Thousands of Tube passengers face a fortnight of having to struggle down a 70-step staircase after one of east London’s busiest stations was hit by another escalator shutdown.
Transport for London has closed the “down” escalator at Walthamstow Central station until “mid-September” to enable repairs to improve its reliability.
This follows a similar shutdown of the “up” escalator before the summer and continuous problems with a separate lift to Walthamstow bus station breaking down.
On Monday morning, as many people returned to work as the school summer holidays began drawing to a close, large crowds built up in the ticket hall as commuters queued to use the stairs.
Many London Overground passengers from stations such as Chingford and Highams Park change onto the Victoria line at Walthamstow Central, adding to the demand at the station that is well-used by locals.
Many passengers were forced to negotiate the stairs while carrying luggage or with children or pets. Other passengers were seen carrying suitcases down the stairs for elderly passengers.
More station staff than normal were on duty but The Standard did not see them assisting passengers with luggage on the staircase.
Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow, said news of the escalator shutdown – which came on Wednesday last week – for planned maintenance meant that for the area’s Tube passengers “it never rains but it pours”.
Passengers unable to use the stairs have to catch a 230 bus to Blackhorse Road or Tottenham Hale stations.
Ms Creasy invited Seb Dance, Sir Sadiq Khan’s deputy mayor for transport, to Walthamstow earlier this year to see for himself the challenges at the Tube and bus station for people with disabilities or children in prams and buggies.
She said the repair work was the same as done earlier this year. “Why they didn’t do both at the same time, I will never know,” she said in a video message alerting constituents to the situation.
“It does mean that you won’t be able to get down to the platform unless you can walk down those stairs.
“I completely understand how frustrating and maddening it is to get such short notice.
“I will keep nagging Transport for London. They have simply got to do better at communication and better at investing in our stations so that we don’t have this problem in the first place.”
When the “up” escalator was undergoing repairs, passengers still had to walk down the central staircase as the “down” escalator was converted into an “up” escalator.
Passengers using Walthamstow’s other Tube station – at Blackhorse Road – have also faced similar problems with escalators having been taken out of service for repairs.
According to a TfL response to a freedom of information request, the two escalators at Walthamstow Central failed 11 times in 2024 and four times so far this year.
The two escalators at Blackhorse Road failed 10 times last year and on four occasions so far this year.
TfL has been approached for additional comment.
