Passengers on the Weaver line face two full weekend closures next month, as Network Rail carries out overhead line and structure renewals between Bethnal Green and Cheshunt and Enfield Town.
Services between Bethnal Green and Cheshunt/Enfield Town on the Weaver line, and Greater Anglia services via Seven Sisters, will not run on the weekends of 19th and 20th September and 26th and 27th September. Every station in between will also be closed, with rail replacement buses operating in their place.
The work is more than routine maintenance. Network Rail says it will carry out extensive overhead line renewals, replacing ageing wires, structures and concrete bases — the kind of intervention intended to reduce the risk of future faults and unplanned disruption rather than fix an immediate problem. Alongside that, teams will clear vegetation, inspect and repair railway structures and equipment, and repair the Cadent gas pipe bridge at Stoke Newington, using the closure to complete work that would otherwise have required a separate shutdown.
That bundling is the trade-off on offer here: two weekends of complete closure now, in exchange for avoiding a series of smaller ones later.
For those still travelling, there is a workaround. Passengers going between Bethnal Green and Cheshunt will be able to change at Hackney Downs and pick up a Greater Anglia service to or from Cheshunt via Tottenham Hale. Greater Anglia services that normally run via Seven Sisters will be diverted via Tottenham Hale across all four days.
Both closure weekends coincide with large events at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa on Saturday 19th September, and the BIGBANG concert on Saturday 26th September. Passengers heading to either are being urged to plan ahead, check before travelling and allow extra time.
Joe Kennedy, infrastructure director for Network Rail Anglia, said: "This work is part of our ongoing programme to renew and maintain the railway between Bethnal Green and Cheshunt/Enfield Town, helping to keep the route reliable and fit for the future. Bringing this work together over two weekends means our teams can carry out a significant amount of work safely and efficiently, while avoiding the need for further closures, and we'll work with our partners to minimise disruption. I'd like to thank all our customers for their patience while we carry out this important work."
Rory O'Neill, TfL's general manager for London Overground, said: "These essential engineering works will help improve the long-term reliability of the Weaver line. We appreciate that the closures will cause some disruption and are working closely with our partners to minimise the impact on passengers. Customers travelling on the affected weekends should plan ahead, check their journey before setting off and allow extra time to travel."
Passengers are encouraged to check journey information at tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey and greateranglia.co.uk before setting off.
