Network Rail has issued a reminder about the upcoming essential railway upgrades on the Bakerloo line and London Overground, which will affect passengers in Harrow and surrounding areas. The upgrades are scheduled to take place over six days at the beginning of August.
From Saturday, 3 August to Thursday, 8 August 2024, Network Rail engineers will undertake £2 million worth of improvements on a 16-mile stretch of railway in north London.
This closure is necessary to upgrade outdated equipment prone to failure. Completion of these critical works aims to improve the reliability of the railway for passengers.
The six-day improvements will include the renewal of the power system supplying the signalling equipment. This involves installing 32.5km of new cabling and several lineside power distribution cabinets. Additionally, 3km of conductor rail, the part of the track providing power to trains, will be upgraded.
The high voltage power system that provides power to the trains through the conductor rails will also be renewed, which includes replacing 3km of aging 11kv power cables. Track switches and crossings, which guide trains from one track to another and allow them to cross paths, will also be upgraded.
The upgrades 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 week 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.
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.
“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.”
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 reminded to check www.nationalrail.co.uk for further updates on how railway upgrades could impact their journeys.
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