Warning of a week-long closure of the Bakerloo and Overground lines in north London

Part of the London Overground and the Bakerloo line will be closed for nearly a week in early August due to railway engineering works being carried out by Network Rail.

From Saturday 3rd August to Thursday 8th August 2024, Network Rail engineers will carry out £2m worth of improvements to a 16-mile stretch of railway in north London.

Network Rail says the closure will affect the Bakerloo line between Queen’s Park and Harrow & Wealdstone stations and the London Overground between Euston and Watford Junction stations. London Northwestern Railway (West Midlands Trains) services between Euston and Watford Junction will operate normally — but will only call at Bushey and Harrow & Wealdstone.

The closure will also restrict access to one of the Bakerloo line’s depots, so there will be fewer trains on the rest of the line through central London for the week.

During the closure, 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.

During the six-day closure, the power system that supplies the signalling equipment along these lines will be replaced. This includes 32.5km of new cabling and several lineside power distribution cabinets.

They are also upgrading 3km of conductor rail, the part of the track that provides power to trains via a steel rail, and renewing the high-voltage power system that provides power to the trains through the conductor rails. This includes replacing 3km of ageing 11kv power cables.

They will also be upgrading track switches and crossings, which are moveable sections of track that guide trains from one track to another and allow them to cross paths.

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.”