Ten week Blackheath tunnel closure to impact Southeastern again
Network Rail are set to undertake another closure of the Blackheath rail tunnel this summer.
Work will see no trains running in either direction between Blackheath and Charlton.
The news was first reported on Bexley is Bonkers covering a recent Bexley Council transport committee meeting, and now train timetables have been uploaded.
Closure coincides with the summer timetable change with no trains for ten weeks from 18 May.
Last year
Network Rail closed the tunnel last year for ten weeks between June and August to repair brickwork and prevent water ingress.
A total of 10,000 bricks were used to repair damage.
Last year two trains per hour from Woolwich running to Blackheath and Lewisham were diverted via Greenwich temporarily lifting services back to 6 trains per hour as was the norm until cuts in 2022.
This year that doesn’t appear to be happening according to timetable data uploaded so far. Of course, that may change and Southeastern have been contacted for comment.
What is the reason for closure this time ?
I was thinking the other day that there weren’t any completion photographs released by Network Rail last year, and it sounds like that was because it was never actually completed. It’s annoying because I do use that branch in summer only.