Commuters have been thanked for their patience over the last month after Network Rail completed repair work at Lewisham station at the weekend.

A number of trains had to be diverted from their normal routes – the most affected services being Dartford to Victoria trains which were diverted via Sidcup – after Network Rail took emergency action to remove a damaged piece of railway.

The unique layout of the Lewisham tracks meant a bespoke replacement had to be made at a specialist steelworks in Scunthorpe before being installed on Friday night.

Network Rail’s area director for Kent Ellie Burrows said: “We have really appreciated everyone’s patience this month and I understand what an impact the changed timetable has had on people.

“Keeping passengers safe is our top priority and that’s why we had to replace the damaged piece of railway.”

Southeastern managing director David Statham said he is pleased that the service is now able to return to normal.

He said: “We’ve worked closely with our colleagues at Network Rail to ensure that the repair could be carried out as soon as possible.

“I’m grateful to all of our passengers for their patience over the past few weeks and pleased that we’ll be able to offer a better level of service on the route now that this work is complete.”