Transport for London has revealed that Kentish Town Tube station will close for up to one year to allow a programme of essential improvement work to be carried out.
The closure will begin from Monday the 26th of June and will allow the full replacement of the current escalators which were first installed in 1997 and were made specifically to fit the station which has made the sourcing of parts very difficult which impacts both maintenance and repair work.
The current escalators have also been identified as the most unreliable on the network and in order to prevent further last-minute station closures will be replaced with new high-performance machines.
The new escalators are the same model as those used across the London Underground network, which will make sourcing parts for maintenance or repair much easier. The new escalators have an approximate life span of 40 years.
The escalators used in the Elizabeth Line and London Underground stations are heavy-duty machines which can operate in both directions for up to 20 hours each day. The vital machines weigh approximately 40 tonnes, feature around 15,000 moving parts and typically have a 15-metre rise.
Kentish Town Tube station's new escalators will use more efficient motors and drivers, which will reduce the use of electricity required to operate them.
Whilst the escalators are not being used, they run at a slower rate, which saves further energy and alongside other energy-saving work such as the installation of LED lighting for the station's ticket hall will support the Tube network's sustainability.
The programme of work will also include an array of station improvements, including:
- Removal of a redundant ticket office
- Realignment of ticket barriers
- Further tickets gates added
- Painting of the station alongside a deep clean
- New floor and wall tiling
- Improved signage
Whilst the programme of improvement work is ongoing, Kentish Town Thameslink station will be open as usual for customers alongside nearby Tufnell Park Tube station, which can be reached using the local bus network or via Kentish Town station, which is an 11-minute walk away.
No major work is set to take place on alternative routes whilst the Tube station is temporarily closed.
Esther Sharples, Transport for London's Director of Asset Performance Delivery, said:
“I'd like to thank our customers in advance for their patience while we replace the escalators at Kentish Town station. They are the most unreliable on the Tube network and this essential work will improve journeys through Kentish Town station for many years to come. We explored all possible options to keep the Tube station open during this work but safety considerations and space constraints meant it wasn't feasible.”
“We are using the opportunity while the station is closed to make many other improvements, which will make the station more spacious, easier to use and more welcoming for our customers.”
Thameslink station platforms can be accessed via the out-of-hours entrance, which is around 20 metres from the Tube station entrance on Kentish Town Road.
The station will not be able to sell tickets and Oyster top-ups due to the main concourse being closed.
Customers travelling with Thameslink will need to purchase tickets or top-ups in advance online or via a nearby Oyster ticket outlet.
Customers will also need to remember to touch their Key card, Contactless or Oyster card using the validators which can be found at the temporary entrance/exit in order to avoid an incomplete journey charge.
Due to the temporary closure, Kentish Town Thameslink is anticipated to be busier than normal during peak hours. Passengers are advised to include more time than usual in order to access their platform.
Kentish Town Thameslink station is expected to be busier than usual, especially during peak hours, passengers are advised to allow extra time to reach or leave their platform. It is also anticipated that Thameslink services and Thameslink station in central London could be busier than usual due to Tube customers using alternative routes.
Jenny Saunders, Thameslink's Customer Services Director, said:
“We're sorry for the inconvenience during this major TfL project, and I'm grateful to passengers for their patience. Please allow an extra few minutes to get to and from your Thameslink platform as the station will be busier than normal, especially in the evening peak, and the temporary access route is narrower. If you usually buy your ticket at Kentish Town, remember to buy it in advance while the ticket machines aren't available. And please don't forget to tap in and out when you're using the temporary entrance.”
South Kentish Town is being reopened to alleviate the problem. The station lights are being tested today and then it is good to go, with Monday being the first day of operation.