A £10 million upgrade of a major rail junction near Dartford in south east London has been completed, allowing trains to run again following a 9-day closure.
South Eastern Railway said the programme focused on boosting long-term reliability at Dartford Junction, the busiest rail junction in Kent, which carries services between Kent and London.
The project involved replacing 10 sets of switches and crossings and laying around 400 yards of new track between Slade Green and Dartford. Engineers also used the closure to deliver a package of station improvements along the route.
At Dartford station, repainting was completed, platform stepping distances were reduced, and lift maintenance was carried out to improve reliability. Track work was also undertaken in nearby sidings.
Elsewhere, fencing was replaced at Stone Crossing, the accessible toilet at Greenhithe was refurbished, Swanscombe station received a deep clean, and Northfleet was upgraded with new LED lighting and additional customer information screens.
David Davidson, Chief Operating Officer for South Eastern Railway, said: “We appreciate our passengers’ patience while we completed this vital investment at Dartford Junction, where 650 trains pass each day.
“This work strengthens the long-term resilience and efficiency of one of the busiest points on our network. Scheduling the upgrade during half-term helped minimise disruption for customers.”
The work forms part of a wider £300 million investment programme across the network. Further follow-up work is planned for Sunday 1 March and Sunday 5 April, when replacement bus services will operate.
