Running all day on Saturday 7th March, the unusual London Overground service between London Bridge and West Croydon is needed because TfL engineering works are closing the Windrush line north of New Cross Gate. Therefore, on Saturday only, between 7am and 10pm, a special train service will operate between London Bridge and West Croydon, calling at New Cross Gate and all stations.
We're sorry for any disruption caused by the planned engineering works taking place on the Elizabeth line and London Overground in March. These essential upgrades will help us maintain a safe, reliable service for our customers. We advise customers to check your journey before travelling, using the TfL Go app or at TfL.gov.uk, and allow a little extra time where needed.
Travellers in and around London are being urged to plan ahead as a series of major rail closures, engineering works and reduced services are set to affect journeys over the Christmas and New Year period. This year's festive timetable adjustments could significantly alter travel plans particularly for anyone heading out of the capital by train or using key transport hubs.
Thanks to engineering works on the London Overground over the Christmas period, there's a chance to travel over a bit of railway that doesn't usually see passengers. Over Christmas, engineers will need to close the Mildmay line between Brondesbury Park and Willesden Junction to replace 10 sets of points that are currently in poor condition and held in place by deteriorating timber sleepers. Because of that closure, the Overground service between Willesden Junction and Stratford will be diverted via South Hampstead.
TfL first announced plans to extend an Overground line to Bermondsey all the way back in 2009. It was finally approved by Lewisham Council in 2022. Then, after years of setbacks, in 2024 property developers said they wanted to drop £17 million on a brand new station next to Millwall Stadium. But with no more news, by the end of 2025 south Londoners had all but given up on their dreams of a new Overground hub.
The Overground operates as a concession, in which TfL sets fares, procures rolling stock, and decides service levels. When the London Overground was set up in 2007, it was managed by a joint venture between Laing Rail and MTR, and was later taken over by Arriva Rail London in 2016. From next May, it will be managed by First Rail London (FRLL), a subsidiary of FirstGroup PLC, which has been awarded an eight-year contract which can be extended to ten years.
On the Overground, a fault with overhead wires in the Wembley area was causing severe delays on the Mildmay line as of 7am. Meanwhile the Metropolitan line was suspended between Northwood and Watford/Rickmansworth due to a signal failure. The Waterloo and City Line was also suspended due to the unavailability of control room staff. Severe delays were also being reported on the Bakerloo and District lines. Follow the latest updates below...
According to the government's New Towns Report published in autumn, TfL could take over part of the Great Northern route called the 'Great Northern Inners'. The route runs from Moorgate to Alexandra Palace via Finsbury Park, before splitting towards Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage via Hertford North. If the proposal is accepted, the route may become part of the London Overground.
Plans for a new London Overground station at Surrey Canal Road have moved forward a bit after Lewisham Council approved additional funding to get the station built. The station on the Overground's Windrush line would serve the local area and a new housing development being built around the Millwall football ground. Although not included when the Overground was extended to Clapham Junction, passive provision was left to ensure the station could be added later.
With everything going on across the city, Londoners will be glad to know that planned train disruption this weekend is fairly minimal (though there may be some unpredictable disruptions). While a number of stations around Notting Hill will be partly closed for the carnival (more on that below), there are no cancellations or reduced services scheduled along any of the London Underground lines - just a few on the Overground lines.
