Media centre

Monday 17 Feb 2020

UPDATE: Gospel Oak to Barking line freight derailment – Line to reopen Wednesday 19 February

Region & Route:

Eastern: Anglia

Following good progress by engineers over the weekend, despite Storm Dennis, services on the Gospel Oak to Barking line are expected to resume on Wednesday 19 February.

Network Rail’s engineers are repairing damage caused by a derailed freight wagon and the work is almost complete with all the new track now installed. Final critical works are being carried out over the next couple of days.

More than two and a half miles of the route between Barking and South Tottenham was damaged in the incident on 23 January. Network Rail’s engineers are working around the clock on a programme of repairs, clearing the damage, replacing 39 pieces of rail, 5,300 concrete sleepers, 900 wooden sleepers, removing and replacing 10,000 tonnes of ballast during the track replacement and replacing custom-timbers at 10 bridges.

Ellie Burrows, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia said: “Works have progressed well and we’re in a good position to complete everything in time for passenger and freight services to resume on Wednesday. It’s been an absolutely mammoth task for our engineering teams working through some horrendous weather over the last couple of weekends, but we’re nearly there. I’d once again like to thank our passengers and lineside neighbours as I know this has caused them a lot of unexpected disruption but I’m pleased to say the end is in sight.”

Just after 6am on Thursday 23 January, a freight wagon derailed between Leyton Midland Road and Walthamstow Queens Road on the Gospel Oak to Barking line which has caused extensive damage. An investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing.

Travel advice for passengers

Services are expected to restart on Wednesday 19 February but passengers are advised to check TfL Journey Planner before travelling. Until then, there is no London Overground service between Barking and South Tottenham. A rail replacement bus service has been provided between Walthamstow Central and Barking calling at Leyton Midland Road, Leytonstone High Road (Harrow Green), Wanstead Park and Woodgrange Park and will remain in place until London Overground services resume, allowing passengers to complete their journey.

Passengers can check before travelling by visiting tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey and https://www.nationalrail.co.uk for service updates.