Gospel Oak-Barking Line closures as electrification work begins

Network Rail has reminded local residents and passengers that the phased closure of the Gospel OakBarking Line was due to begin on June 4, as work gets under way to electrify the route ( RAIL 800).

Until September 25 there will be no service between South Tottenham and Barking, and trains will run on weekdays only between Gospel Oak and South Tottenham.

A full closure will then run from September 26 to February 2017, to enable four sections of track to be lowered and four bridges rebuilt, making space for overhead wires. New four-car electric trains will replace current two-car diesels from January 2018 to double capacity.

From June to September a replacement bus service will run from Walthamstow Central to Barking, and from Gospel Oak to Seven Sisters (for Tottenham South) on weekends only. There is no replacement bus service between South Tottenham and Walthamstow Queen’s Road, as passengers are advised to use the Victoria Line as a faster alternative. Regular pay-as-you-go users of the line will be automatically refunded the extra cost of travelling via Zone 1 by Tube or rail.

“Passenger demand is growing, particularly in London, and NR is carrying out major upgrade work to build a bigger and better railway for passengers as part of its Railway Upgrade Plan,” said Network Rail Route Managing Director Richard Schofield.

“Electrifying a Victorian railway like this one is major engineering work to create the extra space needed for overhead power lines. It would be impossible to do this without closing the railway.”