Cutty Sark Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station has closed for a year to facilitate the installation of four new escalators.

The existing escalators at the third-busiest station on the DLR have been deemed “increasingly unreliable” and “not worth repairing economically.”

They will be upgraded to advanced, energy-efficient models, which, according to Greenwich Council, will offer passengers “more dependable access” to and from the south-east London station.

The station shut down at the end of operations on Saturday and is set to reopen next spring. Greenwich Council has encouraged station users to utilize the nearby Greenwich station or local bus services during the closure.

To assist commuters, the council has put up additional signage to guide passengers between Cutty Sark and Greenwich stations, which are approximately an 11-minute walk apart.

A spokesperson for Greenwich Council expressed: “We are pleased to see improvement works underway at Cutty Sark DLR station. The new escalators will ensure the station is fully accessible for all users for many years to come.”

While the station is closed, the spokesperson mentioned, “There are numerous alternative routes to and from Greenwich, including buses, mainline rail services, and riverboat options.”

They further added: “As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Greenwich attracts millions of visitors each year to its renowned park, observatory, and various attractions, so we will be exploring all avenues to collaborate with Transport for London and others to maintain our town centre as the vibrant, thriving part of London that it is known for.”

In 2023, Cutty Sark welcomed 7.6 million passengers, ranking it as the third-busiest station on the DLR, following Canary Wharf and Limehouse.

Last year, Kentish Town Tube station reopened six months later than initially scheduled after replacing what were labeled the “most unreliable” escalators in the network.