One of London’s busiest Underground stations could be closed for up to a year so its ageing escalators can be replaced.
Angel station in Islington, used by almost 12 million passengers a year, has escalators that are nearly 35 years old and becoming increasingly unreliable. Transport for London is weighing up its options, which range from a full year-long closure to longer partial shutdowns. In the meantime, the station could become exit-only at certain times from November.
The problem at Angel is a big one.
Angel station, on the Northern line, has three escalators that are among the longest on the London Underground. They’ve been in use for almost 35 years and are becoming harder to keep running. One broke down in April, and TfL believes a second could fail soon.
The third escalator also badly needs an upgrade. Because they’re so long, the escalators can’t safely be used as fixed staircases if they stop working. There’s also no other safe way for passengers to travel between the ticket hall and the platforms if they’re out of action.
What could happen next?
Replacing all three escalators is expected to take around a year. One option is to close the station completely for 12 months so work can be carried out on more than one escalator at once. Another is to keep the station partly open and replace the escalators one at a time, which would take longer.
No final decision has been made yet. Design work on the new escalators is due to begin this autumn. TfL says it’s looking at every possible way to keep the current escalators running for longer.
The station is likely to become exit-only from November.
To ease pressure on the escalators, TfL is considering making Angel exit-only during quieter times from November. This would mean passengers could leave the station but not board trains there during these periods. Evenings and weekends are likely to be affected.
TfL says this would help the escalators last longer while it plans the next steps. It has acknowledged that any disruption will affect passengers, local businesses and the community. The transport body says it will work with local groups to keep disruption as low as possible.
This is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a wider problem across the network.
Angel isn’t the only station with ageing escalators. Figures released earlier this year showed that 153 of the Underground’s 566 escalators are being used beyond their expected lifespan. That’s more than a quarter of all escalators on the network.
TfL spent £56.1 million on escalators during the last financial year, including £1.3 million on emergency repair call-outs. It faces a wider maintenance backlog estimated at £6.5 billion. Escalator breakdowns are among the most noticeable signs of this backlog for passengers.
Other stations have been similarly impacted.
Cutty Sark DLR station in Greenwich was recently closed for around ten months while its escalators and other parts of the station were upgraded. It reopened in March this year. Passengers there had to use nearby stations while work was carried out.
A £120 million upgrade of South Kensington station is also planned, with work due to start later this year. It’s expected to be finished by 2031. These projects show how much work is needed to keep London’s older stations running.
Funding and criticism are big topics of conversation.
TfL says years of limited government funding for replacing equipment have made it difficult to invest in new escalators at Angel. Replacing such long escalators is also complicated and costly. The transport body says it’s doing what it can to extend their working life in the meantime.
Some political opponents of London’s mayor have blamed past decisions, such as freezing fares, for leaving less money for maintenance. Supporters of the fare freeze say it helped Londoners with the rising cost of living. The debate is likely to continue as decisions about Angel’s future are made.
Planning your journey might be more complicated moving forward.
If you regularly use Angel, start thinking about other ways to travel in case of closures. Nearby stations include King’s Cross St Pancras, Old Street and Highbury and Islington, all within walking distance or a short bus ride. Several bus routes also run along the main roads near Angel.
Keep an eye on TfL’s website, journey planner or the TfL Go app for the latest updates on opening times. Signing up for service alerts can help you plan ahead. Allowing extra time for journeys will make any changes much easier to manage.
