Anger over tube closure

Tuesday August 10, 2010

The closure of the Hammersmith and City line has heaped extra suffering on west London’s rush hour commuters.

London Underground (LU) shut down the line between Hammersmith and Edgware Road to carry out upgrades at Paddington for Crossrail and the tube network.

The building works involved the demolition of a disused taxi ramp and canopy that sit above the Hammersmith and City line platforms.

LU has been advising passengers to seek alternative routes and has laid on extra bus services, but some residents are angry that Shepherds Bush has been deprived of one of its tube lines.

“It’s a bit of a pain,” said Marc Phelan, 29, of Hammersmith Grove. “I’m used to tube closures on the weekends, but shutting it down for three whole weeks is ridiculous.”

The closure also means that the Circle line has temporarily reverted back to its former route – only months after being extended to cover Shepherds Bush and Hammersmith.

Raj Kumari, 43, of Uxbridge Road, said: “I don’t think it’s very good. It will be hard for people who have to get up to Paddington for work. There will be extra buses, but they are always slow when it’s busy.”

But it isn’t just commuters who have been affected. James Fischer, 27, of Shepherds Bush, said: “I have to get to Putney on Sundays for football. I didn’t realise the tubes were cancelled and I’m not sure where the buses go from.”

One of LU’s aims during the closure is to extend some platforms to accommodate air-conditioned trains, however Hammersmith and City line passengers will have to wait until 2012 before these new, cooler carriages are in service.

The closure is set to last for another week as LU plans to reopen the line on August 16.