Saturday, June 22, 2024
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As fans eagerly await Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium tonight (Friday, June 21), they are met with frustrating travel disruptions on the Tube and Overground.
This marks the first of four much-anticipated concerts at the venue, but travel plans are hampered by delays and closures across several key lines.
Currently, minor delays are impacting the Central, Piccadilly, and Bakerloo lines.
The Central line is experiencing delays between Leytonstone and Hainault via Newbury Park, while the Piccadilly line is delayed between Acton Town and Heathrow Terminals.
The Bakerloo line is facing delays along its entire route. There is no clear indication of when normal service will resume.
On the Overground, there is no service between West Croydon and Sydenham, adding to the woes of concertgoers trying to reach the stadium.
Additionally, trains on one line will not stop at Wembley Stadium National Rail station on Saturday, June 22, and Sunday, June 23, due to overcrowding concerns, causing disruptions throughout the day.
Further complicating travel, industrial action on Northern Rail services is affecting connections from northern cities to London, with significant implications for key travel hubs.
The ASLEF union’s “action short of a strike” has led to short-notice cancellations and potential delays at major stations like Manchester Piccadilly, Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham, and Liverpool Central.
Chiltern Railways has also announced changes due to unrelated engineering works. On Saturday and Sunday, no trains will call at Wembley Stadium station.
Instead, Chiltern Railways will run additional services between Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone, bypassing Wembley.
This will also impact services to Kings Sutton, Hatton, and Lapworth, and there will be no service between Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway via Amersham. Rail replacement buses will be in operation.
A spokesperson for Chiltern Railways apologized for the inconvenience, stating, “It’s not possible for services to call at Wembley Stadium while also providing the extra capacity needed between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street.”
With thousands of “Swifties” may descend upon London for the concert, travel networks are bracing for significant congestion.
Fans are advised to plan their journeys carefully and allow extra time to navigate the crowded and disrupted transportation system.
