Busy London Tube station could close for a year to fix failing escalators

Lizzie McAllister | Deputy News Editor Published October 20, 2026 11:28am Updated October 20, 2026 11:28am The escalators are in need of repairs (Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) A major Tube station in central London could be shut for up to a year to fix issues with its escalators, Transport for London (TfL) has said. Angel Station in Islington sees almost 12,000,000 visitors each year. But the Northern Line station, which boasts the longest escalators on the London Underground network, may need to be closed for vital repairs. In April, one of the bustling transport hub’s three 200ft escalators failed, and TfL now predicts the second could soon suffer a similar fate. The third of the 35-year-old escalators is also in need of an upgrade, according to the transport body. TfL is said to be considering making the station exit-only during off-peak times from next month to allow for some initial repairs to be completed. The station could close for a year or more (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Future Publishing via Getty Images) Previous installation work on the escalators at Angel (Picture: QA Photos/Jim Byrne/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images) This would mean those who use the station would be unable to take trains from there on evenings and weekends. It is expected that replacing an escalator would take a year. It is unclear whether this would mean the entire station would shut for 12 months and replace all three at once, or whether it would be partially closed for a longer period while each escalator is replaced individually. TfL is said to be considering both options, The Standard reports. The escalators are too long to safely operate as a fixed staircase, TfL told the publication. Latest London news Richard Jones, Director of Asset Performance Delivery for London Underground, said: ‘The escalators at Angel have been in service for almost 35 years and are becoming less reliable and increasingly difficult to maintain. What transport upgrades are happening in London? London and its gigantic transportation network, which includes the Tube, London Overground, and National Rail lines, is always changing. These are all of the transport upgrades happening in the capital right now: South Kensington Tube station is undergoing an extensive £120,000,000 upgrade to tackle overcrowding and improve accessibility. London's Liverpool Street station is about to undergo a major £1,200,000,000 upgrade, which sees a revamp of the entire building to 'future-proof' it for the estimated 200,000,000 passengers expected in the decades ahead. Consultation is ongoing for a new London Overground train line in west London, running between Hendon and Hounslow. London's Euston station is getting a major £50,000,000 upgrade that will change platform announcements, improve the current assisted travel lounge, and add new seating on the upstairs balcony. The station could be exit-only during off-peak times from next month (Picture: In Pictures via Getty Images) ‘Their size means renewal or replacement is a challenging, expensive project and we are currently exploring all options possible to extend their working life. ‘Many years of constrained Government funding for essential asset renewals has meant that we have not been able to invest in new escalators at the station. ‘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.’ Arrow MORE: Map shows areas of UK where people are most likely to die before 60 Arrow MORE: The most shocking banned and controversial films to be screened at ‘saved’ London cinema Arrow MORE: I’ll still confront noisy people on trains – despite the government’s crackdown News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.