A north London tube station is closing for a year in June so that essential repairs can be carried out.
Both of the 26-year-old escalators in Kentish Town tube underground station are "unreliable" and need to be replaced.
From June 26, a replacement programme will see the escalators, which frequently cause last-minute station closures leading to disruption for customers, replaced with new, high-performing machines.
Esther Sharples, TfL’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.”
Access to and from the Thameslink station platforms will be via the out-of-hours entrance in Kentish Town Road.
However tickets and Oyster top-ups will not be available at the station, as the main concourse will be closed.
The existing escalators were installed in 1997 and are bespoke to the station, making it difficult to source parts for maintenance and repairs.
They weigh around 40 tonnes each and carry millions of people each year. A typical 15-metre rise escalator has approximately 15,000 moving parts.
The new escalators will be the same model as those used on the Elizabeth line, will be more energy efficient, and are expected to last for around 40 years.
TfL said it will use the Northern Line station closure to make other improvements including removing the "redundant ticket office" and realigning the ticket barriers to provide more space for customers and additional ticket gates.
The station will also be painted and deep cleaned, with new floor and wall tiling and improved signage installed.
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."
She reminded passengers to tap in and out when using using the temporary entrance.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here