Network Rail has announced essential works are to happen across the Bakerloo line and London Overground across July and August.
The major upgrades on the 20 mile stretch of track will involve installing 18,000 modern concrete sleepers in place of wooden ones dating back to the 1950s alongside upgrading 1km of railway drainage between Harlesden and Stonebridge Park. Cabling for signalling will also be replaced across 48km of both the underground and overground lines.
Following from other projects which have used a similar approach, Network Rail will be closing the lines over a large period of time and in three phases to minimise long-term effects. The signal replacements which will be happening in August would typically take 10 years to complete if completed over weekend working schedules.
James Dean, Network Rail’s West Coast South route director, said: “We know there’s never an ideal time to close the railway, so I’d like to thank passengers for their understanding in advance while we carry out these significant improvements to the Bakerloo line and London Overground.”
Further work will also be completed on several stations on the lines including Harlesden, Headstone Lane, Kensal Green, North Wembley, South Kenton and Watford High Street with platform resurfacing and roof canopy maintenance being completed.
The work will initially be carried out in three phases starting from Sunday 23 July and finishing on Friday 25 August.
Geoff Hobbs, director of public transport service planning for TfL, said: “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.
Photo: TfL
