Two key routes into central London will both close on the last weekend of January and first weekend of February
The Hertford Loop Line in Enfield
Enfield tube and rail passengers could face potential travel chaos as both the Piccadilly Line and Hertford Loop Line running into central London will shut down on two successive weekends later this winter.
A series of closures on the Piccadilly Line are planned to prepare the London Underground route for the arrival of new trains, expected to be introduced later this year.
Meanwhile, the Hertford Loop Line operated by Great Northern, which also serves the western part of the borough, needs to close for “vital improvements” to the tracks, drainage systems and overhead power lines.
But the scheduling of the works on the same, successive weekends – 25th/26th January and 1st/2nd February – could create a nightmare for people who rely on public transport to get into central London.
Rail replacement bus services will be operating in their place, while the Weaver Line of the London Overground will also be running from Enfield Town and Cheshunt stations into London Liverpool Street – although a Tottenham Hotspur football match on Sunday 26th at 2pm will add to problems that day.
The closures on the Piccadilly Line are between King’s Cross and Cockfosters. Further closures on this section are planned for the weekends of 8th/9th March, 5th/6th April, 10th/11th May, 24th-26th May (including the bank holiday) and 7th/8th June.
Explaining why the work on the Hertford Loop Line was necessary, Simon Pumphrey, Network Rail’s infrastructure director, said: “The work our teams will be carrying out over both these weekends goes well beyond regular maintenance tasks.
“This work is carefully planned to maximise the time when there are track closures, allowing us to undertake several projects at once and avoiding more frequent track closures.
“We’re sorry to passengers affected by the disruption and thank them for their patience as we make improvements that will help make the railway more reliable.”
Jenny Saunders, customer service director for Govia Thameslink Railway, which runs Great Northern, said: “We’d like to thank passengers for their patience during upgrade works to bring you more reliable journeys.
“It means we’ll be running a significantly altered service on our Thameslink and Great Northern routes north of London, over two weekends at the end of January and start of February.
“We’ve arranged replacement buses and ticket acceptance on other routes to help you complete your journeys.
“Please check one of the online journey planners before you travel and allow extra time to reach your destination.”
For more information about the Hertford Loop Line closures:Visit greatnorthernrail.com/travel-information/plan-your-journey/planned-engineering-work
For more information about the Piccadilly Line closures:Visit tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/major-works-and-events/piccadilly-line-upgrade
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