Metropolitan Line journeys to be made quicker and more reliable

London Underground (LU) will begin major work on the Metropolitan line from Monday 16 May, making journeys quicker and more reliable for customers.

The condition of the track and drainage between Baker Street and Finchley Road is very poor. It is prone to flooding after periods of heavy rain and is a regular cause of signal failures, which delays customers.

To help resolve the problem, engineers will replace 6.4km of track and drainage systems between Baker Street and Finchley Road.

LU has chosen to extend its normal evening engineering hours so 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.

The extended engineering hours will mean that on Monday to Wednesday evenings the Metropolitan line will close earlier than usual, at around 10pm between Aldgate and Wembley Park. Some very early morning trains on Tuesdays to Thursdays will also be affected. A very small number of weekend closures will also take place to allow works to progress at a faster rate.

For journeys between Baker Street and Aldgate, customers will still be able to use the Circle or Hammersmith & City lines. For journeys between Baker Street, Finchley Road and Wembley Park customers can use the Jubilee line. Metropolitan line trains will continue to serve all stations north of Wembley Park during this work.

David Waboso CBE, London Underground's Capital Programmes Director, said: `Our engineers will be working as quickly as possible to replace the track and drainage systems on this stretch of the Metropolitan line. I apologise to customers for the disruption but when the work is complete they will immediately benefit from a more reliable service.'

Monday to Wednesday nights are the quietest times on the Metropolitan line when there are up to 30 per cent fewer journeys compared to the latter half of the week.

During the rest of the week, regular engineering hours will be utilised for these works. Last trains on Thursday to Sunday evenings will therefore continue to run as normal.

More detailed travel advice is available on the TfL website: tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/metropolitan-line-weekday-closures

LU will publicise information about the work and how to avoid delays, with customer emails, online information including via the @metline Twitter account, posters and announcements in stations.