Essential upgrade works are needed to prepare the London Underground route for the arrival of new trains next year

The Piccadilly Line will be completely shut down between Wood Green and Cockfosters for 16 days in August, Transport for London (TfL) has announced.

The London Underground route needs to be upgraded in time for the arrival of new tube trains that are being introduced next year, with testing set to begin at the end of this year.

The fleet of 94 new trains are part of a £2.9billion investment to modernise the line, to help it run more reliably, safely, inclusively and sustainably. The scale of the upgrade, which will take place on one of London’s deepest tube lines with some of the oldest track and signalling infrastructure, means that a series of closures is required.

The longest closure period will be a 16-day shut down of the line between Wood Green and Cockfosters in North London, and between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge in West London, from Saturday, 17th August until Sunday, 1st September, with a reduced service expected on other parts of the Piccadilly Line due to the unavailability of trains.

Rail replacement buses will serve all stations between Wood Green and Cockfosters, although customers travelling to central London may find it quicker to use local bus services to connect to nearby alternative tube and rail stations.

In addition, there will be a series of weekend closures throughout the remainder of 2024, starting this weekend. A full list of weekend closures can be found below.

Stuart Harvey, chief capital officer at TfL, said: “I’d like to thank our customers for their patience while we carry out these essential upgrades to the Piccadilly line. The closures will help us prepare for the arrival of the fleet of 94 brand-new trains which will transform journeys on the line in the coming decades.

“Introducing a new fleet of trains is a huge engineering and logistical feat. Although much of the hard work goes on behind the scenes, there are times when we need to close sections of the railway to ensure that all existing infrastructure is compatible with the new trains. Closures of this type are scheduled to take place, where possible, in school holidays when demand on our network is significantly reduced.” 

Up to 80% of the new Piccadilly line trains will be built in the UK at Siemens Mobility’s new manufacturing facility in Goole, Yorkshire. The new trains will feature walk-through carriages, wider all-double doorways to help customers get on and off more easily, enhanced digital display screens for customer information, on-train CCTV cameras for additional customer security and will provide air-conditioning. They will increase capacity by 10% and will also improve energy efficiency and accessibility. 

Ahead of these closures, TfL will contact regular users of the Piccadilly Line with travel advice and information. In addition, posters and public address announcements will be in place at all relevant stations. 

For all of these part closures, Piccadilly Line customers are advised to plan ahead by using TfL’s real-time travel information tools including TfL Journey Planner and TfL Go, to check before travelling and to allow more time for their journeys.

Weekend Piccadilly Line closures

For more information:
Visit tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/major-works-and-events/piccadilly-line-upgrade

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