Extended weekend closures on parts of Piccadilly and District lines to affect customers in September and October

13 September 2023
  • The first closure will take place between 21:30 on Friday 15 September to Sunday 17 September
  • Further work will be completed on the District line between Thursday 26 October and Sunday 29 October
  • Closure will allow vital track work to be completed, as well as improvements to drainage

Transport for London (TfL) is advising customers using the Piccadilly and District lines that two extended weekend closures may cause disruption to their journeys in September and October. The closures will mean parts of these lines in west London are closed for longer than a weekend as essential maintenance work is completed.

This includes renewing track at Hammersmith and West Kensington Tube stations, with sleepers, rails and ballast all changed. In addition, a new drainage system will be installed at West Kensington station during the October closure, which will reduce the risk of ongoing delays on the District line. The track work completed during both closures will make journeys for customers smoother, more comfortable and more reliable.

Customers are advised to complete journeys on the Piccadilly and District lines by 20:30 on Friday 15 September as there will be no service after 21:00. From then until the end of service on Sunday 17 September, the District line will be closed from Earl's Court to Ealing Broadway and Richmond.

The Piccadilly line will be closed from Hyde Park Corner to Northfields and Uxbridge until the morning of Sunday 17 September. From then, the closure will be reduced to Hyde Park Corner to Acton Town. This will mean that the Uxbridge and Northfields branches will operate to Acton Town on Sunday 17 September, however customers will need to use rail replacement buses to complete journeys between Acton Town and central London.

Rail replacement buses will operate for all local stations on the affected parts of both lines during the closure. Customers wishing to travel to Heathrow Airport are advised to use the Elizabeth line or express coach services to and from Hammersmith. The Central and Metropolitan lines also connect to some areas affected by the closure and are scheduled to operate normally. Closed Piccadilly line stations will be served by rail replacement buses during Night Tube operating hours. The rest of both the Piccadilly and District lines are scheduled to operate as normal through the weekend, and a full service will resume across both lines on Monday 18 September.

A further closure between Thursday 26 October and Sunday 29 October will allow the work to be completed. Only the District line will be closed for this work, with no service between Earl's Court and Ealing Broadway, Richmond or Kensington (Olympia). Rail replacement buses will run again during this closure. The District line is scheduled to operate as normal on Monday 30 October.

Richard Jones, TfL's Director of Asset Performance Delivery, said: "We understand that closures like this may cause disruption to our customers, but the track work being completed is vital to ensure that the Tube can continue to operate as reliably as possible in these areas. Rail replacement buses will operate throughout the work and the Elizabeth, Central and Metropolitan lines will run as scheduled to allow customers to complete their journeys. I would encourage customers to check before they travel using our travel tools and I thank them in advance for their understanding."

Customers are advised to use the TfL Journey Planner and TfL Go to plan their journeys during these closures.

Notes to editors

Three rail replacement bus services will operate during the September closure:

  • DL1 will operate between Earl's Court and Northfields after 21:00 on Friday and on Saturday, and between Earls' Court and Acton Town on Sunday
  • PL4 will operate between Ealing Broadway and Rayners line after 21:00 on Friday and on Saturday
  • During Night Tube operating hours, DL1 will convert to PL2 and will call at additional stops in Gloucester Road, South Kensington, Knightsbridge and Hyde Park Corner
  • Full details of the rail replacement services can be found at tfl.gov.uk/status-updates