Transport for London (TfL) revealed earlier this week that Cutty Sark station would need to close from May 31 until next spring while work takes place to replace four broken escalators.
Campaigners have called for the four escalators to be replaced for years after they repeatedly failed, forcing passengers to walk up 121 steps or use what some locals have described as the “worst lift in London”.
Karin Tearle, who helped to spearhead campaign group ‘Escalate Now!’, told the News Shopper that she hoped the work would be completed on time.
“These things are sometimes as long as a piece of string,” she explained.
“In Kentish Town, it took them 18 months to replace two escalators, so let’s hope it won’t be as long as that.
“The closure is a big inconvenience, but that station is really not accessible at the moment. The work has to go ahead.”
She added that campaigners would “make it painful” for TfL if they did not properly mitigate the impacts of the closure.
Once the station shuts, passengers have been urged to use the nearby Greenwich station, which is an 11 minute walk away.
“If Cutty Sark station is going to be closed for a year, I think they need to put proper signage at Greenwich DLR station, so people know where to go and how to walk back to the town centre, especially tourists,” she said.
“Currently, Cutty Sark station has amazing signage but that’s not seen anymore. We will be on to TfL to do their job.”
TfL has claimed that it has been working with local stakeholders to keep them updated about the escalators, adding it will “continue to do so” as work at Cutty Sark station progresses.
“We are looking at ways to best improve signage from Greenwich station to local points of interest,” a spokesperson said.
Improved street level signage has already been installed to help guide passengers more easily between Cutty Sark and Greenwich stations.
From April 7, those travelling on the DLR between Greenwich or Cutty Sark and Island Gardens, will have their fares refunded for at least one year.
