| Escalator problems at Angel - to become exit only at weekends Posted by grahame at 18:22, 29th October 2026 |     |
From The Metro
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, will become exit-only so engineers can work on extending the working life of the escalators.
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 – a failure that could force the entire closure of the station.
The third of the 35-year-old escalators is also in need of an upgrade, according to the transport body.
The exit-only restrictions, which affect the station only on weekends and bank holidays, will be introduced on January 2, 2027, until further notice.
Analysis by TfL confirms that more people leave the station than enter it on weekends and bank holidays.
According to The Standard, TfL is exploring ways to repair or replace the escalators, but due to ongoing funding pressures limiting its options, engineers are focused on keeping the escalators running for as long as possible.
But the Northern Line station, which boasts the longest escalators on the London Underground network, will become exit-only so engineers can work on extending the working life of the escalators.
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 – a failure that could force the entire closure of the station.
The third of the 35-year-old escalators is also in need of an upgrade, according to the transport body.
The exit-only restrictions, which affect the station only on weekends and bank holidays, will be introduced on January 2, 2027, until further notice.
Analysis by TfL confirms that more people leave the station than enter it on weekends and bank holidays.
According to The Standard, TfL is exploring ways to repair or replace the escalators, but due to ongoing funding pressures limiting its options, engineers are focused on keeping the escalators running for as long as possible.
How long should an escalator last? Angel was the closest tube station to my Uni / use it from time to time; it was a narrow platform between the two running lines in those days ...
