No Elizabeth line trains from Paddington to Abbey Wood, Shenfield or Heathrow on 28 and 29 November. Paddington shuts too, so use the Piccadilly for Heathrow.

There will be no Elizabeth line trains through central London on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November, so the change from the Northern line at Tottenham Court Road, or from Thameslink at Farringdon, will not work that weekend. Transport for London is shutting the line on both days between Paddington and Abbey Wood, Paddington and Shenfield, and Paddington and Heathrow Airport or Maidenhead.

The only Elizabeth line trains running will be a shuttle between Maidenhead and Reading, two an hour in each direction.

What it means for you

The Elizabeth line is the one most Barnet passengers reach by changing trains. TfL’s station data lists the Northern line and the Elizabeth line together at Tottenham Court Road, and Thameslink, which calls at Mill Hill Broadway, meets it at Farringdon. Neither interchange will have Elizabeth line trains on 28 or 29 November.

  • Heathrow. TfL’s status notice for the weekend says to use the Piccadilly line between Heathrow and central London. From Barnet, the Northern line meets the Piccadilly at Leicester Square and at King’s Cross St Pancras. There is no Heathrow Express either.
  • Paddington. The same notice says Paddington station itself will be closed. GWR will not run between Maidenhead or Greenford and Paddington, and there will be a limited service of long-distance trains to and from Euston instead. Euston is on the Northern line.
  • East London and Essex. No Greater Anglia trains will run between Shenfield, Southend Victoria or Southminster and Liverpool Street. TfL points passengers to the Central line, which links Ealing Broadway, West Acton, central London, Liverpool Street, Stratford and Newbury Park.
  • Your own line. When we checked TfL’s planned status data on 11 November, it showed no closures on the Northern or Piccadilly lines that weekend. Plans can change, so check again in the TfL Journey Planner or the TfL Go app before you set off.
An empty Elizabeth line platform at Tottenham Court Road with platform screen doors on the right and an overhead sign pointing to the way out, Dean Street, the Northern line and the Central line
An Elizabeth line platform at Tottenham Court Road, with signs to the Northern line. Photo: Elizabeth Line - Tottenham Court Road by Mr Ignavy (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Where the replacement buses run

TfL says rail replacement buses will run on the closed sections at either end of the line, including:

  • Stratford to Romford
  • Shenfield to Chadwell Heath and Newbury Park
  • Ealing Broadway to Slough
  • Slough to Maidenhead

TfL’s notice adds that the buses will not serve Iver, and passengers should use Langley instead. There is no replacement bus through the tunnels in the middle of the line, so for central London the Tube is the alternative.

Why the line is shut

TfL says engineers will renew track and crossings and maintain the overhead line equipment that powers the trains. It calls the Elizabeth line “the single busiest railway service in the UK”.

Trish Ashton, TfL’s Director of Rail, said: “We understand that these closures can impact customers’ journeys and would like to thank them for their patience while this essential work takes place. The work we’re carrying out is essential to maintaining the safety and reliability of the Elizabeth line for the millions of customers who rely it on every year.

“We encourage customers to plan ahead, allow extra time for their journeys and check before they travel on TfL’s Journey Planner or the TfL Go app. Rail replacement buses and alternative travel options will be available throughout the closure.”

Road and rail disruption closer to home is on our Barnet roadworks and travel page.