Road and rail closure to affect London commuters this month

At the end of October, train services between Clapham Junction, Willesden, and Watford Junction will be disrupted for four days when Network Rail renews a level crossing at Mitre Bridge in West London. Disruption will affect part of the London Overground Mildmay line and Southern services on the West London Line from 1:40 am on Saturday, 25th October until 5:15 am on Wednesday, 29th October, and during this period, the level crossing will also be closed to motorists. The work is necessary as the level crossing is at the end of its design life, and is essential to secure the future of the infrastructure and to allow continued vehicular access to an industrial estate at Willesden.

Aerial view of Mitre Bridge level crossing // Credit: Network Rail

The closure has been planned for the October half-term school holidays to minimise disruption.

Engineers will work around the clock to replace railway track, sleepers, drainage systems and equipment. Work will also be carried out elsewhere in the area, including renewal of 2,000 metres of high-voltage power cables used for communications and signalling between Clapham Junction and West Brompton, and upgrading a set of points at Kensington Olympia. To carry out this important work to keep Mitre Bridge level crossing safe and reliable for years to come, the railway needs to be closed for four days between 25 and 28 October, and London Overground and Southern passengers should plan their journeys in advance and check before travelling.

This is essential infrastructure work by Network Rail that is crucial to maintaining the safety and reliability of London Overground services for the long term.

Passengers can plan their journeys in advance from Saturday, 27th September, and should also check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk [1] or at TfL.gov.uk [2].

Aerial view of train crossing Mitre Bridge level crossing // Credit: Network Rail

Network Rail has a programme to upgrade level crossings and is currently carrying out renewals at Ely in Cambridgeshire and at Saddleworth in Greater Manchester.[3][4]

"I know these works will mean some journeys through west London will be disrupted over the October half term, but they'll also bring long-term reliability for key infrastructure which our services rely on through West London for plenty of half terms to come.

If you're planning to travel between October 25 and 28, we've got ticket acceptance in place with buses and other train operators to help you get where you need to be, and I encourage passengers to check online before travelling."

Jenny Saunders, Southern's Customer Service Director

References

^ www.nationalrail.co.uk (www.nationalrail.co.uk)
^ TfL.gov.uk (TfL.gov.u)
^ at Ely in Cambridgeshire (www.railadvent.co.uk)
^ Saddleworth in Greater Manchester. (www.railadvent.co.uk)