A north London Tube station closed for repairs is to remain shut until September.
Essential work to replace both of Kentish Town Tube station’s 26-year-old escalators started in June, with Transport for London (TfL) advising it would take a year.
However, due to “unrelated work” that also needs to be done, the station will likely be closed until September - a year and three months on from when it was last open.
A TfL spokesperson said: “The work to upgrade the escalators at Kentish Town Tube station is progressing well and we are on track to complete the installation of the new escalators this summer.
“However, during unrelated work to improve other parts of the station we identified assets that require essential repair to allow the station to operate safely.
“Our engineers are doing everything possible to reopen the station, which is projected to happen in September, while ensuring that the high standards of safety our colleagues and customers expect on the Tube are met.”
The planned works were commissioned after TfL said the station’s escalators were breaking down too frequently, forcing the station to close.
The escalators were installed in 1997 and are bespoke to the station, making it difficult to source parts for maintenance and repairs.
Once installed, the new escalators are expected to last for around 40 years, TfL said.
A raft of other station improvements is also taking place, including the removal of 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.
