As the Mayor of London and Secretary of State for Transport met to discuss the progress of Crossrail 2, Caroline Pidgeon AM said:
“Overcrowding on the Underground is already a daily battle, with many passengers facing regular delays to simply get through barriers at stations.
“Unless Crossrail 2 is built these delays will increasingly build up until drastic measures are necessary at 17 key Tube stations, not to mention Clapham Junction railway station.
“Planning ahead for Crossrail 2 is not an optional extra for London’s transport network but of vital importance to keep London moving.”
After investigations made by the London Assembly Member, TfL has finally disclosed that the 17 London Underground stations that face grinding to a halt without Crossrail 2 are:
- Euston
- King’s Cross St. Pancras
- Liverpool Street
- London Bridge
- Victoria
- Waterloo
- Finsbury Park
- Stockwell
- Stratford
- Oxford Circus
- Highbury & Islington
- Clapham Common
- Clapham North
- Clapham South
- Holborn
- Warren Street
- Leicester Square
In addition to these Tube stations, TfL has admitted that Clapham Junction train station will be similarly affected by excessive overcrowding.
Unless pressure is reduced on the stations by Crossrail 2, chronic overcrowding will have built up by the 2030s, forcing these stations to introduce drastic measures to deal with crowds and passenger numbers, such as permanent one-way systems or even regular closures.