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London's Angel Tube Station Could Close for a Year as Its 200ft Escalators Fail
Angel station's three 200-foot escalators — the longest on the Tube — are nearly 35 years old and one already failed in April. TfL is weighing a full one-year closure or a phased replacement; exit-only off-peak service may start next month.
Why it matters
Angel station in Islington on the Northern Line handles about 12 million passengers a year, and its three 200-foot (about 61 m) escalators are the longest on the London Underground. One failed outright in April this year, Transport for London (TfL) fears a second could soon follow, and the third is also in desperate need of an upgrade. TfL is considering either shutting the entire station for a year to replace all three at once, or keeping it partially open and replacing them one by one over many months or even years. Nothing is decided.
The difficulty
The escalators are so long that TfL says it would be unsafe to walk them as a fixed staircase, leaving no easy workaround if they fail. Richard Jones, Director of Asset Performance Delivery for London Underground, admitted the escalators have been in service for almost 35 years and are "becoming less reliable and increasingly difficult to maintain." London Centric reports that TfL commissioner Andy Lord personally briefed local politicians, and Islington Council leader Una O'Halloran wrote privately to Lord saying a total closure would be "devastating" for local businesses and that TfL's handling had "materially damaged" the council's trust.
Near-term measures
To buy time and reduce wear on the remaining escalators, TfL is considering making Angel exit-only during off-peak periods — evenings and weekends — from next month. Design work on replacements is expected to start this autumn and take about a year before the real closure decision lands.
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