The Northern line upgrade is at full pace now, with Automatic Train Operation (ATO) due for late 2012/early 2013. ATO is also in place on the Central, Jubilee and Victoria lines. Starting over two years late because of the delays to the Jubilee Line upgrade, the Northern Line is now great need of its own work. Some of the signalling on the Northern line dates from the 1950s and 1960s, for example.
Tracks need to be replaced, tunnels strengthened and the signalling will be completely replaced. A brand new high-tech control centre will open at Highgate depot, and nineteen new trains will be required by 2016/2017 to run the peak service that is planned on the line.
Signalling ensures that trains can run safely, and the new system will mean then trains will be able to run quicker and closer together, which therefore means that there will be more trains per hour (tph) on the line. At present, there are 20tph through the central branches. After the current upgrade in 2014, there will be 24tph, and after the second upgrade, which is due to be completed in 2018, there will be 28-32tph running through central London. When the first upgrade is complete, capacity will increased by a fifth, meaning that 11,000 extra passengers per hour can be carried. Furthermore, journey times should decrease by about 18%.
The Line is also due to be split, so that all trains to/from the Bank branch go to/from Morden, and all trains to/from the Charing Cross branch start in service and terminate at Kennington, something that is already done during off-peak hours. There are currently no plans to split the Edgware and High Barnet/Mill Hill East branches into two separate services.
Much of the preparatory work, which started last year in 2010, has already been completed. This includes putting in new trackside wiring and other equipment, and also converting the line’s trains so that they are ready for the system. This work has mostly been done so far at night, but the Line will have to be closed occasionally at during operating hours.
Below are all the dates when the line will have to be partially closed for the upgrade works. The line will continue to be part closed between Camden Town and Kennington via Bank for another two weekends, having been closed over five weekends already between mid-August and mid-September. There then follows a short period of closures between Camden Town and High Barnet on Sundays only until 08:30. After that, there are a few closures of the Charing Cross branch followed by a week long closure between Camden Town and High Barnet/ Mill Hill East during the Christmas/New Year period, from 26 – 30 December. Then the High Barnet branch will be closed again on Sunday until 08:30 so that more work can be done during Saturday night. This section will be closed frequently on Sundays until 08:30 until November 2012. This will be followed by closures on Sundays until 08:30 on the Edgware branch until November 2013. In addition to the dates below, there will be further closures year and beyond, including:
- Eight full line weekend closures – some in 2013 and some in 2014
- Eight additional weekend closures where shorter sections of the line will be closed – some in 2012 and some in 2013
- Six additional four or five day part-closures during the Christmas and Easter holiday periods when the London Underground is quieter
These closures are far fewer than were originally proposed (with 118 weekend closures and the line north of Stockwell to be closed from 22:00 Monday to Thursday for a year) so will still cause disruption, but overall less around the city than previously planned:
| Date | Closure |
|---|---|
| Saturday 24 September 2011 | Camden Town to Kennington via Bank |
| Sunday 25 September 2011 | Camden Town to Kennington via Bank |
| Saturday 01 October 2011 | Camden Town to Kennington via Bank |
| Sunday 02 October 2011 | Camden Town to Kennington via Bank |
| Sunday 23 October 2011 | Camden Town to High Barnet until c.08:30 |
| Sunday 30 October 2011 | Camden Town to High Barnet until c.08:30 |
| Sunday 06 November 2011 | Camden Town to High Barnet until c.08:30 |
| Sunday 13 November 2011 | Camden Town to High Barnet until c.08:30 |
| Saturday 19 November 2011 | Charing Cross to Camden Town |
| Sunday 20 November 2011 | Charing Cross to High Barnet until c.08:30 and then Charing Cross to Camden Town all day |
| Saturday 26 November 2011 | Charing Cross to Camden Town Sunday |
| Sunday 27 November 2011 | Charing Cross to High Barnet until c.08:30 and then Charing Cross to Camden Town all day |
| Sunday 04 December 2011 | Camden Town to High Barnet until c.08:30 |
| Sunday 11 December 2011 | Camden Town to High Barnet until c.08:30 |
| Sunday 18 December 2011 | Camden Town to High Barnet until c.08:30 |
| Monday 26 December 2011 | Camden Town to Mill Hill East and High Barnet |
| Tuesday 27 December 2011 | Camden Town to Mill Hill East and High Barnet |
| Wednesday 28 December 2011 | Camden Town to Mill Hill East and High Barnet |
| Thursday 29 December 2011 | Camden Town to Mill Hill East and High Barnet |
| Friday 30 December 2011 | Camden Town to Mill Hill East and High Barnet |
| Saturday 14 January 2012 | Camden Town to Kennington via Bank |
| Sunday 15 January 2012 | Camden Town to High Barnet until c.08:30 and then Camden Town to Kennington via Bank all day |
| Sunday 22 January 2012 | Camden Town to High Barnet/Mill Hill East until c.08:30 |
| Sunday 29 January 2012 | Camden Town to High Barnet/Mill Hill East until c.08:30 |
| Sunday 05 February 2012 | Camden Town to High Barnet/Mill Hill East until c.08:30 |
| Saturday 18 February 2012 | Camden Town to Kennington via Bank |
| Sunday 19 February 2012 | Camden Town to Kennington via Bank; Camden Town to High Barnet/Mill Hill East until c.08:30 |
| Sunday 26 February 2012 | Camden Town to High Barnet/Mill Hill East until 08:30 |
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