Commuters cannot enter into Old Street station on weekday mornings until next Summer. From 7-10am – peak times for the morning rush to work – travellers will need to find alternative routes. The change will allow a new station entrance to be constructed, complete with new shops, and the above-ground roundabout to be rebuilt.
Old Street is one of London’s busiest tube stations, with 42,971 people —a figure in the top 10% of the network— starting journeys from the station on weekdays, according to the latest data from TfL. Yet many residents who rely on the station were left in the dark about the change, with some finding out months later than others.
The closure has affected nearby residents who use the station. Jules Mattsson, a student healthcare worker who often travels to work from Old Street, commented: “It’s regrettable that TfL have done nothing to mitigate the impact on local residents.”
Despite the closure being confirmed in September, Mattsson says he was only notified a few days in advance by TfL, meaning that he found out on social media. Other residents received letters on 11 September, but being only partially distributed, many had to find out secondhand, or via email weeks later on 29 October. Mattsson adds: “Many key workers will be travelling to work throughout lockdown and relying on TfL services, but we are now going to be spending more on extra fares and having longer journeys as a result of their decision not to give free access to alternatives.”
The project is designed to make Old Street more pedestrian and cycle-friendly, making it “a great place to live, work, study and visit”, as Cllr Claudia Webbe stated in 2018 when works began.
Yet local residents, including David Voas, have criticized the decision online: “Evidently local residents who need to go to work are a lower priority than commuters travelling in.”
Construction will continue under the national lockdown beginning on Thursday. While works take place, residents are encouraged to use Moorgate, Angel or Liverpool Street stations as alternatives.
