There will be major disruptions on the London Overground and Bakerloo line this summer as 16 miles of rail lines are shut.

Network Rail engineers will be carrying out upgrades on the two lines, impacting Watford Junction and nearby stations over six days in August.

From August 3 to 8, the Bakerloo line will be closed between Queen’s Park and Harrow & Wealdstone and the Overground will be impacted between Watford Junction and London Euston.

Which stations are impacted?

Overground stations affected: Euston, South Hampstead, Kilburn High Road, Queen’s Park, Kensal Green, Willesden Junction, Harlesden, Stonebridge Park, Wembley Central, North Wembley, South Kenton, Kenton, Harrow & Wealdstone, Headstone Lane, Hatch End, Carpenders Park, Bushey, Watford High Street and Watford Junction.

Bakerloo line stations affected include Queen’s Park, Kensal Green, Willesden Junction, Harlesden, Stonebridge Park, Wembley Central, North Wembley, South Kenton, Kenton and Harrow & Wealdstone.

How can I get around?

Transport for London has advised customers to use alternative rail lines and existing bus routes.

Temporary bus routes will also be in place during the period including:

  • The 718 – running between Queen’s Park and Harrow & Wealdstone
  • The 719 – running between Queen’s Park and Wembley Park on weekdays only, between 7.30am to 8.30pm
  • The 720 – running between Watford Junction and Harrow-on-the-Hill, via Harrow & Wealdstone.

How about the rest of the Bakerloo line?

While the whole line is not shut, there will be fewer services running on the rest of the Bakerloo between Elephant & Castle and Queen’s Park, as there will be no access to one of TfL’s depots, meaning fewer trains are available.

What works are taking place?

Network Rail has said that this will upgrade “life-expired equipment” that is prone to failure.

It includes the renewal of the power system that supplies signalling equipment along these lines, upgrading 3km of the conductor rail, renewing the high voltage power system that powers trains, and upgrading track switches and crossings.

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.”

Alex Williams, chief customer and strategy officer at TfL, added: “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.”