Parts of the District and Circle Underground Lines will be shut for four weeks next summer to allow for upgrade works, including track and drainage renewal, to be carried out.
Between July 22nd to 24th August 2011 the lines will be suspended will be suspended between High Street Kensington and Edgware Road, with Tube users forced to find alternative ways to complete their journey.
LU say carrying out the work only during weekend closures would mean “at least 20 weekend closures” over a 6 month period.
The closure was announced on Monday by London Underground MD Mike Brown who said “it’s just not possible to do all the necessary work during the four hours that the network is closed each evening.”
Brown added: “By carrying out a block closure of this section of the network we will be able to complete works in four weeks that would otherwise have required at least twenty weekends of disruption spread across six months or more.”
The announcement was welcomed by Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat on the London Assembly, who has long called for a move away from shorter closures.
Pidgeon called the announcement “very welcome indeed”, adding “this new approach will allow vital upgrade work to be completed more quickly and at a reduced cost. Most importantly there will be more certainty for passengers and businesses who have had to put up with endless evening and weekend closures.
“Giving passengers and businesses more than eight advance months notice of when upgrade work will start is a far better approach than the utter chaos that has been created by the years of weekend and evening closures on the Jubilee Line.”
