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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Oxford Circus Tube station 'closes every three days' for overcrowding | Oxford Circus Tube station 'closes every three days' for overcrowding |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Oxford Circus Tube station was temporarily closed 113 times in the space of a year because of overcrowding, new figures have shown. | Oxford Circus Tube station was temporarily closed 113 times in the space of a year because of overcrowding, new figures have shown. |
| The shutters were brought down on entrances a further 15 times for other reasons, including staffing issues and strikes, in the 12 months to October. | The shutters were brought down on entrances a further 15 times for other reasons, including staffing issues and strikes, in the 12 months to October. |
| Other major Tube stations Victoria and Waterloo closed five times and once respectively. | Other major Tube stations Victoria and Waterloo closed five times and once respectively. |
| Transport for London said it recognised Oxford Circus could get "very busy". | Transport for London said it recognised Oxford Circus could get "very busy". |
| More on this story and other news from London | More on this story and other news from London |
| TfL blamed the situation on modernisation work at the neighbouring Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street stations. | TfL blamed the situation on modernisation work at the neighbouring Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street stations. |
| A statement said: "As part of this work, the Central line is not currently stopping at Tottenham Court Road, meaning many customers have diverted to Oxford Circus." | A statement said: "As part of this work, the Central line is not currently stopping at Tottenham Court Road, meaning many customers have diverted to Oxford Circus." |
| But the closures - amounting to nearly one every three days - during evening rush hours have frustrated shoppers and commuters using the station, which is at the busy junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street. | But the closures - amounting to nearly one every three days - during evening rush hours have frustrated shoppers and commuters using the station, which is at the busy junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street. |
| One Twitter user asked: "When will Transport for London sort out overcrowding at Oxford Circus? Closed almost every day at rush hour." | One Twitter user asked: "When will Transport for London sort out overcrowding at Oxford Circus? Closed almost every day at rush hour." |
| Following the terrorist attacks in Paris, another tweeted that the overcrowding made "everyone jumpy". | Following the terrorist attacks in Paris, another tweeted that the overcrowding made "everyone jumpy". |
| Minor closures were not included in the figures, released to BBC London through a Freedom of Information request. | Minor closures were not included in the figures, released to BBC London through a Freedom of Information request. |
| These include times when entrances were closed and stations only used for people to interchange and exit. | These include times when entrances were closed and stations only used for people to interchange and exit. |
| TfL said these "partial closures" were "treated as 'business as usual' and usually only recorded locally, if at all". | TfL said these "partial closures" were "treated as 'business as usual' and usually only recorded locally, if at all". |
| Oxford Circus is London Underground's busiest station, with nearly 100 million passengers entering or leaving the station in 2014. | Oxford Circus is London Underground's busiest station, with nearly 100 million passengers entering or leaving the station in 2014. |
| Stations are closed in order to "ensure that platforms are safe to use and there are not too many people on them," a TfL spokeswoman added. | Stations are closed in order to "ensure that platforms are safe to use and there are not too many people on them," a TfL spokeswoman added. |
| Tailor Thomas Church, 25, from West Hampstead, who uses the station every day, said the closures affected surrounding businesses. | Tailor Thomas Church, 25, from West Hampstead, who uses the station every day, said the closures affected surrounding businesses. |
| He said: "When it closes I have to cancel appointments and that means I lose money. It can cost us thousands of pounds every time. | He said: "When it closes I have to cancel appointments and that means I lose money. It can cost us thousands of pounds every time. |
| "What I don't get is that London is the world's favourite city and Oxford Circus is at the heart of it - so why hasn't it been upgraded to cope with demand?" | "What I don't get is that London is the world's favourite city and Oxford Circus is at the heart of it - so why hasn't it been upgraded to cope with demand?" |
| A spokesman for watchdog London TravelWatch said the figures showed the "need for continued investment in capacity in the face of ever increasing demand". | A spokesman for watchdog London TravelWatch said the figures showed the "need for continued investment in capacity in the face of ever increasing demand". |
| A July report from the watchdog recommended improving how interchanges are shown on Tube and rail maps. | A July report from the watchdog recommended improving how interchanges are shown on Tube and rail maps. |
| It said this could include making it clear where stations are a short walk apart, the interchanges that do not require additional fares and those that require passengers to leave the station. | It said this could include making it clear where stations are a short walk apart, the interchanges that do not require additional fares and those that require passengers to leave the station. |
| 'Recipe for disaster' | |
| General Secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) Mick Cash said the underground network was "bursting at the seams". | |
| "RMT is now receiving regular reports from our reps of severe overcrowding on both the tube and the commuter rail services," he said. | |
| "All the indicators are that passenger numbers will continue to surge, cramming more people into a capacity that is already at breaking point. | |
| "At the moment the transport authorities are winging it and that is a recipe for disaster. " | |
| What do Londoners think? | What do Londoners think? |
| "I think it needs to be pedestrian-only. There's just too many people. People are walking in the roads, I just walked in the road myself. It's a bit of a joke," said Jonny Button. | "I think it needs to be pedestrian-only. There's just too many people. People are walking in the roads, I just walked in the road myself. It's a bit of a joke," said Jonny Button. |
| Isabel Cordwell, who works between Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Circus, said: "It stops me getting home in the evening. It's not at the same time every day so it's quite inconvenient. | Isabel Cordwell, who works between Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Circus, said: "It stops me getting home in the evening. It's not at the same time every day so it's quite inconvenient. |
| "But I'm not sure what can be done to change it - it's just the amount of people trying to get in and out." | "But I'm not sure what can be done to change it - it's just the amount of people trying to get in and out." |
| Rebecca Koczan said: "It's pretty rubbish. Often I just walk to Green Park because I can't be bothered to wait. When you're coming home from work, you just want to get home and you can't because of what's happening." | Rebecca Koczan said: "It's pretty rubbish. Often I just walk to Green Park because I can't be bothered to wait. When you're coming home from work, you just want to get home and you can't because of what's happening." |
| "You can't get anywhere, can't get home quick enough and it's quite scary. Lots of people bump into you," said Bukky Bello. | "You can't get anywhere, can't get home quick enough and it's quite scary. Lots of people bump into you," said Bukky Bello. |
| "It's a central place. You have tourists, shoppers, people coming from work, that's probably why." | "It's a central place. You have tourists, shoppers, people coming from work, that's probably why." |