Kentish Town station reopening could be delayed again

Kentish Town station has been closed since June 26, 2023, for work to replace two "unreliable" 26-year-old escalators.

The replacement was originally expected to be completed by early this summer, but Transport for London (TfL) announced in February that the station would stay closed until September due to other "essential repairs".

When TfL was asked again if Kentish Town was still set to reopen by September, a spokesperson said they could not comment.

The spokesperson said: “We are on track to complete the installation of the new escalators at Kentish Town this summer.

“However, the essential repair work on unrelated assets is ongoing and must be completed to allow the station to operate safely.

“Our engineers are doing everything possible to reopen the station while ensuring that the high standards of safety our colleagues and customers expect on the Tube are met.”

Kentish Town station (Image: TfL)

TfL said it could not provide a date of when it expects to reopen the station.

It also emerged in February that graffiti had been sprayed on the walls of station platforms, which police later said they were investigating.

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.

Its 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 previously said it would 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.