Waterloo and City line closure set to continue indefinitely
No date has yet been set for the Waterloo and City tube line to be reopened, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said.
The route – London’s second-most intensively used after the Victoria line – has been closed since lockdown began in March.
In answer to a question from Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon, Khan said that the Waterloo and City line would remain closed to concentrate resources on other routes.
“The Waterloo & City line and Central line operate a shared pool of train operators”, he said.
“The Central line is one of the busiest on the network, and throughout the pandemic, has seen a smaller decline in customer numbers than other lines, which has enabled TfL to support the journeys of many people who are less able to work from home.
“As a result, TfL prioritised Waterloo & City line train operators to the Central line to ensure it can run a frequent and reliable service, enabling social distancing where demand remains comparatively high.”
TfL said it was continuing to closely monitor customer demand to inform its decision about when to re-open the Waterloo & City line.
It is monitoring daily arrivals at Waterloo mainline station, which have remained low, and demand on alternative routes between Waterloo and Bank.
Earlier this week Canada’s policy chair wrote to TfL commissioner Andy Byford to ask for clarity on when the route would be reopened.
The line, which connects the Square Mile to commuter hub Waterloo, is a lifeline for City workers.
In her letter, Catherine McGuinness asked for details of the criteria on which reopening the line would be based.
It is the only Tube Line which has not been reopened after lockdown.