport Police and London Ambulance Service also have a presence at the station. The £1bn redevelopment of London Bridge has provided step free access to all platforms and easier connections to other rail services and the Tube.

Under the current timetable, trains on the Woolwich line are split 67% terminating at Cannon Street and 33% terminating at Charing Cross. Under the December timetable all trains will terminate at Cannon Street. Trains will no longer call at Charing Cross.

This is to reduce congestion at the busy junction at Lewisham – a notorious bottleneck. This is part of a plan to reduce congestion at all junctions, which will improve punctuality and see fewer cancellations.

This structural change will help reduce a ‘ripple effect’ where delays on one line quickly impact others. We have simplified our railway by reducing the number of routes that trains operate over to contain any delays to a single line and not spread delays to multiple lines thereby impacting the journey of many more customers.

Overall, this means trains will be more reliable and punctual delivering the most benefit for the greatest number of customers.

Woolwich Line customers (between Slade Green and Charlton) wanting Charing Cross will need to change trains at London Bridge. This will mean a platform change. 

We will be making the interchange at London Bridge as seamless and accessible as we can. London Bridge Station is safe, gated, well-lit and weatherproof, with CCTV, customer help points, 17 defibrillators (one on every platform), free Wi-Fi and extra staff on hand to help with assisted travel. The British Transport Police and London Ambulance Service also have a presence at the station. The £1bn redevelopment of London Bridge has provided step free access to all platforms and easier connections to other rail services and the Tube.

The Elizabeth Line, which is already open between Abbey Wood and Paddington, and will open between Reading and Abbey Wood prior to this timetable change will, for example, provide 12 trains per hour to Central London, with a journey time of 23 minutes to Tottenham Court Road from Abbey Wood. More information on the new journey opportunities available is at www.tfl.gov.uk.

DLR services will be increased from both Greenwich and Woolwich Arsenal in early 2023 just after our new timetable comes into effect. There will be more frequent trains offering more journey options to the city, with onward connections to central London.

The Cannon Street ‘circulars’ via Greenwich and Bexleyheath will run all day in both directions. The ‘circulars’ via Greenwich and Sidcup will not run at off peak times but replacement services are provided at peak times.

Under the current timetable, trains on the Hayes line are split 50/50 between terminating at either Charing Cross or Cannon Street. Under the December timetable all trains will terminate at London Charing Cross. Trains will no longer call at Cannon Street.

This is to reduce congestion at the busy junction at Lewisham – a notorious bottleneck. This is part of a plan to reduce congestion at all junctions, which will improve punctuality and see fewer cancellations.

This structural change will help reduce a ‘ripple effect’ where delays on one line quickly impact others. We have simplified our railway by reducing the number of routes that trains operate over to contain any delays to a single line and not spread delays to multiple lines thereby impacting the journey of many more customers.

Overall, this means trains will be more reliable and punctual delivering the most benefit for the greatest number of customers.

Hayes line customers wanting Cannon Street will need to change trains at London Bridge. This will mean a platform change.

We will be making the interchange at London Bridge as seamless and accessible as we can. London Bridge Station is safe, gated, well-lit and weatherproof, with CCTV, customer help points, 17 defibrillators (one on every platform), free Wi-Fi and extra staff on hand to help with assisted travel. The British Transport Police and London Ambulance Service also have a presence at the station. The £1bn redevelopment of London Bridge has provided step free access to all platforms and easier connections to other rail services and the Tube.

Quick connections are available at London Bridge. 

Between 07.00-09.59, there will be 46 departures from London Bridge to Cannon Street for transferring customers.

Between 16.00-18.59 there will be 62 departures from Charing Cross to London Bridge for customers wanting to transfer to services to Cannon Street.

We will be making the interchange at London Bridge as seamless and accessible as we can. London Bridge Station is safe, gated, well-lit and weatherproof, with CCTV, customer help points, 17 defibrillators (one on every platform), free Wi-Fi and extra staff on hand to help with assisted travel. The British Transport Police and London Ambulance Service also have a presence at the station. The £1bn redevelopment of London Bridge has provided step free access to all platforms and easier connections to other rail services and the Tube.

Peak time services between Beckenham Junction and Blackfriars will be reinstated in the December 2022 timetable.

We’ve responded to the need to change to meet customer numbers.

To allow regular trains from Maidstone East to the West End, it was necessary to redesign the timetable, meaning that a new hourly train service will now terminate at Charing Cross. However, it will still be possible to change at London Bridge for Thameslink services to Blackfriars.

The journey time between Maidstone East and London Bridge will be around an hour. This will mean a platform change. However, London Bridge was re-designed specifically for this purpose, with accessible lifts to every platform.

The Charing Cross service is hourly all day.

The route via Chislehurst is closed for maintenance on Sundays. The Maidstone East line will continue to serve Victoria.

Under the December timetable most trains on the Medway Valley Line will terminate at Paddock Wood to reduce congestion at Tonbridge. This is part of a plan to reduce congestion at key junctions, which will improve punctuality and see fewer cancellations.

The off peak frequency between Paddock Wood and Strood has been increased to two trains per hour.
As a result, modelling predicts 12% fewer cancellations and some 300,000 more ‘on time’ (within 59 seconds) station stops each year.

Under the current timetable, some Highspeed services continue around the coast. Under the December 2022 timetable Highspeed services will start from or terminate at Ramsgate.
A very small number of customers will need to change trains at Ramsgate to continue their journeys in either direction. The benefit of this will be to improve punctuality.
Direct journeys to London have not been affected by this change.

Under the current timetable, some Highspeed services continue around the coast. Under the December 2022 timetable Highspeed services will start from or terminate at Ramsgate.

A very small number of customers – for example, those travelling between Deal and Chatham – will need to change trains at Ramsgate to continue their journeys in either direction.

The benefit of this will be to improve punctuality overall. Some services will terminate at either Dover or Faversham in the afternoon to accommodate school journeys.

The Maidstone West Highspeed peak services only run Monday to Friday, reflecting the new preference for travel, but still maintaining peak time space on trains to match demand from those who need these services.

The Maidstone West Highspeed peak services have never run at the weekend or off peak.

The new timetable reflects the change in peak-time demand following the pandemic and the new preference for travel, but still maintains peak time space on trains to match demand from those who need these services.

The new timetable reflects the change in peak-time demand following the pandemic and the new preference for travel, but still maintains peak time space on trains to match demand from those who need these services.

There will be two trains from Maidstone West in the morning Peak and two into Maidstone West the evening. This reflects the new preference for travel, but still maintains peak time space on trains to match demand from those who need these services. The Maidstone West Highspeed peak services have never run at the weekend or off-peak.

On some services there is insufficient time to stop trains at every station on the Sidcup line given the constraints at Dartford.

Albany Park is the least used station on the line. The number of people using Albany Park station now compared with before the pandemic is less than half what it was. Sidcup and Bexley are a little over a mile away, both with a four trains per hour service.

This service provides an alternative option to the City and increases services between Lewisham and Denmark Hill for the hospital, meaning Sidcup Line customers no longer need to change at Lewisham.

The new timetable reflects the change in peak-time demand following the pandemic and the new preference for travel, but still maintains peak-time space on trains to match demand from those who need these services. There are peak-time only services to Charing Cross.

Medway to Charing Cross Southeastern services were replaced in 2018 with Thameslink services.

The new timetable reflects the change in peak-time demand following the pandemic and the new preference for travel, but still maintains peak time space on trains to match demand from those who need these services.

We are not able to reintroduce these services in this timetable. The new timetable reflects the change in peak-time demand following the pandemic and the new preference for travel.