Two years of delays as Blackfriars Tube is shut for revamp

Rail chiefs said today the Square Mile station would shut in March next year and not reopen until late in 2011.

More than 44,000 daily users of the station face long delays getting to and from work and will be forced to use other stations, lines or the bus.

Circle and District line services will continue to run through the station but without stopping.

The closure of the 1870s Tube stationone of the oldest on the network, is to allow a £350million rebuild which forms part of the £5.5billion upgrade of the Thameslink line.

Underground and rail bosses have decided there is no way to do the work except to close the Tube section, and users will have to alight or board at Mansion House or Temple stations - both 10 to 15 minutes walk away.

The mainline rail section of Blackfriars will remain open, but Thameslinkand Southeastern commuters wishingto change to the Tube will have to use Farringdon, Elephant & Castle or London Bridge stations instead.

It is promised the first phase of the Thameslink programme, which will virtually treble passenger capacity from the current 4,500 an hour to 12,000, will be completed for the 2012 Olympics.

Jo de Bank of London TravelWatch said: "This really is a case of pain now for gain later. This is going to affect a great many passengers - but the upgrade of Thameslink must be done.

"The key thing is for both London Underground and Network Rail to ensure that closure dates are well advertised beforehand."

All eight floors of the boring and depressing station will be demolished and replaced with a largely glass "airy and cathedral-like" structure.

Andy Mitchell, NR's Thameslink programme director, said: "The work we start here at Blackfriars is absolutely vital to this congestion- busting upgrade. The Thameslink programme will deliver what passengers need - more seats, less overcrowding, more direct services and better connections." Extra capacity is desperately needed throughout the Thameslink line.

Chronic overcrowding has been highlighted by the Evening Standard's "Seat for Every Commuter" campaign.

Blackfriars mainline improvement will include covered platforms stretching across the Thames rail bridge with the station the first to have entrances north and south of the river.

By early 2012 Thameslink services will be lengthened from eight carriages to 12 between Bedford and central London and services doubled from eight to 16 per hour through central London.