To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
Passengers are forced to walk down the escalators for months to catch a Tube at a London Underground station.
The Blackhorse Road Underground station escalators in Walthamstow have been shut for urgent repairs.
The closure is set to last until the summer, raising concerns for disabled passengers and over ‘chaos’ for commuters travelling on the Victoria line.
TfL said the station escalators will be closed until late June.
The closure is expected to cause chaos, including for disabled passengers and those with heavy luggage and prams. The lift is reportedly out of action at nearby Walthamstow Central station.
Stella Creasy, the MP for Walthamstow, said that TfL told her that there will be no down escalators for months.
She said that none of the stations in Walthamstow are ‘actually accessible.’
‘If you are a wheelchair user, you can’t get direct access to our platforms at either Blackhorse Road or Walthamstow Central,’ she said.
Mr Creasy said she has asked for more buses to run between Blackhorse Road station and Walthamstow Central and Tottenham Hale, and allowing more than two buggies on buses between the stations.
Sharing footage online showing a queue of passengers waiting to walk down the escalators yesterday, she said passengers may want to ‘avoid’ the station if they can.
TfL apologised to customers affected by the closure.
A TfL spokesperson told Metro: ‘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.’
Latest London news
To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro’s London news hub.
It comes after passengers at Cutty Sark DLR station in Greenwich had to climb 121 steps after the escalator broke down last month, the Standard reports.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Arrow
MORE: Police want to speak to these two men after boy, 7, went missing six months ago
Arrow
MORE: Greggs store puts massive padlock on fridges to try and stop thieves in London
Arrow
MORE: Snow and ice warnings issued across UK with temperatures set to drop to -20°C
News Updates
Start your day with the biggest stories, direct to your inbox.