2 weeks ago
Got a love-hate relationship with the Northern Line? Well, this news might raise a few eyebrows.
Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced that TfL will not be widening the platforms at Clapham South and Clapham Common, despite safety concerns being flagged. Yep, those iconic – but seriously narrow – island platforms will remain unchanged.
If you use Clapham Common station, you might remember an incident last year that shook things up. On 5th May 2023, passengers panicked when they saw smoke or brake dust coming from a train due to a mechanical issue with a ventilator fan. The train stopped, but the doors didn’t open, leaving commuters stuck. In the heat of the moment, some passengers smashed windows to escape, fearing a fire.
The incident caught the attention of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), who carried out a full investigation. In their report, they pointed out that London Underground hadn’t properly identified the risks of evacuating passengers from trains on narrow island platforms like Clapham Common. Not the best look.
Fast forward to now, and Labour London Assembly Member Marina Ahmad has brought the issue to the Mayor’s attention. She highlighted how these narrow island platforms limit capacity during peak times and pose serious safety concerns. After all, we’ve already seen how things can quickly go sideways. So, she put the question to Mayor Khan: Should TfL look into the risks and consider widening the platforms for better capacity, safety, and even economic benefits?
Khan responded, acknowledging the concerns but said that after reviewing the situation, TfL won’t be making any changes to the platforms. Why? Because to widen them would mean some serious construction work. We’re talking expanding tunnels and closing the stations for a lengthy period, all of which comes with a hefty price tag. In his words, the benefits would be “disproportionate” to the costs and the disruption it would cause.
Instead, TfL has updated its risk assessments and adjusted congestion plans to better handle the unique challenges of island platforms. Essentially, they reckon they can manage the safety risks effectively with the measures they’ve got in place. But don’t worry – TfL has said they’ll keep an eye on things and review the situation as needed.
For now, it looks like Clapham South and Clapham Common will stick to their iconic, narrow platforms. It’s a bit of a compromise – while major changes are off the table, TfL promises they’re doing what they can to manage safety with current measures.
So, if these stations are part of your daily journey, stay sharp during rush hour and keep up to date with any changes. TfL will be monitoring the situation, but as it stands, those platforms aren’t getting any wider anytime soon.
