Firms panic over three-week Tube closures

Owners of businesses near Tube stations are in "a state of panic" over plans to shut large sections of the network for three weeks at a time.

Evening Standard has revealed that Tube bosses are drawing up proposals for "block suspensions".

Transport for London says this could speed up maintenance works and a £10 billion upgrade and also avoid weekend closures. Stretches of the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Northern and Piccadilly lines could be affected.

David Villanueva, manager of The Hideaway, a restaurant and music venue in Tufnell Park, said his customers travel from across London to watch jazz and rock '*' roll bands and that without a nearby Tube station open they might not bother. "It would be an absolute nightmare, everyone would feel it around here," he said. "If the Tube is shut for three weeks, we would lose customers.

"They cannot go ahead with these plans. It would have a dreadful effect on businesses."

Straddling Highgate station two stops along the Northern line is the gig venue Boogaloo. Owner Gerry O'Brien said: "The Tube is a part of everyone's life, it's their arms and legs. If people can't use it there's a big deterrent to travel anywhere.

"This would have a huge effect on my business and other businesses around here. People will panic. We need to march into the Mayor's office and make sure this does not happen."

Colin Stanbridge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: "Weeks of Tube closures on parts of the network would be deeply frustrating but it may be preferable to years of weekend shutdowns.

"If TfL can prove that block closures would reduce weekend disruption and limit over-runs and delays, then this may be the lesser of two evils."

Under the closure plans, TfL would shut sections of line where alternative methods of travel such as other Tube routes, trains or buses are available.