Tube passengers using Oxford Circus Tube station are being advised that from Monday 19th April they’ll only be able to exit the Tube from the station on weekdays after London Underground announced access restrictions to facilitate work to replace three escalators at the station.
London Underground say the restrictions, which run until Summer 2011, are vital to ensure safety and manage congestion. LU also stresses that the close proximity of the three escalators which lead up to the exits onto Argyll Street means it is necessary to replace all three at the same time.
Nigel Holness, Bakerloo, Central and Victoria lines Service Director, said it was “essential” to replace the escalators as they “are at the end of their working life.”
“The escalators are 40 years old and we will also need to take out and replace the trusses they were installed in which date close to the beginning of the last century.”
LU is suggesting the restrictions will not inconvenience the majority of passengers using the stations who, it says, use it to exit or interchange.
Holness says “for safety reasons entry will be restricted before 10:30, and restrictions may also occur in the evening peak or other times if it gets too busy.”
“Those passengers who want to get on the Tube should use Bond Street, Piccadilly Circus or Tottenham Court Road stations instead, all of which are just a short walk away.”
