Highly complex work took place over weekend rather than through week-long closure
"Our engineers have done a fantastic job of renewing the older assets on the Bakerloo line, which will result in fewer problems and a much more reliable service for Bakerloo line customers"
Mark Wild
Managing Director of London Underground

Transport for London (TfL) has completed incredibly complex engineering work on the Bakerloo line to boost reliability and improve journey times. The work is part of a £2.3billion programme to modernise the Tube and improve customers' journeys.

The essential improvements involved upgrading key junctions at Paddington, as well as replacing over 100 metres of track Queen's Park. The work at Paddington was particularly complex, with TfL's team of engineers working with liquid concrete and signalling equipment in confined spaces deep underground. Additionally, the opportunity was taken to complete maintenance work at Lambeth North during the closure.

To minimise disruption to customers, the intricate project was completed over two weekend closures rather than by closing the line for a full week. The Bakerloo line connects key mainline stations including Paddington, Marylebone and Charing Cross to the Underground. Nearly 120 million journeys were made on the line in 2016/17.

The London Underground (LU) Renewals & Enhancements team has more improvement work planned which will:

  • replace old, outdated equipment with more modern, reliable equivalents;
  • renew older infrastructure to improve safety and reduce maintenance costs;
  • boost train frequency on large parts of the Tube;
  • greatly improve accessibility in line with the Mayor's target for 40 per cent of the network to be step-free by 2022.

Mark Wild, TfL's Managing Director of London Underground, said:

'This was incredibly challenging and complex engineering work, carried out quickly in very tight spaces. Our engineers have done a fantastic job of renewing the older assets on the Bakerloo line, which will result in fewer problems and a much more reliable service for Bakerloo line customers. Further investment into the line also includes the planned Bakerloo Line Extension, which will further boost capacity in the future and support new jobs and homes.'