A multi-billion pound scheme to meet the high demand for travel into London will be working its way through Kent at the end of August.

The Thameslink Programme will see an increase to the number of Thameslink route services through London to one every two to three minutes during peak hours.

London Bridge station is being rebuilt to facilitate more routes out of London, and as a result routes from Kent are being delayed or replaced by buses over the Bank Holiday weekend. Following the works a new Southeastern timetable will come into play affecting journeys from Friday, September 2.

Works will take place from Saturday, August 27 to Thursday, September 1.

During this time, trains going to Charing Cross will be of a reduced service and Southeastern have suggested commuters take to alternative routes.

These are the disruptions that could affect your journey:

• On Saturday, August 27, there will be no Southeastern services at Charing Cross, Waterloo East, Cannon Street or London Bridge Stations with trains diverted to Victoria, Blackfriars or New Cross.
• On Sunday, August 28, buses will replace trains between Lewisham and Dartford via Sidcup.
• On Monday, August 29 to Thursday, September 1, there will be no Southeastern services at Cannon Street Station with trains diverted to Charing Cross, Blackfriars or New Cross.

Works are also expected to take place, disrupting other routes including Strood to Paddock Wood, Folkestone Central to Ramsgate and Otford to Ashford International.

Tickets will be accepted at some London Underground stations, aboard London buses and some DRL services.

Although these disruptions will affect journeys over the August Bank Holiday weekend, some changes will stay in place until January 2018.

Cannon Street trains will no longer call at London Bridge however most Charing Cross trains will takeover this responsibility.

A new Southeastern timetable will come into force from Sunday, August 28.

Richard Dean, Train Services Director at Southeastern said: “We would like to thank passengers for bearing with us during this crucial stage of the London Bridge rebuild. Our new timetable – and the temporary changes being put in place between Saturday 27 August and Thursday 1 September - will mean changes for some passengers and we urge people to please check before they travel.”

For all journeys over the August Bank Holiday, commuters should check times at southeasternrailway.co.uk or nationalrail.co.uk.