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Last week, we reported that the dysfunctional escalators at Angel Underground station meant the hub could have to close for a whole year. TfL was weighing up its options – would it shut the station completely to allow for work to take place or close it in stages? Now, a decision has been made. Transport for London has announced that, from early 2027, Angel station will be exit-only at weekends and bank holidays.
So, it’s a relief for commuters. The escalators will run as normal on weekdays to minimise disruption. But for anyone who enjoys a foray to Angel on their weekends off, it’s not ideal. You’ll be able to alight at the station, but will need to find another way to leave the area.
TfL recommends taking a bus to either King’s Cross St Pancras tube station, Old Street station or Highbury & Islington station, then continuing your journey from there.
Like we said, the part-closure is down to Angel’s failing escalators. There are four in total: two going in each direction between the ticket hall and the mid-concourse level (which are the longest escalators across the entire tube network), and another pair from the mid-concourse to platform level.
Some are nearly 35 years old and according to Richard Jones, director of asset performance delivery for London Underground, they are ‘becoming less reliable and increasingly difficult to maintain’. So, closures have to happen for repairs to take place.
Jones added: ‘Making the station exit-only during specific periods will allow us to extend the working life of the escalators and give us more time to plan our next steps, with design work on replacing the escalators to begin this autumn.
‘I understand that any disruption to the station will have an impact on customers, businesses and the local community and we will do all we can to work closely with local stakeholders to ensure that we mitigate the disruption as much as possible.’
An exact date for the start of the part-closure hasn’t been confirmed yet, but TfL says it will be early 2027.
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