According to the government's New Towns Report published in autumn, TfL could take over part of the Great Northern route called the 'Great Northern Inners'. The route runs from Moorgate to Alexandra Palace via Finsbury Park, before splitting towards Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage via Hertford North. If the proposal is accepted, the route may become part of the London Overground.
Rail passengers face early-morning disruption on the Overground's Lioness line between Watford Junction and London Euston due to an issue at Wembley Central. According to TfL, Network Rail workers are having to remove an obstruction from a bridge. Operators say trains may be cancelled or may terminate early at Willesden Junction while checks are carried out on the track. The disruption affects all services running through the Wembley Central area.
Plans for a new London Overground station at Surrey Canal Road have moved forward a bit after Lewisham Council approved additional funding to get the station built. The station on the Overground's Windrush line would serve the local area and a new housing development being built around the Millwall football ground. Although not included when the Overground was extended to Clapham Junction, passive provision was left to ensure the station could be added later.
With everything going on across the city, Londoners will be glad to know that planned train disruption this weekend is fairly minimal (though there may be some unpredictable disruptions). While a number of stations around Notting Hill will be partly closed for the carnival (more on that below), there are no cancellations or reduced services scheduled along any of the London Underground lines - just a few on the Overground lines.