Disruption on the Tube line is being caused by a track fault that engineers are working to fix
An ongoing part closure along a London Underground line is to continue for another six days Transport for London (TfL) has warned, with passengers urged to use alternative transport methods. TfL has told commuters that the Metropolitan Line will remain out of bounds between Aldgate and Baker Street until at least the end of Saturday, November 8, and suggested using the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines to complete any journeys.
TfL posted on X: “The current suspension of Metropolitan line services between Aldgate and Baker Street is expected to remain in place until the end of Saturday (November 8), with minor delays on the rest of the line. Services are expected to resume on Sunday (November 9).
“This is so that we can fix a track fault at Baker Street. Not operating Metropolitan line services beyond Baker Street while our engineers work on repairing the fault.
“If you’re travelling to central London, we advise changing at Baker Street for Bakerloo, Circle and Hammersmith & City line services. Or use the Jubilee line from either Finchley Road or Baker Street. Please allow extra time for your journeys, and check before you travel.”
Future planned closures of the Metropolitan line include on Saturday, November 15 and Sunday, November 16 between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Uxbridge. There is also an ongoing part suspension on the Piccadilly line with no service between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge all day (Monday, November 3) to prevent damage to train wheels caused by expected significant leaf fall. Passengers in this area are urged to use the Metropolitan line to complete journeys.
Last year the same stretch shut for two-and-a-half months between mid-November and the end of January for the same reason. This was brought on by two storms in quick succession which led a significant amount of leaves falling on the track.
TfL workers struggled to clear this, which led to a mulch forming. Within a few weeks almost all Piccadilly line trains were damaged due ‘wheel flats’, which happens when the brakes are applied but the wheels slide – causing erosion on the track.
As a result of this, the line between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge remained shut while Piccadilly line trains were repaired. In September TfL assured a “robust action plan” has been put in place to limit the impact of leaf fall, which involved clearing trackside vegetation and running specialist engineering trains along affected sections.
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