TfL’s plans to close Caledonian Road tube station for lift repairs halted

Transport for London (TfL) has halted plans to close Caledonian Road tube station for eight months from March after Islington Council engaged in legal action against the decision.

TfL’s withdrawal of its proposals follows Islington Council’s application for a judicial review of TfL’s decision – made in December last year – to close the station for eight months while it repaired the lifts simultaneously. 

TfL had intended to close the station while work to repair both lifts was carried out simultaneously. Islington Council argued this would have a severe impact on disabled residents, and that TfL should have carried out an impact assessment to determine the consequence of its actions.

In a letter received on Thursday, TfL stated it would “withdraw and reconsider” the decision because it recognised the value of undertaking an analysis of the impact the closure would have on disabled people who use the station. TfL’s failure to adequately consider the impact of the closure from an equalities perspective was at the core of the council’s case.

The council argued the alternative would be to repair the lifts sequentially, one after the other, which would mean the station – which offers important step-free access for mobility-impaired people – can remain open while the upgrade is carried out.

TfL’s letter continued to say that the capital’s transport body “will now reconsider how the lift refurbishment at the station is to be carried out” and look again at plans to refurbish the lifts simultaneously or sequentially.

Islington Council’s executive member for environment and transport, Cllr Claudia Webbe, said: “We welcome TfL’s climb down, which shows the council was correct in starting legal proceedings against the decision to close the station for eight months.  

“When TfL’s plans were announced in December, local residents were rightly deeply concerned about the impact it would have. I want to thank the residents that supported our campaign to make TfL think again.

“We’re particularly pleased that TfL will be looking at how its proposals will affect equalities and specifically the impact they would have on disabled and older people who use the station.

“It’s clear that both TfL and the council would much prefer to resolve this dispute amicably, if possible, and we hope that TfL will deliver the improvements the station needs by replacing the lifts one after the other and keeping the station open.”

The council has also welcomed the offer by TfL to consult the council on future proposals for the temporary closure of the station.

The north London local authority has accepted TfL’s request, set out in the letter, that the council discontinue legal proceedings, on the basis that TfL will cover the council’s legal costs.