London Euston will remain open on Sunday 20 September 2026, but West Coast Main Line services into the station will be heavily disrupted while Network Rail carries out the emergency removal of Oxhey Grange footbridge near Watford. Until 16:00, no Avanti West Coast trains will run between London Euston and Milton Keynes Central, while London Northwestern Railway will run no trains between Euston and Watford Junction. The work follows inspections which found that the footbridge, south of Watford Junction, had deteriorated more quickly than expected. The important distinction for passengers is that this is not a complete closure of Euston station. Some local rail and Underground services remain available, but the main West Coast corridor into London is effectively severed for much of Sunday. It follows other recent disruption affecting the terminus, including the Euston rail power failure previously examined by London Construction Magazine.
Why Network Rail is removing Oxhey Grange footbridge
According to Network Rail's emergency bridge work announcement, Oxhey Grange footbridge was closed on 26 July after routine inspections identified deterioration which had progressed faster than expected. Further assessments led Network Rail to conclude that the structure should be removed urgently. Gary Walsh, director for Network Rail's West Coast South route, said that the bridge "now needs to be removed as soon as possible". The demolition operation will use a specialist heavy-lift crane approximately 100 metres tall, with the bridge planned to be lifted out in a single operation. Network Rail states that the crane is capable of lifting 1,200 tonnes.
LCM clarification: the 1,200-tonne figure is the published lifting capacity of the crane. Network Rail has not stated that Oxhey Grange footbridge itself weighs 1,200 tonnes. That distinction is important when describing the engineering operation. Preparatory works are already under way and include structural monitoring, surveys and construction of a crane platform. Temporary speed restrictions have also been imposed beneath the bridge while the removal is prepared. Network Rail's public announcement does not identify the specialist demolition or lifting contractor.
Which Euston services are affected on 20 September?
Network Rail will close all four West Coast Main Line tracks beneath the bridge together with the adjacent London Overground Lioness line. The current National Rail engineering notice for Sunday 20 September lists Avanti West Coast, London Northwestern Railway, London Overground and Lumo among the affected operators.
| Operator | Published Sunday service position |
|---|---|
| Avanti West Coast | No trains between London Euston and Milton Keynes Central until 16:00. Services start or terminate at Milton Keynes Central or Rugby. |
| London Northwestern Railway | No trains between London Euston and Watford Junction until 16:00. An hourly Milton Keynes Central–Watford Junction shuttle is planned. |
| London Overground Lioness line | No through service between Euston and Watford Junction until approximately 18:00. Network Rail says two trains per hour will operate between Euston and Willesden Junction during the main closure. |
| Lumo | A limited amended timetable will operate. Passengers should check the published Sunday journey plan before travelling. |
The disruption is more complicated than a simple station closure because different services recover at different times. Mainline Avanti and London Northwestern services are scheduled to resume access to Euston after 16:00, while National Rail currently states that the Lioness line through service to Watford Junction will remain suspended until approximately 18:00. London Northwestern Railway also lists separate amended early morning services to and from Bushey on Saturday 19 September. Passengers travelling over the full weekend should therefore check the latest journey planner rather than treating Sunday morning as the only potentially affected period.
Alternative routes into London
For passengers who cannot postpone their journey, the published alternatives rely heavily on Bedford, Potters Bar, St Pancras and King's Cross rather than Euston. Avanti West Coast's current travel advice directs passengers between Milton Keynes Central and Bedford by replacement bus, with Thameslink or East Midlands Railway services connecting Bedford with London St Pancras International.
London Northwestern Railway passengers can also use replacement buses between Bedford and Milton Keynes Central. A second replacement-bus corridor will operate between Potters Bar and Watford Junction, connecting with Great Northern or Thameslink services towards King's Cross. For Lioness line passengers, replacement buses are scheduled between Harrow & Wealdstone and Watford Junction. National Rail also confirms that affected tickets can be used on the Bakerloo line between Queen's Park and Harrow & Wealdstone at no additional cost.
Avanti passengers already holding tickets for 20 September have additional flexibility. The operator says existing tickets can be used at no extra cost from Friday 18 September through to Tuesday 22 September. Passengers whose train is cancelled or changed and who decide not to travel can instead seek a refund from the original retailer. The current National Rail notice directs passengers towards Great Northern, Thameslink and East Midlands Railway for the principal diversionary journeys. It does not currently publish a blanket ticket-acceptance arrangement on Chiltern Railways or LNER for this closure, so passengers should not assume that a West Coast ticket will automatically be valid on those operators unless further advice is issued.
The construction operation behind the disruption
For construction and rail professionals, the closure shows why possession time is often driven as much by temporary works and lifting strategy as by the permanent structure being removed. Building a crane platform, establishing the lifting position, monitoring the deteriorated structure and securing four mainline tracks plus the adjacent Overground railway all have to be coordinated before the single lift can proceed.
Network Rail says the heavy-lift method reduces the railway closure compared with alternative removal techniques. The strategy is similar in principle to other highly constrained London rail interventions where engineering work has to be compressed into a defined possession, including the major Charing Cross and Waterloo East track works covered by LCM earlier this year.
The works also sit within a wider period of major railway activity around Euston. London Construction Magazine has separately tracked the logistics pressure created by HS2 tunnelling towards Euston, although the Oxhey Grange removal is a separate Network Rail safety intervention on the existing West Coast Main Line.
What happens after the bridge is removed?
Network Rail is developing proposals for a replacement crossing and says it will engage with local residents and stakeholders as that work progresses. No replacement construction programme or contractor appointment has been publicly confirmed in the emergency works announcement. The immediate milestone is therefore the safe removal of the existing bridge and reopening of the West Coast Main Line on Sunday afternoon. Passengers travelling on 20 September should recheck National Rail and their train operator before setting out, as final service arrangements can still change before the possession begins.
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Expert Verification & Authorship: Mihai Chelmus Founder & Editor, London Construction Magazine | Construction Testing & Investigation Specialist |