The last ever Southeastern train on the Greenwich line to Charing Cross will leave tonight - with major route changes kicking in from the weekend.

As part of work on the Thameslink programme, Charing Cross services to and from New Cross, St Johns, Deptford, Greenwich, Maze Hill and Westcombe Park will be permanently diverted to and from Cannon Street. 

There will also be fewer peak trains - two less in the morning peak, and four less trains in the evening peak.

And, from this Monday until August 2016, remaining Southeastern rail services to and from Charing Cross will not call at London Bridge. Cannon Street services will still stop there.

In addition, improvement work to the tracks means that there are no Southeastern trains to Charing Cross, Waterloo East and Cannon Street and very few to London Bridge this weekend only. 

The changes are because work is about to begin on platforms on the north side of London Bridge station, where trains run through to Charing Cross and Waterloo East, as part of the £6.5bn government-sponsored Thameslink Programme.

David Statham, managing director of Southeastern, said: "The project to rebuild London Bridge station will provide a brand new station with a concourse the size of the pitch at Wembley Stadium, new journey opportunities to the north and south of England, and it will untangle the railway lines to remove the bottleneck we experience today.

"This will however, mean our passengers, particularly those who use London Bridge station will need to change their travel patterns while the work is carried out. Our new timetable is designed to provide a service that meets demand at a time when track capacity has much reduced, whilst also providing new journey opportunities, longer trains and later services. 

"We consulted with our customers and stakeholders to develop our plans and this timetable balances the competing needs of passengers with the infrastructure constraints."

From January to the end of August 2016, National Rail tickets to and from London terminals issued by Southeastern, Thameslink and Southern trains will be accepted at selected Underground stations in south London without extra charge.

Transport chiefs will be hoping for a better result next week than the widespread disruption and huge crowds which followed a new timetable being introduced for Southern and Thameslink trains at London Bridge this week.

The Jubilee line at London Bridge, and other stations including Blackfriars, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Embankment, Elephant and Castle, Southwark, Victoria and Waterloo are likely to be busier than usual due to diverted National Rail passengers.  

Parts of the London Overground network, especially Canada Water, Brockley and New Cross, the DLR and some bus services are also likely to be busier. Customers who have flexibility in their journey times are advised to avoid peak times at Canada Water if they can.
 
Extra station and bus staff are being deployed to offer additional customers assistance, and extra services on the bus network are being provided, including route 21 between London Bridge and Lewisham and the 47 from London Bridge to Lewisham.

Changes to services at a glance:

• Charing Cross trains won’t stop at London Bridge from January 2015 until August 2016. If passengers need London Bridge they should catch a Cannon Street service or interchange en route.

• Charing Cross services to and from New Cross, St Johns, Deptford, Greenwich, Maze Hill and Westcombe Park will be permanently diverted to and from Cannon Street. There will be fewer peak trains (two fewer trains in the morning peak, and four fewer trains in the evening peak). The line will be served by longer trains to boost capacity in peak hours

• Charing Cross services to Plumstead, Woolwich Dockyard, Belvedere and Erith will also be diverted to run to/from Cannon Street

• Longer opening hours for Cannon Street station (0500-0100), including all day opening on Sundays. (Cannon Street tube station to also offer longer opening hours) 

• Diversion of some trains from Rochester, Broadstairs, Ashford, Dover and Orpington into London Blackfriars 

• Catford Loop services no longer part of the Southeastern timetable as they have transferred to Thameslink.

For more details, visit southeasternrailway.co.uk