Network Rail is warning passengers of significant disruption later this month as the railway line between Kew Bridge and Barnes will close for ‘essential maintenance’ works on Barnes Bridge.

During the closure, South Western Railway services will not run between Kew Bridge and Barnes, with replacement buses operating on affected routes.

In addition, for safety reasons, the pedestrian footbridge beside Barnes railway bridge will be closed from 10pm to 6am from 2 August to 6 September while engineers are on site.

When is the work taking place?

Network Rail teams have already begun work on Barnes Bridge. The main construction work on both bridges will take place during an 8-day closure of the line between Barnes and Feltham via Hounslow, from 23 to 31 August 2025. Following the line closure any remaining work will be completed in mid – September.

Replacement Bus Services

During the line closure, buses will replace some South Western Railway services between Barnes and Feltham via Hounslow. Buses will operate as per the below:

• Saturday 23 to Friday 29 August 2025 – Buses replace trains between Barnes and Kew Bridge only. Trains will run to and from Kew Bridge to Feltham.
• Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 August 2025 – Buses will replace trains between Barnes and Feltham via Hounslow
• Closure dates and times
• 01:00 Sat 23/8 – 04:00 Mon 25/8
• 18:00 Tue 26/8 – 06:00 Weds 27/8
• 18:00 Weds 27/8 – 06:00 Thurs 28/8
• 18:00 Thurs 28/8 – 04:00 Mon 01/9

Why is the work needed?

We are replacing the girders under the spans of Barnes Bridge as new girders will ensure the bridge can continue to carry trains over the Thames well into the future. This is a continuation of the work that we carried out last year between 28 July to 2 August 2024. We worked renewed and strengthened the pins that join the steelwork together, allowing us to lift a speed restriction from the bridge. This meant that trains could run faster over the bridge, improving the reliability of journeys. We also renewed the wheel timbers beneath the track running towards London.

Network Rail says the further works are part of ongoing upgrades between Barnes and Feltham via Hounslow and will help maintain the safety and reliability of the structure for years to come.

They will be removing the middle girder on each span of the bridge and replacing them with brand new girders. The middle girders do most of the heavy lifting when supporting the tracks and trains above, acting as the backbone of each span. They will also be replacing wheel timbers under the track for services heading away from London.