[title]
Finally, Cutty Sark DLR stations has escalators that work! Anyone who regularly travels to and from Greenwich will know how big a deal that is, and can look forward to the station reopening after a 10-month closure next week.
All four of Cutty Sark station’s old escalators had been regularly breaking down for years. In December 2024, every single one was out of action at the same time, and for five months, commuters had to use the lift or take the 121 steps to and from the platform.
TfL fully shut the station May last year to finally allow for the escalators to be replaced. Since then, travellers have had to use Greenwich station – which is about a 10-minute walk or a short bus ride away. But those shiny new state-of-the-art escalators are now complete, and Cutty Sark DLR station will reopen on Monday March 23, a week earlier than planned.
The station is one of the main access routes into Greenwich town and normally one of the busiest stations in south London (with more than 7.6 million entries and exits a year). It’s a key stop for both commuters and for tourists visiting attractions like the National Maritime Museum, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich Market and, obviously, Cutty Sark itself.
Each new escalator took 17 weeks to build. Rob Rusz, programme manager for the DLR, said: ‘This has been incredibly difficult. This station was built as a “cut and cover” station, which meant originally the escalators were put in with a crane, and the station was built on top of the escalators.
‘This time round, we have had to cut them into seven pieces, take them out to street level, then get the new ones manufactured in seven pieces and bring them in and build them up from scratch once we have got them inside the station.’
It’s hoped that the new escalators will last up to 40 years, with a major overhaul planned for around 20 years in. A brand new lift has been installed as part of the upgrade, too.
The station will open in time for the London Marathon in April, which will see tens of thousands of runners descend on Greenwich, where the event begins.
Did you see that TfL has revealed plans for a new express bus service in south London?
Plus: Everything you need to know about the tube strikes this spring.
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.