From 4 - 12 August, there will be closures on the lines for essential track replacement work
"Closing a section of the Circle and District line is not a decision we have taken lightly, but this is safety-critical work that needs to happen and by carrying it out in one closure we can reduce overall disruption"
Esther Sharples
Director of Asset Performance and Capital Delivery at TfL

TfL has today issued travel advice for Circle and District line customers ahead of complex track renewal work in August.

Between Wednesday 4 and Thursday 12 August 2021, there will be no service between Edgware Road and Aldgate via Victoria on the Circle line and from Earl's Court to Aldgate East on the District line.

On the weekend of 7 and 8 August, the planned closure on the District line will also be extended from Earl's Court to Hammersmith, Kensington Olympia, Wimbledon and Edgware Road.

Customers on these lines are advised to check before they travel and to travel at quieter times, which are currently between 08:15 and 16:00 and after 17:30 on weekdays, and before 12:00 and after 18:00 on weekends. Stations that have no service during this period all have alternative nearby stations within a 15-minute walk.

Wherever possible, customers are asked to walk or cycle all or part of their journeys. Much of Zone 1 is easily walkable and TfL is working with boroughs to create more space for people to safely walk, cycle, or scoot.

There are also Santander Cycles docking stations located near all of the affected stations. Hiring a Santander Cycle costs just £2 for unlimited journeys up to 30 minutes within a 24-hour period and cycling could reduce your journey time by 5 to 15 minutes.

In addition, there are a wide range of bus services available, and TfL will deploy additional staff across the transport network to help ensure that any disruption for customers is minimised. Travel advice for the period will be found on the TfL website.

Esther Sharples, Director of Asset Performance and Capital Delivery at TfL, said: 'We apologise for the disruption that this vital engineering work will cause and ask our customers on the Circle and District lines to check before they travel.

'Closing a section of the Circle and District line is not a decision we have taken lightly, but this is safety-critical work that needs to happen and by carrying it out in one closure we can reduce overall disruption.

'During this closure, we will be carrying out other maintenance and improvement work at stations to minimise future disruption.'

Over the nine-day closure, TfL will work between Embankment and Earl's Court. This includes completely removing the outdated long timber track at Embankment station and replacing it with concrete slab track, which involves pumping over 100 tonnes of concrete from the road level.

This will provide better journeys with greater reliability. Further work, including replacing and packing ballast underneath the track, will help facilitate faster train speeds and reduced journey times.

TfL has been working and engaging with affected businesses, local attractions and boroughs including the Exhibition Road Cultural Group to ensure they and their customers have information in time to plan journeys around the work.

With many customers already returning to the transport network since restrictions began to ease, TfL's enhanced cleaning regime continues to ensure the network is cleaner than ever.

Trains, trams, buses and stations are cleaned with hospital-grade cleaning substances that kill viruses and bacteria on contact and provide ongoing protection.

Independent testing by Imperial College London has been carried out monthly since September, taking swabs of touch points in stations, on buses and of air samples in ticket halls and has found no traces of coronavirus on the transport network.

Notes to editors

  • Travel advice for the affected period can be found here: https://tfl.gov.uk/circle-district
  • Find your nearest Santander Cycles docking point here: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/santander-cycles/find-a-docking-station
  • TfL's West End walking map, Walking Times between stations map and cycling map can help customers plan their walking or cycling journey around central London
  • South Kensington, Sloane Square, St James's Park, Embankment, Temple, Mansion House and Tower Hill Tube stations will be completely closed for nine days, the duration of the works
  • Customers visiting central London attractions are advised to walk and cycle where possible. Much of central London is walkable and Santander Cycle hire docking stations are available throughout Zone 1.  Customers travelling to the Natural History, Science or Victoria & Royal Albert museums are encouraged to walk or cycle from the following stations:

o    Knightsbridge station (approx. 15-minute walk)
o    Earl's Court station (step-free access, approx.16-minute walk)
o    Lancaster Gate station (approx.25-minute walk via Hyde Park)
o    Queensway station (approx.25-minute walk via Hyde Park)
o    Paddington station (step-free for services towards EdgwareRoad and TfL Rail, approx.30-minute walk via Hyde Park) 
o    Victoria station (step-free access, approx. 35-minute walk)

  • There is a lead time of up to a year to plan for significant renewals works like these, which includes designing and manufacturing the new track layout, securing specialist staff and equipment and avoiding existing planned work, so it was unfortunately not possible to immediately react to the coronavirus pandemic and carry out the work during lockdowns
  • As London emerges from lockdown, TfLforecasts customer numbers to remain significantly lower than before the pandemic, with around two thirds of pre-pandemic demand expected to be travelling over this summer
  • Travel advice for the South Kensington escalator works is available here: https://tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/major-works-and-events/south-kensington-escalator-works