TfL has shut the station’s down escalator until July for maintenance, resulting in lengthy queues that snake out onto the street during morning rush hour, reports Marco Marcelline
Commuters have slammed Transport for London (TfL) for causing “unacceptable” disruption to their Victoria Line journeys from Blackhorse Road Station by closing the down escalator until July.
TfL wrote to local businesses about the plans earlier this month where it stated that old components in both escalators had to be replaced as part of “essential maintenance works”.
Until repairs are completed in July both escalators will be taken out of service one at a time, with the working escalator operating upwards to ensure customers can be safely evacuated from the platforms in the event of an emergency.
The move, which came into effect yesterday (9th January), has resulted in morning rush-hour queues that snake out of the station entrance and along the street. Commuters who cannot use the 89 fixed steps down to the platforms have been left unable to access the Victoria Line for six months.
Those customers have been advised to take the 230 bus to Walthamstow Central or 120/230 to Tottenham Hale, which is step-free.
But that advice has been roundly criticised on social media, with one commuter stating it “adds lots of time and money” to journeys and questioned why it was not instead possible for TfL to run a free shuttle service for people with buggies and luggage to Tottenham Hale.
Another Blackhorse Road commuter wrote on Facebook: “Six months is a long time for such a busy station (and a busy area in general!) to have no down escalator, especially during rush hour.”
Many others demanded that TfL turn on the down escalator only during the morning rush hour to avoid overcrowding and lengthy queues.
A TfL spokesperson told the Echo: “The closure of the escalator at Blackhorse Road will facilitate essential maintenance, improving efficiency and safety. We apologise for any disruption this important work will cause customers using the station. We encourage customers to travel at less busy times or to use our travel planning tools to take alternative routes.”
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