Network Rail is embarking on a series of roadshows at stations that will be affected by work starting at London Bridge next year.
The first change we'll notice is the end of the Victoria-London Bridge line via Denmark Hill. That stops running on 8 December, the idea being that the Overground extension to Clapham Junction, opening 9 December, will take some of the strain (if not actually going into zone 1). Next May, platforms 14, 15 and 16 will close, with 14 and 15 reopening in spring 2014 with nice new canopies.
Thameslink trains won't call at London Bridge at peak times from December 2014, though there's still some debate about whether an off-peak service from Brighton can be maintained. If you're on a train to or from Charing Cross, it won't stop at London Bridge at all from 2015 as work starts on redeveloping platforms 4, 5 and 6 and creating new through lines to ease the stupid and constant bottleneck-caused delays. And then, just as Charing Cross trains start stopping again in 2016, Cannon Street trains will bypass the station until 2017.
It will be a massive pain in the arse but worth it if we never have to hear the phrase "we're sorry for the delay to your journey, this is being caused by congestion at London Bridge" again. To find out more, head for these information sessions:
- Cannon Street 30 October 8am-10am / 6 November 8am-10am
- Charing Cross 30 October 8am-10am / 7 November 8am-10am
- London Bridge 31 October 7.30am-10am and 4.30pm-7pm / 5 November 7.30am-10am / 8 November 7.30am-10am and 4.30pm-7pm
- Greenwich 8 November 4pm-7pm
