These are details of the forthcoming engineering works on the Metropolitan line to replace old and worn out track and drainage between Baker Street and Finchley Road.
From Monday 16 May for approximately two years the Metropolitan line will be closing earlier on Monday to Wednesday evenings between Wembley Park and Aldgate, and on Tuesday to Thursday mornings first trains on this section of the line will start up slightly later.
This extension to our normal overnight engineering hours is to facilitate a huge programme of track and drainage renewal in the tunnels between Finchley Road and Baker Street to address long standing water ingress issues that cause disruption to the service, especially after periods of heavy rain. We have chosen to extend its normal evening engineering hours so that the work can be completed in around two years. The alternative would have involved either a full closure of this section of the line for almost six months or a very large number of weekend closures over seven years.
We have carefully planned these works to keep disruption to customers to a minimum, taking into account that on Monday to Wednesday evenings the Metropolitan line is up to 30 per cent quieter after 22:00 than it is later in the week. We will also suspend the extension to engineering hours on any evenings when events are due to take place at Wembley Stadium.
Details of changes to last train times and alternative travel advice
From 16 May, the last southbound Metropolitan line on Monday to Wednesday evenings will depart from Wembley Park at 21:45.
The last direct northbound Metropolitan line trains will depart from Baker Street on Monday to Wednesday evenings at the following times:
- From Baker Street to Watford: 22.13
- From Baker Street to Amersham: 22:35
- From Baker Street to Uxbridge: 22:40
- From Baker Street to Chesham: 22:50
After these times, for journeys between Baker Street, Finchley Road and Wembley Park customers can use the Jubilee line. For journeys between Baker Street and Aldgate, customers will still be able to use the Circle or Hammersmith & City lines.
Metropolitan line trains will continue to serve all stations north of Wembley Park during this work. A revised Metropolitan line service will operate north of Wembley Park:
Wembley Park to Amersham – 2 trains per hour (tph)
Wembley Park to Chesham – 2tph
Wembley Park to Uxbridge – 6tph
Harrow-on-the-Hill to Watford – 4tph
Chiltern Railways services also run between Amersham, Chalfont & Latimer, Chorleywood, Rickmansworth, Harrow-on-the-Hill and Marylebone.
Changes to early morning services on Tuesday to Thursday mornings
On Tuesday to Thursday mornings the first three Metropolitan line trains between Wembley Park and Baker Street in both the north and southbound directions will not run. The very small number of customers who would normally use these early services will need to re-time their journeys slightly and/or use the first Jubilee line trains instead.
During the rest of the week works will be carried out in our normal engineering hours, with first and last trains running as normal.
There will also be some weekend closures of the Metropolitan line south of Wembley Park, which provide engineers with 52 hours of access to the railway which allows us to get more work completed at a much quicker rate. Full details of our weekend track closures can be found here.