London Overground’s Gospel Oak to Barking line reopens on Monday 15 January following the installation of new overhead electric lines by Network Rail, that will enable new longer electric trains to run from spring 2018.

The completion of this physical work by Network Rail will now be followed by testing that will, from spring, enable Transport for London (TfL) to run new state-of-the-art electric trains, providing customers with increased capacity and feature walk-through carriages, air conditioning, live network information screens and improved reliability. The new cleaner electric trains will also improve air quality for people living and working along the route.

When services resume next week the existing two car diesel trains will be used until the new four car electric trains have been fully tested and driver training complete.

Customers will again see services running every 15 minutes throughout the day until late evening and at least every 20 minutes after 22:00. Connecting Gospel Oak station in north London with Barking in east London, the re-opened line will again provide convenient interchanges with the Victoria line at Blackhorse Road and Hammersmith & City, District line and c2c services at Barking.

The electrification work on the Gospel Oak to Barking London Overground line is part of TfL’s improvement plans, enabling new longer trains with greater capacity to run from spring 2018, and forms part of Network Rail’s London Railway Upgrade plan, creating new connections and increasing capacity in the peak hour by 30 per cent.