Customers set for a smoother ride on the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines
24 Mar 2014 04:41 PM
London Underground (LU) is set to improve the
reliability of service and renew old infrastructure on the Uxbridge branch,
which is served by both the Metropolitan and Piccadilly
lines.
Between 19 July and 10 August LU will be replacing 6km
of track, points and track drainage.
The
work to be carried out under this block closure marks the culmination of a
major programme of improvements that have been carried out in recent years to
replace life-expired track and drainage and modernise other infrastructure on
this part of the network.
LU
has planned this work to be carried out during a quieter period on the network,
when the schools are on summer break.
Doing the work as a block closure also reduces the
number of weekend closures that would have been needed.
George McInulty, LU's Programme Director of
Infrastructure, said: `The track replacement work on the Uxbridge branch is a
crucial part of the Metropolitan line upgrade.
`In
recent years our customers have seen the arrival of the new walk-through
air-conditioned trains and in the future will benefit from more frequent and
faster services when new signalling is installed.
`However for customers to fully benefit from all these
improvements it is essential that we upgrade the track and infrastructure to
support it.
`Carrying out a block closure of this section of the
network will enable us to complete the work in just over three weeks as opposed
to fourteen weekend closures.
`This approach means that there will be no time lost due
to set-up and hand-back of works, which minimises working time and helps to
significantly reduce the cost - saving around £3 million of tax and fare
payers' money- and ultimately keeping disruption to customers to an
absolute minimum.'
During the week the line will be suspended on the
Metropolitan line between Uxbridge and Ruislip and on the Piccadilly line
between Uxbridge to Rayners Lane.
On
two weekends the closures will be extended on the Metropolitan line between
Uxbridge to Wembley Park and Northwood and on the other two between Uxbridge
and Rayners Lane.
Throughout the closure, ticket acceptance will be
granted on local buses in the area and a rail replacement bus service will be
in operation connecting with the Central line at West Ruislip.
This work is part of London Underground's £10
billion programme of continuous improvement, which has already delivered huge
improvements to the London Underground network.
The
completion of upgrade work on the Victoria and Jubilee lines has delivered
faster journeys and train frequencies amongst the highest in
Europe.
This year the Northern line upgrade work will be
complete, and works on the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and
Metropolitan line continue apace wit new air-conditioned walk-through trains
having already been introduced on those lines.
Line closures while work takes place are as
follows:
Monday to Friday |
Weekend |
Metropolitan line |
Piccadilly line |
|
19th - 20th July 2014 |
Uxbridge to Wembley Park &
Northwood
|
Uxbridge to Rayners Lane |
21st - 25th July 2014 |
|
Uxbridge to Ruislip |
Uxbridge to Rayners Lane |
|
26th - 27th July 2014 |
Uxbridge to Wembley Park &
Northwood
|
Uxbridge to Rayners Lane |
28th July - 1st August 2014 |
|
Uxbridge to Ruislip
|
Uxbridge to Rayners Lane |
|
2nd - 3rd August 2014 |
Uxbridge to Rayners Lane |
Uxbridge to Rayners Lane |
4th - 8th August 2014 |
|
Uxbridge to Ruislip |
Uxbridge to Rayners Lane |
|
9th - 10th August 2014 |
Uxbridge to Rayners Lane |
Uxbridge to Rayners Lane |