Gridlock Raises Questions About Piccadilly Line at Turnham Green

Calls for temporary service during District Line engineering works

Turnham Green station closed during the engineering works

October 29, 2023

Questions are being asked about whether enough is being done to mitigate the traffic chaos that has hit Chiswick during the District line engineering works.

The area has been plagued with even worse congestion than normal due to the shutting of local tube stations from Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 October.

This coincided with a road closure on Acton Lane near the entrance to Sainsbury’s. Although, when originally announced this project to connect new building in the area to the electric grid, was supposed to be for lane closures only with traffic able to go in one direction, after the work began the road was completed blocked in both directions.

The two projects were scheduled together because both Transport for London (TfL) and Hounslow Council believed the disruption would be mitigated by the half term holidays.

However, both organisations have been accused of contributing to the chaos which has left traffic static for much of the day on many roads in the W4 area.

The most consistent complaint is from residents who are questioning TfL’s decision not to provide a Piccadilly line service at local stations when the District Line was out of action.

A petition on the matter has been set up by Samira Sylvester, a Chiswick resident of over six years, requesting that, as a matter of policy, TfL stops Piccadilly line trains at Turnham Green when there is no service on the District Line.

She says there is no technical or engineering reason why this shouldn’t happen and it would provide significant environmental benefits by giving people a viable alternative to driving thereby reducing the congestion and resulting pollution. At the time of writing the petition had gained nearly 100 signatures.

Passengers wishing to travel from Turnham Green are greeted with signs saying there are no trains

Her campaign received the support of Cllr Gary Malcolm, Lib Dem leader of the opposition in Ealing Borough and Southfield ward councillor who said, “Given the demand and volume of local tube travellers it seems strange to not stop the Piccadilly line tubes at Turnham Green station. They have done this before and so it would be possible and it would help people get around with their work or social lives.”

When we contacted TfL to ask for an explanation for the policy a spokesperson told us, "We apologise to customers who have been impacted by the extended closure of the District line this weekend. This is to enable essential maintenance work to take place. Once completed, these works will make journeys for customers smoother, more comfortable and more reliable.

"It is not possible to provide a Piccadilly line service that would stop at Turnham Green during the District line closure, however a rail replacement bus service is in operation."

We pointed out that on occasions during previous engineering works on the District Line, a Piccadilly line service had been provided at Turnham Green station. In addition, we asked whether TfL considered the replacement bus service a viable option given that Turnham Green Terrace was the diversion route for the Acton Lane closure and the road was heavily congested with bus users reporting journeys of over an hour just to get from one side of Chiswick to the other. We await a response to these questions.

Chiswick Park station is also closed.

The issue with the replacement buses has also led to questions about why the phasing of the lights at the junction of Turnham Green Terrace and Chiswick High Road have not been rephased. Currently only around four vehicles are managing to move onto Chiswick High Road before the lights change which has resulted in traffic queues the length of Turnham Green Terrace and up beyond Bedford Corner to the Avenue. South Parade eastbound is also often blocked with 94 buses only able to travel a few hundred yards from the start of their route before becoming stuck.

Traffic on Turnham Green Terrace has been largely static for the last few days.

A number of residents and local councillors have queried why the Fishers Lane underpass couldn’t temporarily be reopened to reduce the pressure on Acton Lane, South Parade and Turnham Green Terrace but Ealing Council has been adamant during previous closures on Acton Lane that it is unwilling to consider removing the restrictions for the duration of the works.

There has also been criticism of contractors working on Acton Lane on behalf of electricity company SSE. An owner of a business near where the work is taking place described the traffic arrangements put in place as "an absolute shambles" adding that the people working on the road "arrive just before 9am and are gone by 3pm" and "there's usually only two of them”.

Despite earlier plans to leave one lane open Acton Lane was closed completely.

It is not clear why the decision was taken to fully close Acton Lane near the Essex Place roundabout but there were reports of drivers ignoring the original one way closure and driving the wrong way and abusing SSE contractors who remonstrated with them.

Diversions for the road works have been described as a 'total shambles'.

Cllr Jo Biddolph has written to Cllr Katherine Dunne demanding an explanation as to why the full closure was suddenly implemented and asking what assessment of the traffic impact was undertaken. She said, “Road closures must be monitored, with transport and/or highways officers at the site assessing what needs to be done to compensate for the damaging effects closures have on movement of traffic and, therefore, the lives and livelihoods of residents, business ratepayers, people and business workers who support its residents and businesses, people and business traffic travelling through, tourists and others.

“Residents showed common sense by recognising that temporary traffic lights could have been installed at the roundabout to regulate driving from all directions. Temporary traffic lights would also have enabled north-south travel on Acton Lane along one carriageway during partial closure. Drivers are used to this method of traffic management and a well-organised scheme will be respected and appreciated, with moderate delays expected and accepted. There is no evidence that this option was even considered. Instead, barriers went up causing anger and intolerable gridlock.”

She went onto to describe the decision not to reopen Fishers Lane as an example of where ‘ideology overruled practicality’.

The engineering works are due to be completed this Sunday (29 October) as are the works on Acton Lane so it is anticipated that traffic will return to more normal levels in time for the end of the school holidays.