Parts of the Northern Line will be closed for four months UK News

Many key stations on the Northern Line will be closed for four months as part of a £ 700million modernization of Bank station.

A 17-week closure will affect various stations connecting central London between Moorgate and Kennington stations from January 15 to mid-May next year.

The bank itself will be closed, while London Bridge, Borough and Elephant & Castle will not have access to the Northern Line.

The shutdown is around six months later than expected due to the lockdown delaying major TfL projects last year

Ahead of the 17-week shutdown, there will be a series of weekend closures over the next few months between Moorgate and Kennington, including July 31, August 1, and September 4-5.

The disruption is likely to affect people eagerly awaiting their post-Covid restriction plans and anyone due to commute to work in central London.

Bank itself was one of the busiest interchanges before the pandemic, and many depend on the station to travel to and from London.

However, there will be more trains at Charing Cross starting next January, and a new bus line will also run between Oval and the City.

Vernon Everitt, TfL’s Managing Director for Customers, Communications and Technology, said: “While there’s never a good time to do something like this, the price at the end of the day is a new ‘crown jewel’ that we will have in the center of the city to attract people to London … we think it is worth disrupting a 17 week blockade.

When completed, the project will increase the capacity of the station by 40% and reduce the time required to change lines.

Two new elevators, 12 escalators and two moving walkways will also be installed at the station.

Stuart Harvey, Director of Major Projects for TfL, said: “The changes to the station will transform the experience for every customer who uses Bank and help the city recover and return to the region.

“I can’t wait for this work to be completed next year, but I’m sorry that this vital and complex work is causing disruption early next year.”