Request ID: FOI-1788-2223 Date published: 18 November 2022
You asked
Hello TFL,
Please could you provide me with the following information in order to understand the ongoing escalator closures at Cutty Sark DLR Station in Maritime Greenwich?
- The number of escalator closures at Cutty Sark from 2021 - 2022 as well as the reasons for the closures
- The number of escalator closures at Cutty Sark in the past 5 years (2017 - 2022) as well as the reasons for the closures
- The reason each of the escalators has been refurbished since 2020
Thank you kindly
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-1788-2223
Thank you for your request received on 26 October 2022 asking for information about the escalators at Cutty Sark DLR Station. Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm we hold some of the information you require. Like all of our assets such as trains and track, we have a continual programme of maintenance and renewal for our lifts and escalators to ensure they are reliable and safe to use for our customers. Escalator replacement and refurbishment works can be a lengthy process due to the size and difficulty of the task. We continue to look at ways to reduce the amount of disruption on our customers while we undertake these works. For example, we will sometimes replace more than one escalator at a time to reduce the overall time they are unavailable. We also continue to invest in vital improvements to the transport network including making more stations fully accessible across London. You asked for: • The number of escalator closures at Cutty Sark from 2021 - 2022 as well as the reasons for the closures • The number of escalator closures at Cutty Sark in the past 5 years (2017 - 2022) as well as the reasons for the closures TfL became responsible for the maintenance of the escalators at Cutty Sark station in April 2021, we do not hold information prior to this date. These had previously been maintained by City Greenwich Lewisham (CGL) Rail, under the Private Finance Initiative that funded the extension of the DLR to Greenwich and Lewisham and they were responsible for all maintenance of that section from 1999 until early 2021. From April 2021 to date, there have been 65 separate occasions where there have been failures on Cutty Sark escalators that have been attended to by the maintainer, across all four escalators. The faults are caused by a combination of everyday faults such as items caught in the comb, misuse, and vandalism. Escalators two and three have been out for an extended period of time due to alignment issues that required major interventions. Following technical advice, these assets have had to unfortunately remain out of customer service until such time that the project delivery team could undertake the required overhaul. Escalator three has had the required overhaul works and successfully returned to service in October 2022, whilst escalator two is currently still under refurbishment. Please see the attached spreadsheet for further details relating to unplanned closures of escalators at Cutty Sark station. The table below provides information on the dates covered by each period:
Year
2021/22
2022/23
Period
Start
End
Start
End
1
01/04/2021
01/05/2021
01/04/2022
30/04/2022
2
02/05/2021
29/05/2021
01/05/2022
28/05/2022
3
30/05/2021
26/06/2021
29/05/2022
25/06/2022
4
27/06/2021
24/07/2021
26/06/2022
23/07/2022
5
25/07/2021
21/08/2021
24/07/2022
20/08/2022
6
22/08/2021
18/09/2021
21/08/2022
17/09/2022
7
19/09/2021
16/10/2021
18/09/2022
15/10/2022
8
17/10/2021
13/11/2021
16/10/2022
12/11/2022
9
14/11/2021
11/12/2021
13/11/2022
10/12/2022
10
12/12/2021
08/01/2022
11/12/2022
07/01/2023
11
09/01/2022
05/02/2022
08/01/2023
04/02/2023
12
06/02/2022
05/03/2022
05/02/2023
04/03/2023
13
06/03/2022
31/03/2022
05/03/2023
31/03/2023
• The reason each of the escalators has been refurbished since 2020 The justification for the overhauls (refurbishment) of all the Cutty Sark escalators is to bring them all up to a standard which is required to ensure they can be used reliably by customers and extend the lifespan of the machines, as they were installed in 1996. Prior attempts, before April 2021, were not extensive enough to ensure the escalators’ long-term reliability. Since TfL took over responsibility for the escalators we have been able to invest the time and resources to ensure that the current overhaul works being undertaken are sufficiently comprehensive to ensure that all four assets will bring better reliability and performance for our valued customers. If this is not the information you are looking for please feel free to contact me. Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely
Gemma Jacob Senior FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
