Passengers at the end of the Piccadilly line have been without a direct Tube connection for weeks (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)
A stretch of the Piccadilly line on the London Underground has been closed for weeks – but it is set to reopen soon.
TfL closed part of the Tube line in west London after ‘significant’ leaf fall made the tracks slippery between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge stations.
Passengers at the end of the line in Uxbridge have been without a direct Tube connection for weeks since before Christmas, but their wait is soon over as the line is getting ready to reopen soon.
This year’s leaf fall – an annual occurrence which affects railways across the UK – was reportedly heavier than usual and damaged some of the trains.
The TfL travel information board with a Piccadilly line update (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
To limit the damage, TfL reduced the service between Acton Town and Rayners Lane while the train wheels have been at the depot for repairs.
After weeks of part closure, the Piccadilly line is set to reopen fully by late January.
During the disruption, Piccadilly line trains have terminated and started from Rayners Lane, also served by the Metropolitan line.
Almost all Piccadilly line trains have been hit by ‘wheel flats’ – a type of damage which happens when the driver applies the brakes but the wheels slide, causing erosion.
Unlike some newer trains, the current Piccadilly line carriages are more than 50 years old, meaning they don’t have anti-slide technology. The line is due for a major upgrade with a modern fleet of 94 air-conditioned trains being rolled out in 2025.
There will be partial closures on the Piccadilly line over the coming months to facilitate the upgrade, and you can see the full list of dates below.
Full list of Piccadilly line weekend part-closures
- Fri 24 January (Night Tube) – Hyde Park Corner to Cockfosters until 03:30
- Sat 25 – Sun 26 January – King’s Cross St Pancras to Cockfosters (after 03:30 Sat 25 January)
- Fri 31 January (Night Tube) – Hyde Park Corner to Cockfosters until 03:30
- Sat 1 – Sun 2 February – King’s Cross St Pancras to Cockfosters (after 03:30 Sat 1 February)
- Fri 14 February (Night Tube) – King’s Cross St Pancras to Osterley until 03:15
- Sat 15 – Sun 16 February – King’s Cross St Pancras to Northfields and Uxbridge (from 03:15 Sat 15 February)
- Fri 7 March (Night Tube) – Sun 9 March – Hyde Park Corner to Cockfosters
- Fri 21 (Night Tube) – Sun 23 March – King’s Cross St Pancras to Osterley and Uxbridge
- Sat 5 – Sun 6 April – Wood Green to Cockfosters
- Fri 18 – Mon 21 April – Acton Town to Uxbridge
- Fri 2 (Night Tube) – Sat 3 May – Hyde Park Corner to Acton Town (until 07:00 Sat 3 May)
- Fri 9 May (Night Tube) – Osterley to Cockfosters (until 04:15)
- Sat 10 – Sun 11 May – Hyde Park Corner to Cockfosters (after 04:15 Sat 10 May)
- Fri 16 May (Night Tube) – Cockfosters to Heathrow and Uxbridge
- Sat 17 – Sun 18 May – King’s Cross St Pancras to Osterley and Uxbridge
- Sat 24 – Mon 26 May – Hammersmith to Cockfosters
- Sat 7 – Sun 8 June – Wood Green to Cockfosters
- Sat 21 – Sun 22 June – Hammersmith to Cockfosters
Currently, 60 trains are running on the line – 15 short of the number needed to run a full service, BBC News reports.
Richard Jones, from TfL,said that the new trains will help solve the issue as ‘they have got those protection systems built in which will make them a lot less vulnerable to the whole issue of wheel flats.’
TfL previously apologised to customers affected by the temporary closure, saying it carries out a ‘robust action plan’ every year.
Measures include trackside vegetation clearance, the introduction of an autumn timetable with reduced train speeds at hotspots and the running of specialist trains to treat the railways.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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