Londoners planning to travel on the Overground this weekend should check their route before they set off, with planned engineering works set to disrupt three of the network’s lines between Thursday night and Sunday evening.
The Suffragette, Weaver and Windrush lines will all see partial closures from 8 October to 11 October, with Sunday the worst-affected day. TfL is advising passengers to use alternative Tube, bus or rail services wherever possible and to allow extra time for their journeys.
The works form part of the regular maintenance programme that keeps the capital’s railways running, and the closures have been timed to cause as little disruption as possible. Here is a full breakdown of every closure and how to get around each one.
Suffragette Line: closures on Sunday morning and evening
Services on the Suffragette Line, which runs between Gospel Oak and Barking Riverside, face the heaviest disruption of the weekend.
On Sunday 11 October, no trains will run between Gospel Oak and Barking until 9.45am, and services will stop again after 11pm. Between Barking and Barking Riverside, there will be no trains at all on Sunday.
Passengers are being advised to use Tube services or local bus routes instead. Those travelling to or from Barking Riverside can use the EL1 bus, which serves the riverside development and connects with the wider bus network.
Weaver Line: suspended on Sunday morning, late-night closures next week
The Weaver Line will be completely out of service until 10.15am on Sunday, meaning no trains will run anywhere on the line during the early part of the day. Passengers should use the Tube or local and replacement bus services instead.
The disruption then continues into next week. From Monday 12 October to Thursday 15 October, no trains will run between Hackney Downs and Enfield Town or Cheshunt after 10.45pm each night, so late-evening travellers will need to find another way home.
Windrush Line: Thursday night and Sunday closures
The Windrush Line is affected on two days. Tonight, Thursday 8 October, no trains will run between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction after 11.15pm.
On Sunday 11 October, there will be no service between Wandsworth Road and Clapham Junction. While the closure is in place, Windrush Line trains will call at Battersea Park instead.
How to get around the closures
With three lines affected across the weekend, here is how to keep moving.
Barking and the riverside: With the Suffragette Line shut between Barking and Barking Riverside all day on Sunday, the EL1 bus is the key alternative for reaching the riverside. Barking itself is well connected, with the District line and the Hammersmith & City line plus local buses offering routes into central London that avoid the closed sections.
North and east London: When the Weaver Line is suspended on Sunday morning, the Victoria line serves Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale and offers a fast route into central London. Passengers should check TfL’s journey planner for the best alternative from their starting station.
South London: Windrush Line passengers affected by the closure between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction can look to nearby stations and local bus routes to bridge the gap. On Sunday, trains will call at Battersea Park instead of the closed section, where onward Southern rail connections are available.
Late-night travel next week: Anyone using the Weaver Line after 10.45pm between Monday and Thursday should plan an alternative in advance, as the last trains north of Hackney Downs will leave earlier than usual. Night buses and connecting Tube services are the most reliable fallbacks.
Check before you travel
TfL urges all passengers to check their journey before travelling using the TfL Journey Planner or the TfL Go app, which will show the latest service information and suggest alternative routes around the closures.
Live departure boards at stations and TfL’s status updates page will also carry the latest information throughout the weekend. Engineering works can overrun, so it is worth checking again on the day you travel.
If you are heading out this weekend, the message is simple: plan ahead, allow extra time and have a backup route in mind. London Streets has been tracking the capital’s weekend engineering works throughout the autumn — see our full list of Overground closures from the last weekend of September and our round-up of Tube and rail closures from the first weekend of October for more.
