Piccadilly line customers have been advised by Transport for London that trains will not be stopping at Earl’s Court from Wednesday morning until the start of services on Wednesday 21 September while ‘urgent escalator works are carried out’.
TfL said that ‘London Underground’s rigorous maintenance checks over the course of last week found that bearings in one of the escalators between the Piccadilly and District line platforms are likely to fail within the next few weeks’.
If the escalator fails it ‘cannot be used as a fixed staircase and, due to the limited space available to carry out works on the faulty escalator and only a narrow spiral staircase as a backup, LU will need to close the landing area around the escalator to carry out the works’.
TfL said LU’s maintenance teams will be working ‘flat out’ to complete the work between Tuesday night and the start of services on Wednesday 21, limiting disruption to regular customers and those attending events in the local area.
LU’s Chief Operating Officer, Howard Collins, said:
“We work hard to plan maintenance and upgrade work as far ahead as possible, but on occasion we are left with no choice but to crack on with emergency repair work in the way which will cause the least disruption for customers.
“I know this will inconvenience some customers and I apologise for that, but it is vital that we get this work done now to save more disruption later.
“In the meantime customers can interchange between the Piccadilly and District lines at Hammersmith, Baron’s Court and South Kensington.”
