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A busy south London Tube station is to close for seven months for two lifts to be replaced.

Lambeth North tube station will shut from July 13 until February next year while the station’s 30-year-old lifts, used to access the underground platforms, are replaced.

A TfL statement said replacing one lift at a time was not an option as large amounts of passengers using one of the lifts would increase the likelihood of it breaking.

The amount of time needed to fix both lifts would also have doubled, TfL said.

Lambeth North does have stairs which can be used to access the platforms but these have been deemed too narrow for two-way traffic.

London Underground director of strategy David Hughes said: “I’m sorry for the disruption that the lift work will cause our customers, but the new lifts will be more reliable with fewer delays when the work is complete.

“Closing the station is the quickest and most efficient way to replace the lifts – the decision has not been taken lightly and we will work hard to complete this vital upgrade as quickly as possible, keeping customers and local businesses up to date as the work progresses.”

Passengers previously using Lambeth North are advised to use neighbouring stations at Waterloo, Elephant & Castle, and Southwark, or travel by bus.