Bakerloo line and London Overground passengers are being advised of essential railway upgrades which will impact journeys over six days in August.
From Saturday 3 August to Thursday 8 August 2024, Network Rail engineers will carry out GBP 2m worth of improvements to a 16 mile stretch of railway in north London.
This closure is being used to upgrade life-expired equipment that is prone to failure. Completion of these critical works will improve the reliability of the railway for passengers.
Bakerloo line and London Overground upgrades
The improvements over the six days will include:
- Renewal of the power system which supplies the signalling equipment along these lines. This includes 32.5km of new cabling along with a number of lineside power distribution cabinets.
- Upgrading 3km of conductor rail, which is the part of the track that provides power to trains via a steel rail.
- Renewal of the high voltage power system that provides power to the trains through the conductor rails. This includes replacing 3km of aging 11kv power cables.
- Upgrading track switches and crossings – these are moveable sections of track that guide trains from one track to another and allow them to cross paths.
Network Rail is making use of this six-day closure to complete a variety of different infrastructure upgrade projects to not only improve the efficient running of the railway but also to prevent future disruption.
This will affect the Bakerloo line between Queen’s Park and Harrow & Wealdstone stations and the London Overground between Euston and Watford Junction stations.
With less than a month to go until the work starts, passengers are being advised to plan ahead by checking www.nationalrail.co.uk, tfl.gov.uk/bakerloo-overground or the Transport for London (TfL) Go app.
From Saturday 3 August to Thursday 8 August, TfL customers affected by the upgrades can complete their journeys by using alternative rail lines, and existing or temporary bus routes*
We know there’s never an ideal time to close the railway, but working on consecutive days means that we can keep the railway open as much as possible throughout the rest of the year. I’d like to thank passengers for their understanding and patience in advance while we carry out these significant improvements to the Bakerloo line and London Overground.
I appreciate that doing this essential work is disruptive for passengers so I’d urge people to keep in mind the line between Euston and Watford Junction will be closed and to check National Rail Enquiries and TfL for alternative public transport options in and out of London,” Gary Walsh, Network Rail’s West Coast South route director, said.
Temporary bus routes
Temporary bus routes 718, 719 and 720 will be available during the closure periods and will provide connections to the Bakerloo, Jubilee or Metropolitan lines
- Route 718 will run between Queen’s Park and Harrow & Wealdstone
- Route 719 will run between Queen’s Park and Wembley Park (weekdays only, 07:30 to 20:30)
- Route 720 will run between Watford Junction and Harrow-on-the-Hill (via Harrow & Wealdstone)
Standard fares will be in operation on these routes. TfL’s Hopper fare gives customers unlimited bus journeys for £1.75, made within one hour of touching in.
Customers for central London should use London Northwestern Railway (West Midlands Trains) services from Watford Junction, Bushey or Harrow & Wealdstone, which will operate as normal
There will be fewer services running on the rest of the Bakerloo line between Elephant & Castle and Queen’s Park during the closure periods as there will be no access to one of TfL’s depots meaning fewer trains are available. Service frequency on the remainder of the line is available on Tf
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