Dear Transport for London, Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 I seek the following information about data relating to the number of times the following Tube Stations have been temporarily closed due to overcrowding. 1. Holborn Station 2. Covent Garden Station 3. Russell Square Station 4. Chancery Lane Station 5. Farrington Station Could you provide the detail data of the following information? a) Number of temporary closures of the listed tube station by month of the last three years b) Duration of each temporary closure by month of the last three years I would prefer to receive this information electronically, but NOT as a PDF. If the decision is made to withhold some of this data using exemptions in the Data Protection Act, please inform me of that fact and cite the exemptions used. If some parts of this request are easier to answer than others, I would ask that you release the available data as soon as possible. If you need any clarification then please do not hesitate to contact me. Under Section 16 it is your duty to provide advice and assistance and so I would expect you to contact me if you find this request unmanageable in any way. I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request, and I look forward to hearing from you within the 20-working day statutory time period.

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TfL Ref: 2065-1718

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 29 October 2017 and your clarification email of 26 November,  asking for data relating to the number of times that Holborn, Covent Garden, Russell Square, Chancery Lane and Farringdon London Underground stations have been temporarily closed (full and partial station closures) due to congestion, over the last three years.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require.

In order to manage passenger numbers at our busiest stations, we implement different types of station control measures. These can include trains non stopping, individual platform closures, gate line and entrance and exits being closed, as required, to ensure a safe travel environment and minimum inconvenience for customers. Please find attached details of all reported full and partial station closures (including trains non-stopping) and gateline closure data from January 2014 to date. Over the past three years we have identified a total of eight full station closures at these stations due to congestion. There have been no full station closures reported for Russell Square or Farringdon.

We have also identified the attached partial closures that occurred over the last three years. Please note that for a number of these instances we have been unable to determine the length of time that the station control measures were active. This could be due to only one Electronic Incident Report Form (EIRF) being completed for the day in question, which may cover more than one local station control measure (such as separate entrance closures) that occurred throughout that day. We have therefore only listed in the attachment the number of partial station closures by station, year and month and not their duration.

Holborn experienced a number of partial closures between 2014 and 2016, as a result of substantial modernisation works taking place at neighbouring Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street stations, as well as escalator works at Holborn.

We are proposing to modernise and improve Holborn station. The proposed upgrade would see the station more than double in size and provide step-free access and a new second entrance and exit, making it substantially easier for customers to enter, exit and move around the station. Subject to funding and permissions, work on the station would start in the early 2020s.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely

Sara Thomas

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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