'Unprecedented' Shepherd's Bush tube station closure was avoidable


Central line station could have stayed open during works, says MP

The 'unprecedented' closure of Shepherd's Bush London Underground station could have been avoided, according to Labour MP for Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush Andy Slaughter.

Mr Slaughter says that according to documents he obtained under the Freedom of Information Act  London Underground were advised the Central Line Station could remain open while all improvement works were carried out.

According to the MP, London Underground 'buckled' under pressure from Westfield, the company building the White City Shopping Centre

Minutes of a high level meeting held on 19 December 2007 stated: "LU's earlier planned mitigation was to have the BGW [below ground works - providing a lift, passageways and staircase] in service before the escalator works commenced. 

"Provision of a high-capacity staircase as part of the below ground works would have enabled the station to retain 2-way operation, provided the escalators were modernised sequentially (there have been engineering differences of opinion about the feasibility of this).  Difficulties with the BGW mean this strategy may not be viable anyway.'

A further document reveals that Metronet - the contractor charged with replacing the escalators in 2012 - were clear they could do so without closure:  'It is Metronet's view that the escalators can be replaced whilst maintaining station operation (if BGW lift & stairs installed) and replacing escalators one at a time. 

However LUL ED do not believe this is feasible, leading to a station closure in 2012 to replace the escalators.'

But in contradiction to these statements, letters to station users sent in January 2008 LU said: 'it is not possible to replace one escalator while the other is running.' 

Mr Slaughter said: "Careful study of the more than 50 pages of released documents reveals how LU buckled under Westfield pressure.   In November they were resisting even weekend closures and demanded Westfield produce plans to do the works with the station open - which they did.  As late as 3 December 2007 LU was still holding out against closure - then on the 7 December they folded."

20 July, 2008
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