Over the Christmas period, two of London’s most heavily trafficked stations, Waterloo and Liverpool Street, will be temporarily closed for essential engineering projects.

Network Rail has announced that Liverpool Street will be inaccessible as new glass panels are fitted above the concourse and the outdated drainage system is replaced. Similarly, Waterloo station will also shut down to facilitate the installation of new points at the nearby Queenstown Road.

From Christmas Day through to New Year’s Day, train services between Stratford and Liverpool Street will be suspended.

Service to and from Waterloo will be halted from Christmas Day until December 28, with only a limited operation available until January 4.

At Liverpool Street, a two-year renovation initiative has been underway to replace the platform panels, which were originally installed in the 1990s and had deteriorated, developing cracks and being overrun by lichen.

During the Christmas closure, crews will also work on replacing Georgian window panes above the waiting area, necessitating the station’s closure for safety reasons.

Additionally, the station’s drainage system, dating back to the 1890s and struggling to manage heavy storms, will be upgraded.

The total cost of this project has reached £23 million according to Network Rail.

Jonathan Fernandez is managing the Liverpool Street redevelopment.

“The panels covered in lichen make the station remarkably dim,” he remarked.

He explained that the panels had deteriorated to a brittle state, reaching the end of their lifespan, and posed a “fragility risk” particularly given the storms experienced lately.

“Due to fractures in the glass concourse panels, we are experiencing leaks that contribute to making the concourse slippery. It’s critical that we address these cracks to prevent any danger to the public,” he added.

Large cherry pickers will be utilized to safely remove the glass panels, making it necessary to shut the concourse.

At Waterloo, the replacement of points at Queenstown Road will require a shutdown of that line.

On the West Coast mainline departing from Euston, service will be limited to Milton Keynes from Christmas Day until January 5.

Furthermore, Victoria and Vauxhall stations will also see closures for several days, along with the Mildmay Overground line.

Travelers are encouraged to verify their travel arrangements with their rail service provider, Network Rail, or Transport for London (TfL).

Chris Denham of Network Rail notes that while most rail services will operate as usual, Christmas is a prime time for such engineering, owing to the significantly lower passenger volumes.

“It’s the quietest time of year for the railway,” he stated.

“In certain areas, passenger numbers can drop to as low as 50% of typical levels. This makes it the optimal time for extensive renovation work during the Christmas holiday, especially this year, as many people won’t return to work until January 5, allowing us ample time for complex engineering tasks.”