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A major London rail station will close for seven months to replace its escalators.
City Thameslink station will shut from 17 May until late December 2027 while all 10 escalators are replaced.
According to Network Rail, the existing escalators, which have been used for over 35 years, are reaching the end of their operational life.
The rail operator added that several escalators were severely damaged in spring 2025 by severe flooding and “can no longer provide the long-term reliability passengers expect”.
Work will not impact the track, with Thameslink services continuing to operate as normal.
Timetable changes will only impact trains by not calling at City Thameslink station.
Specialist engineers will install the new escalators, described as “substantial machinery and equipment”, piece by piece over the seven-month period.
Escalators will undergo “extensive testing” to ensure they meet safety and reliability standards.
Network Rail has advised London Blackfriars station as a convenient alternative for commuters, a six-minute walk from the Ludgate Hill entrance of City Thameslink.
Network Rail said: “We recognise this will be disruptive, but a full closure is the safest, quickest and most efficient way to complete the work.
“It will significantly reduce the overall duration of the project compared with conducting the work while the station remains open and it meets safety requirements that would not be possible under a partial closure approach.”
Elsewhere in London, Lord Sadiq Khan will be handed powers to build an extension to the Bakerloo line into south-east London, as well as to develop Stratford station.
Under new plans brought in by Chancellor John Healey’s Budget, the government will devolve business rates and some income tax revenue to allow regions to invest in large infrastructure projects.
The chancellor announced that an initial £285 million will be allocated as part of a plan to give mayors and regional leaders in England more money and power to invest in projects in their areas.
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