TfL meeting papers for the December board (page 40) suggest that although Holborn’s importance in the tube network is recognised and upgrade work will go ahead, it won’t be complete until 2022. This will be some 90 years after the station was last remodelled in 1933 as ‘Holborn (Kingsway)’ to create the current ticket hall and large escalator bank. Let’s hope there isn’t a campaign to rename Holborn tube ‘MidTown’.
Future station capacity
Improvements and capacity enhancements are required at further Tube stations to ensure that the network continues to operate effectively and stations support local development. We will initially focus on Holborn and Camden Town, and have plans for further improvements to meet future demand and unlock growth in London’s Opportunity Areas, eg Kennington and Elephant & Castle.
Holborn provides a vital interchange between the Piccadilly and Central lines in the West End. However, demand for these lines is already so high; customers are often prevented from changing lines or are held outside to prevent the station becoming unsafe. The work will resolve these issues and allow the area to receive the full benefits of the Piccadilly line upgrade. By 2022, a new interchange link and a re-modelled ticket hall will reduce journey times, boost capacity and make the station step-free.
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