An escalator at Pimlico Tube station will close for nearly three months after years of disruption caused by technical failures. The down escalator will be closed between Friday, October 9 and late December this year.
Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed that both escalators at the Central London station date back to the 1970s and are beyond their original design life. However, the descending escalator has experienced a quicker decline and therefore needs the “most significant intervention”. The up escalator will remain unaffected.
Disruption and impact on residents
There have been almost 50 instances of disruption at the station in the last two years due to issues caused by both escalators. Pimlico Station does not have a lift, meaning those who rely on the escalators to access the station will be unable to use it until the new year.
Councillor for Pimlico South, Jason Williams, said: “The escalator closure will be a major disruption for Pimlico residents, particularly older and disabled residents. After repeated problems over the past two years, residents need confidence that there is a lasting solution.”
TfL apologises and offers alternatives
TfL has apologised for the inconvenience that the closure will cause to station users, as well as signposting to alternative travel options. A spokesperson for the transport body said: “The closure at Pimlico will facilitate essential maintenance work to improve the reliability of the down escalator. The escalators were installed in 1972 and the escalator that is being closed has begun to fail more often than the other.”
Customers will be able to access the platforms using the fixed staircase while the escalator is closed. Those who cannot use the stairs can take bus routes 2, 36 or 185 (stop D) or bus service 360 (stop H) on Bessborough Street to Vauxhall station.
