Overground and District Line services in Chiswick will be disrupted
Kew Railway Bridge is 155 years old. Picture: Network Rail
August 29, 2024
The London Overground and District line will partially close over four weekends from September to October for repair works. The closures have been put in place for Network Rail engineers to repair the 155-year-old Kew Railway Bridge, which runs over the River Thames between Kew Gardens and Gunnersbury stations.
The major works are needed as the 25-year-old wheel timbers on the Grade II listed bridge, which hold the rails in place, are in poor condition. This makes them more likely to cause track faults and delays for passengers.
Network Rail said it has been working with Transport for London (TfL) to reduce delays for passengers as journeys across the bridge have experienced an increase in disruption in recent weeks.
The works will see engineers replace more than 570 wheel timbers on the bridge with those made from a more durable material that will need less maintenance and last longer. They will install new rails near the bridge to replace sections that are worn out.
Engineers will also carry out maintenance on the route, including improving train detection systems, upgrading signals at Richmond and cutting back plants to improve visibility for train drivers and reduce the risk of flooding at Gunnersbury. They will also replace points, which allow trains to change tracks, at Gunnersbury and Richmond.
Network Rail said the works will improve the reliability of services for passengers by slashing the risk of faults occurring on the lines. Simon Milburn, infrastructure director at Network Rail Anglia, said, “We need to replace the deteriorating wheel timbers on Kew Railway Bridge so that we can continue to run trains over the River Thames safely and reliably in future.
“This is a vital job that will help to keep this wonderful heritage structure operating as a key part of these busy railway lines. We will also use this closure to carry out other maintenance work to help deliver a reliable service for our customers.”
Rail replacement buses will operate during the works. Network Rail advised passengers to check TfL’s website before they travel on the affected weekends.
Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September
There will be no Overground service between Richmond/Shepherd’s Bush and Gospel Oak. A special train service will operate between Willesden Junction (low level) and Stratford via Kensal Green, Queen’s Park, Kilburn High Road, South Hampstead, Camden Road and all stations. There will be no District line service between Richmond and Turnham Green.
Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September
There will be no Overground service between Richmond and South Acton until 1pm on Saturday. There will be no Overground service between Richmond and Willesden Junction after 1pm and all day Sunday. There will be no District line service between Earl’s Court and Richmond/Ealing Broadway.
Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 September
There will be no Overground service between Richmond and South Acton, and no District line service between Richmond and Turnham Green.
Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 October
There will be no Overground service between Richmond and South Acton, and no District line service between Richmond and Turnham Green.
Charlotte Lillywhite - Local Democracy Reporter
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |