The Elizabeth line has been part-closed over the Easter bank holiday weekend – but why?

No services will run from Paddington to Abbey Wood and Shenfield until after Easter Monday (April 1).

Westbound services from Shenfield will terminate at London Liverpool Street’s National Rail station, and will not stop at Whitechapel.

A reduced service will also operate from Paddington to Maidenhead and Heathrow Terminal 4.

Weekend closures are not unusual for the Elizabeth line – services were stopped for four weekends in a row in February to allow for a variety of maintenance works.

But TfL has said that the latest closure is to fix a more technical problem, with the aim of making the line’s services more reliable.

Transport bosses hope that the signalling software update taking place this weekend will lead to fewer delays for customers.

Parts of the DLR are also closed over the bank holiday weekend, with services not running between Stratford and West India Quay, Westferry and Canning Town, as well as between Tower Gateway and Shadwell.

TfL has said this is to replace parts of the track to improve safety, reliability, and “provide a smoother ride for customers”.

There will be no London Overground services from Highbury and Islington to New Cross Gate, New Cross and Clapham Junction.

Closures will take place to allow for station improvements at Surrey Quays, where a new station entrance and step-free access are being installed.

Works on the branch to Crystal Palace are to improve signalling on the line to facilitate a more reliable service.

Services will also not run tomorrow (March 31) and on Monday (April 1) from Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Cheshunt, and Chingford. 

Glynn Barton, TfL's Chief Operating Officer, said: "The majority of our network will be running over the Easter weekend to help everyone make the most of the city.

“However, there will be some closures to allow for essential safety works and service upgrades and we advise customers to plan ahead and check their routes before traveling to ensure a smooth journey.

"There are plenty of alternative travel options available, and information can be found on the TfL website and through TfL travel tools including the TfL Go app."