TfL Rules Out Piccadilly Line Cover for Turnham Green

Despite possible lack of replacement buses for next engineering works

TfL close Turnham Green during District Line engineering works

November 5, 2023

Transport for London (TfL) has rejected pleas from local passengers to reintroduce Piccadilly line services at Turnham Green station during District Line disruption.

There was widespread congestion across the Chiswick area during the recent closure of the District Line for four days at the end of October. This was exacerbated by the unscheduled total closure of Acton Lane which mean that the routes for the replacement bus services were heavily congested and journeys to Hammersmith to join the Piccadilly line were taking over an hour even outside peak times.

In the past TfL has introduced a temporary service at Turnham Green when the District Line is out of operation either due to engineering works or signalling problems. This extra service was provided at least until 2018 but, when it was not considered during the recent four day closure, a local resident, Samira Sylvester, set up a petition to have it reintroduced. At the time of writing over 700 people have signed.

Following the earlier disruption, we asked TfL if it would now reconsider the policy of not stopping at Turnham Green if the District Line was closed but it said it was not practical to make short term timetable changes of this nature during engineering works. We also asked what had changed that meant it was no longer possible to provide a service at Turnham Green as it had in the past, but no answer was provided.

Passengers using the tube service during the disruption have disputed TfL’s claims that timetable changes are not possible, pointing out that more Piccadilly Line trains were turned around at the Acton Town depot during the District Line closure and these could have been used to serve Turnham Green. Others have suggested that if Piccadilly line trains didn’t stop at Barons Court, passengers there could still have used the District Line whilst some slack would have been provided in the timetable to stop at Turnham Green.

Traffic on Turnham Green Terrace was largely static during last District Line closure

The next engineering works on the District Line will see its total closure on Saturday 11 November up until 3pm along with the Hammersmith & City line and the Circle line. Although congestion on local roads is not expected to be as severe as during the last disruption, temporary traffic lights on South Parade and a QPR home game kicking off at 3pm are anticipated to cause significant delays. Currently TfL says that there will only be a replace bus service ‘early morning’. When we asked for further details of when buses would be provided, we were told that there was a national shortage of replacement buses and TfL was having difficulties finding them.

TfL is keen to stress that the current engineering works are part of its Four Lines Modernisation programme which it says has already delivered significant benefits to District Line users at Turnham Green with track and signalling improvements boosting reliability. This has allowed more trains per hour to be run.

The prospect of a permanent stop at Turnham Green station for the Piccadilly Line remains a distant prospect with no funding available for the planned signal upgrade which would have enabled it to be introduced.