Rail users who regularly travel between Brixton and Beckenham Junction will see their journeys disrupted as work gets underway for urgent repairs to the Penge Tunnel.
Engineers from Network Rail are planning to commence the work on Saturday July 23rd, replacing two-and-a-half miles of track in the south London structure, Rail UK revealed.
The 1.25-mile tunnel will be closed for nine days, before it is opened for use again on July 31st.
Network Rail’s Kent route director Fiona Taylor said: “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.”
Ms Taylor acknowledged the construction work will cause delays, but stated that it will be less disruptive than closing the track for five weekends instead of nine consecutive days.
During this time, engineers will remove the old track, dig up the track bed, and replace the rail and ballast. In addition to this, there will be other essential maintenance work carried out on the line to avoid further disruptions to passengers at a later date and to be more cost-effective.
Operations and safety director for Southeastern Scott Brightwell advised people to plan their journeys ahead of time to avoid disruptions.
The tunnel replacement comes as part of the larger South East Upgrade project. More than £1.25 billion will be invested to improve Lewisham station, and its signalling and track, as well as updating the rail network in south-east London and Kent.
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