South London will be massively disrupted by train station closures this Halloween and half term

’Tis the season for… rail operators announcing travel disruption that coincides with major annual events. Or so it would seem. Over the past few days Londoners have been warned about the planned station closures at Christmas of Liverpool Street and Paddington, as well as told to avoid using Euston over the festive period.

And now more significant travel disruption is on the way for part of the capital’s rail network – this time planned for Halloween. From Saturday October 26 to Friday November 1, work on upgrading signalling systems will impact routes right across south London.

October 26 to November 1 doesn’t just cover Halloween – it’s also half term week (for most schools). The closures are affecting lots of different stations, and for different amounts of time. Here’s the breakdown.

Southern services

• At Balham, Battersea Park, London Victoria and Wandsworth Common stations, there will be no Southern trains on October 26 and 27.
• From October 28 to November 1 there will be no Southern trains beyond Streatham Hill towards London Bridge via Crystal Palace or West Croydon via Crystal Palace.
• At Beckenham Junction, there will be no Southern trains between Sat 26 October and Fri 1 November.
• At Birkbeck, East Dulwich, Gipsy Hill, North Dulwich, Queens Road Peckham, South Bermondsey, Tulse Hill and West Norwood stations, there will be no Southern trains from October 26 to November 1.
• For Brockley, Forest Hill, Honor Oak Park, New Cross Gate and Sydenham stations, from October 26 to November 1 there won’t be any Southern trains to London Victoria via Crystal Palace and Streatham Hill. 
• Clapham Junction, no Southern trains on October 26-27 beyond Balham towards London Bridge or West Croydon via Streatham Hill and Crystal Palace. October 28 to November 1 no Southern trains beyond Streatham Hill towards London Bridge via Crystal Palace or West Croydon via Crystal Palace.
• Crystal Palace: no Southern trains October 26 to November 1.
• London Bridge and Peckham Rye: no Southern trains to Streatham or Beckenham Junction via Tulse Hill or to London Victoria via Crystal Palace and Streatham Hill, from October 26 to November 1.
• Norwood Junction and West Croydon: no Southern trains from October 26 to November 1, to London Victoria via Crystal Palace and Streatham Hill.
• Streatham Hill: October 28 to November 1, no Southern trains towards London Bridge via Crystal Palace or to West Croydon via Crystal Palace

Overground services

• Brockley, Forest Hill, Honor Oak Park, New Cross Gate and Sydenham stations: reduced Overground services from October 26-29, and no Overground services to Crystal Palace.
• Clapham High Street, Denmark Hill and Wandsworth Road: no Overground trains from October 26 to November 1.
• Crystal Palace: no Overground trains October 26-29.
• Clapham Junction, no Overground trains from October 26 to November 1 between Clapham Junction and Surrey Quays.
• Surrey Quays: from October 26 to November 1 no London Overground services between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction via Peckham Rye.

Thameslink services

• Carshalton, Hackbridge, Mitcham Eastfields, Mitcham Junction, Sutton and Wimbledon: no Thameslink trains from October 26 to November 1.
• No Thameslink trains between Herne Hill and Wimbledon / Sutton from October 26 to November 1, impacting City Thameslink, Elephant & Castle, Farringdon, Herne Hill, London Blackfriars, Loughborough Junction and St Pancras International.
• Streatham: October 26 to and November 1, no Thameslink trains between Herne Hill and Wimbledon / Sutton and no Southern trains to London Bridge via Tulse Hill and Peckham Rye.

Station closures

• East Croydon, Norbury, Selhurst, Streatham Common and Thornton Heath: no trains to London Bridge via Tulse Hill and Peckham Rye from October 26 to November 1.
• Haydons Road, Morden South, St Helier, South Merton, Sutton Common, Tooting, West Sutton and Wimbledon Chase: no trains from October 26 to November 1.
• Streatham Hill: October 26-27, no trains.

Phew! You can check for up-to-date info on Southern here, Thameslink here and TfL here.

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