Improvements on the Way for Victoria’s Train Service

Headline Date 30-10-2018

Passengers travelling to and from Victoria are going to see improvements to their journeys in the New Year thanks to an £8.2million Government investment taking place at the Battersea Junction Pier. As a result, platforms 9 to 19, where trains to Gatwick Airport and the South Coast depart, will be closed at Victoria station from 1:05 am on Sunday, 23 December 2018 until 4:00 am on Wednesday, 2 January 2019.

A campaign has been launched by Network Rail to raise awareness of the dates when the line will be closed to allow the works to take place. Battersea Junction is on the busy final approaches to Victoria station and this 10-day closure will enable engineers to replace the existing crossings with new track.

Work will include the renewal of 12 sets of points (the equipment which allows trains to change lines), 1300m of track, 1800m of conductor (or ‘third’) rail and associated cabling and power supply providing an asset life of around 35 years. By replacing this infrastructure which was built in the mid-1970s, we will be improving reliability for the 240,000 passengers who pass through the station every day.

Most Southern trains will be rerouted to London Bridge. There will be no Gatwick Express trains but Southern and Thameslink services for Gatwick will run to and from other Central London stations, including Blackfriars and London Bridge. A limited bus service will replace trains for local journeys between Clapham Junction, Battersea Park and Victoria. All passengers are reminded to check before they travel. Revised train times will be available near the time using the National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner.