Rail passengers are being warned to check before they travel as works over the festive season may disrupt their journey.

Planned engineering works will mean changes for passengers across various parts of the network, including services through Dartford and Rainham.

Rail passengers using services in the South East can now check if their journeys over Christmas and the New Year will be affected by engineering works which will be taking place at Lewisham, New Cross and Slade Green.

While they are likely to affect passengers on Southeastern Metro routes over the festive period, Network Rail and the train operating companies are doing all they can to minimise that impact by providing advance information online and on journey planners, and through their station staff.

At Lewisham, Network Rail is upgrading two key railway junctions from Christmas Day through to Tuesday, December 29, and from New Year’s Day to Sunday, January 3.

The Lewisham upgrade will see the replacement of nearly two miles of track which will be laid on 7,500 tonnes of ballast and 1,460 sleepers. A number of sets of points will also be renewed as part of an investment programme to replace ageing 1970s infrastructure with more reliable equipment. Points help trains cross from one track to another and are a regular source of delays for customers in the area.

During the work there will be no trains between Lewisham and Hayes. There will also be changes to some services on the January dates between Cannon Street and Lewisham, and via Greenwich to Dartford.

To keep passengers moving when lines are closed, replacement buses will be in operation and tickets will be accepted via alternative TfL routes.

Also, on Sunday, December 27 and Friday, January 1, the Thameslink Rainham Line services will run between Dartford and Rainham only.

Fiona Taylor, Network Rail's route director for Kent, said: “We are carrying out a number of major engineering projects this Christmas and New Year in order to provide better journeys for our passengers in 2021.

“Our works at Lewisham are particularly key being on the main artery from Kent to London for hundreds of services a day.

“If you are planning to travel over Christmas, consistent with the government’s advice, do please check your journeys between now and the New Year.

“We know there is never a good time to carry out major works. I would like to thank passengers for their patience while we make these vital improvements to the railway."

To keep passengers moving when lines are closed, tickets will be accepted via alternative TfL routes and replacement buses will be available.

The works are part of the South East Upgrade, a record £1.25bn investment to modernise this part of the network. The upgrades will keep passengers moving safely and reliably, future proofing the railway for the long-term.

As part of the industry's safer travel pledge, rail companies are taking steps to ensure passengers who use the network can travel with confidence, including cleaning more frequently and using powerful, long-lasting anti-viral products. Passengers should also wash their hands often and wear face-coverings unless exempt.

Rail companies are working together to deliver their plan for the government’s Christmas travel window, between December 23 and 27. This includes maximising space by running more and longer services where possible, providing improved travel information and travel alerts, and extra staff on hand at busy locations to help people with their journeys.

Southeastern train services director Scott Brightwell said: "Over Christmas and early January there are going to be some changes to our services while Network Rail carry out vital improvements at two of our busiest junctions near Lewisham. This will help improve reliability and reduce delays for our passengers.

"There will be replacement buses, and tickets are being accepted on alternative TfL routes. Please check before travelling."

For more, log onto www.nationalrail.co.uk, or www.networkrail.co.uk/LewishamUpgrade or www.southeasternrailway.co.uk.

Read more: All the latest news from Dartford

Read more: All the latest news from Medway