Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleLondon’s Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations will be closed (EPA)London Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations will be closed for 22 days, from 26 July to 16 August, as part of a significant £20 million track upgrade programme. The essential improvements include the installation of 1,800 metres of new track, upgraded track drainage at Waterloo East, rebuilt platforms at Charing Cross, and structural repairs on the 175-year-old Hungerford Bridge. Southeastern services that typically run into Charing Cross will be diverted to London Victoria, London Cannon Street, and London Blackfriars, with some services terminating at London Bridge. Commuters will be able to use their tickets on alternative transport options, including the London Underground, Thameslink services between Elephant and Castle, London Bridge and St Pancras International, and Southern services to and from London Bridge and Victoria. The closure is deemed necessary to replace increasingly unreliable track, last updated in the early 1990s, which has caused over 350 hours of delays, with the work strategically scheduled during school holidays when commuter numbers are approximately 20 per cent lower. In fullTwo major London railway stations to close for 22 days during £20 million upgradeMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in