Railway upgrades to impact Bakerloo line and London Overground in August 2024

Credit: Network Rail

Network Rail has announced that essential railway upgrades will take place over six days in August, affecting passengers on the Bakerloo line and London Overground. From 3 August to 8 August 2024, engineers will carry out £2 million worth of improvements to a 16-mile stretch of railway in North London.

The closure will facilitate the renewal of life-expired equipment prone to failure, enhancing the reliability of the railway for passengers. Key improvements include:

• Renewal of the power system for signalling equipment, involving the installation of 32.5km of new cabling and several lineside power distribution cabinets
• Upgrading 3km of conductor rail, which powers trains via a steel rail
• Renewal of the high voltage power system with 3km of new 11kV power cables
• Upgrading track switches and crossings to improve train movement and prevent future disruptions.

The affected routes include the Bakerloo line between Queen’s Park and Harrow & Wealdstone stations, and the London Overground between Euston and Watford Junction stations.

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Passengers are advised to plan their journeys in advance by checking the National Rail and Transport for London (TfL) websites. Alternative rail lines and existing or temporary bus routes will be available during the upgrade period.

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.”

Alex Williams, Chief Customer and Strategy Officer at TfL, said: “We’re sorry for the disruption that Network Rail’s essential infrastructure upgrade work will cause to our customers’ journeys and are working closely with them to minimise the impact. Closures of this type enable work to be carried out which will make customer journeys more reliable in future and are scheduled to take place, where possible, in school holidays when demand on our network is significantly reduced. We advise our customers to use TfL’s Journey Planner or the TfL Go app to plan their journeys in advance during this period.”

Passengers are encouraged to stay informed and plan ahead to ensure smooth travel during the upgrade period.