Angel Tube station will be exit-only on weekends and bank holidays from Saturday 2 January 2027, Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed.
The arrangement will remain in place until further notice as TfL works to extend the operating life of the station’s escalators, some of which are nearly 35 years old and increasingly difficult to maintain.
Escalator reliability
Angel has two banks of escalators: one linking the ticket hall with the mid-concourse level and another connecting the mid-concourse with the platforms. The first bank includes the longest escalators on the Tube network, measuring more than 60 metres in length and rising more than 27 metres.
One of the escalators between the ticket hall and mid-concourse has been out of service since April 2026 because of its deteriorated condition. Only two escalators are currently operating. TfL said that if the remaining escalators in this bank were both unavailable at the same time, the station would have to close because there is no other safe way to clear it. The escalators are too long to be operated as fixed staircases.
TfL said historic shortfalls in government funding for essential asset renewals had prevented it from investing in new escalators at the station. It is continuing to examine options for renewal, repair and replacement within its available funding, with design work on replacing the escalators due to begin this autumn.
“Making the station exit-only during specific periods will allow us to extend the working life of the escalators and give us more time to plan our next steps, with design work on replacing the escalators to begin this autumn,” said Richard Jones, director of asset performance delivery for London Underground.
Jones added: “I understand that any disruption to the station will have an impact on customers, businesses and the local community and we will do all we can to work closely with local stakeholders to ensure that we mitigate the disruption as much as possible.”
Alternative stations
Angel will operate normally on weekdays, with customers able to enter and leave at all times. TfL’s analysis found that more people leave the station than enter it at weekends and on bank holidays, when overall usage is also generally lower.
Customers wishing to begin journeys at Angel during the restrictions can use King’s Cross St Pancras, around 1km away, with bus routes 30, 73, 205, 214 and 476 connecting it to Angel. Old Street is around 1.5km away and can be reached by routes 43, 205 and 214. Highbury & Islington is served by routes 4, 19, 30 and 43.
TfL said it had met local businesses, stakeholders and elected representatives while developing the plan. It will run a customer information campaign before the changes take effect and provide further information in the new year.