Over the bank holiday weekend, there are several major events in London, including the annual Notting Hill Carnival, Tower Bridge closure and National Rail Major Engineering Works
Notting Hill Carnival 27ᵗʰ – 28ᵗʰ August
Tube
- Paddington or Shepherd’s Bush are larger and less crowded stations to use to get to the event
- If you can, avoid using Oxford Circus, Notting Hill Gate, Westbourne Park and Holland Park stations, as they will be extremely busy
- Allow more time for your journey
- Expect short-term safety measures including queuing and changes to how you enter or leave stations
- Listen to announcements
- Speak to TfL staff or event stewards if you need help
Station changes include:
- Ladbroke Grove will be closed
- Latimer Road: Closes at 23:30. It may close for short periods of time to manage congestion
- Notting Hill Gate: Exit only from 11:00 to 18:00. District and Circle lines will not stop from 11:00-18:00. No interchange between Central line and District and Circle lines. It may close for short periods of time to manage congestion
- Westbourne Park: Exit only from 11:00 to 18:00. Closes at 23:30. It can become extremely busy during peak times, so use other stations
- Holland Park: Exit only from 11:00 to 15:00. Closes at 15:00
- Royal Oak: Exit only from 11:00 to 18:00. Closes at 18:00
Travelling from east London
- The Central line through London is expected to be extremely busy
- Use the Elizabeth line that takes you from Stratford to Paddington in 25 minutes
Travelling from west London
- The Central line toward Notting Hill is expected to be extremely busy
- Use Shepherd’s Bush station which is a 20-minute walk to the Carnival
Heading home in the evening
- Plan your journey home in advance
- Walk to Paddington or Shepherd’s Bush stations and continue your journey from there
- A rail replacement service will operate on the Elizabeth line from 20:30 between Slough and Maidenhead, calling at Burnham and Taplow
- There is no Night Tube and Overground on Sunday nights
Accessibility
If you need step-free access, TfL recommends you to use their bus services to Paddington where there is step-free access to the Elizabeth line, Bakerloo, Hammersmith & City and Circle lines.
National Rail services
- London King’s Cross: No long-distance services operating out of London King’s Cross from late Saturday 26 August at night to Monday 28 August in the morning
- London Euston: Reduced services operating to/from London Euston from late Saturday 26 August to Monday 28 August
- London Charing Cross/London Cannon Street: No services will operate out of these stations
Bus
- Buses will be affected by road closures for the event
- Some bus journeys in West London will take longer due to diversions or routes being stopped short of their destination
Santander Cycle Hire
Santander Cycle docking stations in the area will be suspended from 14:00 on 26 August to 08:00 on 29 August 2023.
Travel advice for other events across London
Several events in and around London will be ending at a similar time and a lot of people will be making their way home. Leave more time for your journey and plan ahead.
Tube trains and stations are expected to be very busy, and you may not be able to get on the first train that arrives.
Stations where you may have to wait or there may be short-term safety measures such as queuing or changes to how you enter or leave, are:
- Northern line at Battersea Power station
- Central, District and Hammersmith & City lines at Mile End
- Bakerloo, Jubilee, and Metropolitan lines at Baker Street
Tower Bridge closure
The City of London is doing maintenance work on Tower Bridge over the bank holiday weekend
- From 22:00 on Friday 25 to 05:00 on Tuesday 29 August, Tower bridge will be closed to all users including people walking
- Bus Routes 42 and 78 will be diverted over London Bridge
- Bus Route 343 will terminate at Queen Elizabeth Street on the south side of Tower Bridge
- Adjacent river crossings are expected to be busy
- Use alternative routes and crossings further from Tower Bridge to complete your journey
National rail
Engineering work will be taking place during the August bank holiday weekend between Saturday 26 and Monday 28 August 2023 inclusive. Network Rail carry out essential improvement and engineering work across the rail network during this time.
Major engineering work:
During the August bank holiday weekend in England and Wales, major engineering work will be taking place:
Reduced service to and from London Euston
No trains to / from London Charing Cross / London Cannon Street / Waterloo East
Buses replace trains between London Bridge and Streatham Common
Source: TfL & National Rail