Opening of new entrance at Finsbury Park station delayed

How the new entrance to Finsbury Park station will look. Picture: Telford Homes Archant

The opening of the new entrance to Finsbury Park station has been delayed, the Gazette can reveal.

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Finsbury Park station at rush hour. Picture: Kris Milovsorov Finsbury Park station at rush hour. Picture: Kris Milovsorov

Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed the scheduled opening in April will not be happening and would only say it will now take place “later in 2019”.

The entrance via Goodwin Street and Wells Terrace is replacing the old Wells Terrace entrance which closed in July 2016 due to the City North development work.

It is believed TfL’s section of the work to the entrance will be finished on time, but the City North developers have hit some complications on their end.

Step-free access was also meant to be introduced at the end of last year, but the lifts have yet to open. TfL told the Gazette work was “nearing completion” and would be finished in a matter of weeks rather than months.

Some people take to Twitter to post about the situation. Some people take to Twitter to post about the situation.

A TfL spokesperson said: “The Finsbury Park project will deliver step-free access, ease congestion and also provide a brand-new entrance linking the station with the commercial development currently under construction in the area.

“We are working collaboratively with the developer, City North Finsbury Park, to make sure that customers can experience the benefits of these improvements as soon as possible.”

The Wells Terrace closure, announced with one week’s notice three years ago, effectively meant anyone living on the other side of the station to the main entrance would have to walk under the Stroud Green Road bridge or down Fonthill Road for three years to access the Tube.

And for that reason it has been roundly blamed for the huge queues regularly seen outside the sole entrance during rush hour in Station Place.

FOI figures revealed by the Gazette in 2017 showed in the first six months after the Wells Terrace closure or partially closed 83 times.

TfL insisted the Wells Terrace closure was nothing to do with the problems, but passengers enduring soul-destroying trips to work every day disagreed.

Businesses along the route to the Wells Terrace entrance also suffered from a lack of footfall, with many in Clifton Terrace having to close .

Those that did survive will now have to compete with the incoming Marks and Spencer Foodhall, which will open as part of the City North development’s retail provision that also includes a Gymbox and a nine-screen Cineworld.