Thameslink train August strikes and works: What you need to know

From Monday, August 7 until Saturday, August 12 ASLEF has issued an overtime ban affecting Thameslink travel in and out of London.

There are also several planned engineering works taking place in Gravesend, Plumstead, Herne Hill and Sevenoaks affecting early morning and late-night commutes.

Thameslink has advised that rail replacement buses will run for lines that will be closed, and advised customers to seek alternative methods of travel.

Here are all the planned Thameslink service changes and closures happening this month:

Friday, August 11 – Saturday, August 12

ASLEF has confirmed an overtime ban from Monday, August 7 until Saturday, August 12 which will affect Thameslink services to and from London.

An amended timetable will run on these days with fewer services, and some Thameslink customers may need to queue or not be able to board chosen services.

Services will be limited to one or two trains every hour, and customers are being advised to check before travelling and plan routes ahead.

Additional engineering works will also impact some services, including early morning and late-night services on certain lines.

Today (Friday), Thameslink will be running altered services due to strike action:

• London Blackfriars and Sutton via Wimbledon – Two trains per hour
• Luton and Rainham – One train per hour
• Luton/Kentish Town and Orpington – One train per hour, in peak hours only.
• London Blackfriars and Sevenoaks – Two trains per hour, with one train per hour extended to/from Welwyn Garden City in peak hours.
• London Bridge and Three Bridges via Redhill – One train per hour Cambridge to Three Bridges – One train per hour
• Peterborough to Horsham – One train per hour

Today (Friday) there are also planned engineering works taking place between Dartford and Gillingham closing all lines.

A bus service will replace trains between Gillingham and Rainham, and between Gravesend and Gillingham, from 11.45 on Friday until the end of service on Monday to Tuesday evenings, and until 5am on Tuesday to Friday mornings.

On Saturday, Thameslink services will be running an altered timetable:

• Peterborough and Horsham – One train per hour
• Cambridge and Three Bridges via Redhill – One train per hour
• Bedford and Brighton – Two trains per hour
• St Albans to Sutton via Mitcham Junction – Two trains per hour
• Sutton to St Albans via Wimbledon – Two trains per hour
• Plumstead and Rainham – One train per hour
• London Blackfriars and Sevenoaks – One train per hour

On Saturday and Sunday, planned engineering work is taking place between London Bridge an Plumstead closing some lines.

Thameslink trains that normally run between Luton and Rainham will run between Plumstead and Rainham only.

Thameslink customers are being advised to seek alternative means of travel including Southeastern services between London Bridge and Plumstead, London Underground or DLR services between Woolwich Arsenal and London Bridge, and on Elizabeth line trains between Abbey Wood and Farringdon.

On Sunday engineering works will close certain lines affecting early morning travel in and around London.

On Sunday the 5.52am Three Bridges to London Bridge service will be diverted, and will not call at Earlswood, Redhill, Merstham or Coulsdon South.

An earlier replacement bus will run from Horley to Purley, connecting with the train at Purley, while a second bus will run from Horley to Purley, calling at all stations.

Early morning engineering works at London Victoria will also close all lines before 9:15am.

Before 9:15am Thameslink trains will not run to or from London Victoria, and an amended service will run to and from London Blackfriars calling at Elephant and Castle instead.

Monday, August 14 – Sunday, August 20

During this week there will be planned engineering works taking place between Herne Hill and London Bridge, Dartford and Gillingham, and London Bridge and Plumstead, affecting late night and early morning services.

From Monday - Thursday engineering works taking place between Herne Hill and London Blackfriars will close certain lines.

The 11.22pm Sevenoaks to London Blackfriars service will be diverted to run to London Blackfriars instead.

Customers are advised that they can use their Thameslink ticket on London bus services between Denmark Hill and London Blackfriars.

Between Tuesday and Friday, planned engineering works between London Blackfriars and Herne Hill will close lines, affecting early morning services.

Between 12.10am and 5am each morning Thameslink trains will not run between Herne Hill and Sutton.

Thameslink customers are instead advised to use their ticket on Southern services, on London Buses between London Blackfriars and Sutton, and on London Trams between East Croydon and Wimbledon.

On Saturday engineering works between Dartford and Gillingham will close some lines.

The 1.24am service from Dartford to Gillingham will not run and instead a replacement rail service will run calling at all stations.

On Saturday and Sunday engineering works between London Bridge and Plumstead will clos some lines.

Trains normally running between Bedford / Luton and Rainham will run between Plumstead and Rainham only.

Thameslink customers are being advised to use their tickets on Southeastern trains between London Bridge and Plumstead, on London Underground / Docklands Light Railway services between Woolwich Arsenal and London Bridge, and on Elizabeth line trains between Abbey Wood and Farringdon.

Monday, August 21 – Monday, August 28

Between Monday and Thursday planned engineering works taking place between Nunhead and Shortlands closing certain lines during the evenings on these days.

The 11:22pm Sevenoaks to London Blackfriars service will divert via Herne Hill, calling at Beckenham Junction, Kent House and Herne Hill.

A replacement bus will depart Bromley South at 12:01am calling all stations to London Blackfriars via Catford and Denmark Hill.

The 11:48pm London Blackfriars to Sevenoaks will divert via Herne Hill, calling at Herne Hill and Beckenham Junction.

A replacement bus will run from Herne Hill at 12:06am calling all stations to Sevenoaks via Denmark Hill and Catford.

Between Monday and Friday engineering works between Purley and Three Bridges will close some late night and early morning services between 11pm and 5:30am.

Some services may have extended times and may depart from stations at different times from the normal timetable, so customers are advised to plan ahead and check before travelling.

Between Tuesday and Friday, engineering works taking place in the Gravesend area will close certain lines in the mornings between these dates.

Until 4:30am each morning, trains normally running between Gillingham and Dartford will terminate or start at Gravesend.

Thameslink has advised that a rail replacement bus service will run between Gravesend and Gillingham.

Planned engineering work between London Bridge and Charlton will affect travel between Saturday, August 26 until Monday, August 28 closing some lines.

Services between Bedford / Luton / St Albans and Rainham will run between Plumstead and Rainham only.

Thameslink customers are advised to travel on alternative routes including Southeastern services between London and Bridge and Plumstead, London Underground and DLR between London Bridge and Woolwich Arsenal, and Elizabeth line between Abbey Wood and Farringdon.

On Sunday engineering work between Dartford and Gillingham will close some lines, affecting late and early morning services.

The 1:24am Dartford to Gillingham service will not run and will be replaced by a bus service.

On Sunday engineering work between Sevenoaks and London Victoria will close certain lines affecting early morning travel.

Until 9:30am trains running between London Victoria and Sevenoaks will run between London Blackfriars and Sevenoaks instead.