Network Rail will complete a series of essential railway upgrades on the Bakerloo line and London Overground next month.
From Saturday 3 August to Thursday 8 August 2024, Network Rail engineers will carry out improvements valued at 2 million GBP on a 16-mile stretch of railway in north London.
This work will see engineers upgrade life-expired equipment that is prone to failure, thus improving the reliability of the railway.
Specific improvements include:
- Renewal of the power system which supplies the signalling equipment along these lines. 32.5 kilometres of new cabling will be installed, along with a number of lineside power distribution cabinets.
- Upgrading 3 kilometres of conductor rail, which is the part of the track that provides power to trains via a steel rail.
- Renewal of the high voltage power system that provides power to the trains through the conductor rails. Here, 3 kilometres of aging 11kv power cables will be replaced.
- Upgrading track switches and crossings
This work will result in the temporary closure Bakerloo line between Queen’s Park and Harrow & Wealdstone stations and the London Overground between Euston and Watford Junction stations.
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.
