A north London tube station will soon close for a year for essential repairs.

Work will take place at Kentish Town station for up to a year on what Transport for London have called “the most unreliable escalators on the tube network”.

From June 26, a replacement programme will see the 26-year-old escalators, which frequently cause last-minute station closures, replaced with new machines. 

What alternative services are available?

Customers are advised to use Kentish Town Thameslink station, which will remain open while the escalator replacement works are taking place.

There is also Tufnell Park tube station for Northern line services, or local bus routes.

But the bus stop closest to Kentish Town tube station will be closed for two years due to development nearby.

There is no major work planned on the alternative rail routes.

Kentish Town Thameslink station is expected to be busier than usual, especially during peak hours, when passengers are advised to allow extra time to reach or leave their platform

Access to and from the Thameslink station platforms will be via the out-of-hours entrance, approximately 20 metres along Kentish Town Road from the tube station entrance. 

What changes are being made?

Over the course of the year, both escalators will be replaced with “new, high-performing machines”.

The existing escalators were installed in 1997 and it is difficult to source parts for maintenance and repairs.

The new escalators will be the same model as those used on the Elizabeth line and throughout the London Underground network.

TfL says they are expected to last for around 40 years and should reduce unplanned station closures as it will be easier to source parts for repairs.

During this time, other improvements will be made, such as removing a "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 signs installed.

What has Transport for London (TfL) said?

Esther Sharples, TfL’s director of asset performance delivery, said: “I’d like to apologise to our customers for the disruption and thank them 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.”