It’s always a sensible idea to have a gander at the TfL website before you set off on a journey across the capital. But we’d particularly urge you to do so when travelling this coming week, as parts of the Bakerloo Line and the London Overground are set to close for a six-day stint of maintenance.
Network Rail will be carrying out a whopping £2 million worth of essential improvements on a 16-mile stretch of railway between August 3 – August 8. Customers have been advised to use London buses during the six-day closure in north London.
What parts of the lines will be affected?
The works will affect the Bakerloo Line between Queen’s Park and Harrow and Wealdstone stations. The London Overground will also be closed between Euston and Watford Junction. Passengers can also expect fewer services to be running on the rest of the Bakerloo Line, as there will be no access to one of TfL’s depots as a result of the line closure.
What maintenance work is taking place?
Considering that it’s costing them the fairly hefty sum of £2 million; there are unsurprisingly a fair few things taking place during the closure. The power system that supplies that signalling equipment along the line is being replaced – complete with 32.5km of new cabling. 3km of conducter rail (the part of the track that provides power to the trains) is being upgraded and the high voltage power system is being renewed.
Track switches and crossings (the moveable sections of the track that guide trains from one track to another) are also being upgraded. Completion of this vital work is set to improve the reliability of the railway – and that’s something we will always welcome with open arms.
During the six-day closure, temporary bus routes (718, 719 and 720) will be available, providing connections to the Bakerloo, Jubilee and Metropolitan lines.
Speaking on the closures earlier this year, Gary Walsh, Network Rail’s West Coast South route director, said: “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.”
Find our more about the six-day closure here.