Customers at Holborn Tube station are being asked to stand
on both sides of two 'up' escalators as Transport for London (TfL)
launches a six month trial to ease congestion at the station.
New
signs and customer information are on display to encourage customers to
stand on both sides. The third 'up' escalator is also available for
people who still want to walk up.
The six month trial follows a
three week trial that took place last year, which found that standing on
both sides of the escalator reduced congestion by around 30 per cent.
Peter McNaught, Operations Director at London Underground, said:
'I
look forward to this new pilot starting today. The etiquette on London
Underground is for customers to stand on the right of escalators,
allowing others to walk on the left. However, few customers choose to
walk on longer escalators such as Holborn, so much of the left-hand-side
is unused. We hope that this can lead to improving congestion at
Holborn, making journeys easier for all of our customers.'
First reports indicate that passengers are ignoring the new rules and are still walking on the left of the escalators as they have always done. There has been a strong reaction to the change on social media, with most correspondents encouraging passengers to continue walking.