News | Transport

Victoria Line delays: Commuter panic as emergency sparks 'crush' to leave Seven Sisters station

Hannah Al-Othman|Ross Lydall @RossLydall
15 February 2016

Tube bosses today apologised after huge overcrowding on the Victoria line forced one of its busiest stations to be temporarily closed during the morning rush hour.

There were chaotic scenes at Seven Sisters and passengers reported “crush” conditions when the station was shut for 15 minutes as an emergency measure to relieve platform congestion.

Commuters were said to be screaming at staff to open the emergency exits as panic broke out when alarms were set off.

Passenger Amber Revan told the Standard: "They set off evacuation alarms but carried on letting people into the station.

"The alarm scared people so they were pushing to get out.

"A man was screaming at the staff to open the emergency exits as nobody could move."

Station staff closed Seven Sisters from 8.43am to 8.59am. The station frequently becomes overcrowded due to the number of passengers using it to change onto the Tube from overground trains, and because southbound trains are already full on leaving Walthamstow Central.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Maddest journey into work today thanks to Seven Sisters station &amp; the <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/victorialine" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/victorialine" data-vars-event-id="c23">@victorialine</a>. People getting crushed on escalators &amp; then evacuated — Tasha Demi (@TashaDemiOnline) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/TashaDemiOnline/status/699170304044756996" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/TashaDemiOnline/status/699170304044756996" data-vars-event-id="c23">February 15, 2016</a>

Ms Revan said passengers were "falling all over each other" at the top of the escalators as they fought for space.

On Twitter Samantha Ria said the station was "packed" and "claustrophobic", and that it was "not very clear what was actually going on."

She tweeted: "Great start to Monday having to clamber way out of Seven Sisters and forcing way onto a bus to central!"

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">So today's been a nightmare of a journey. Should be only 90 mins late for a 60 min lecture. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sevensisters?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/hashtag/sevensisters?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#sevensisters</a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/victorialine?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/hashtag/victorialine?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#victorialine</a> — Aiden Langan (@AidenLangan95) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/AidenLangan95/status/699160730206134272" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/AidenLangan95/status/699160730206134272" data-vars-event-id="c23">February 15, 2016</a>

Joseph Chapman,18 from Hertfordshire, missed a university interview because of the delays on the line.

He told the Standard: "[The] interview was a UAL, I got to seven sisters station and there was what looked like hundreds of people crammed into a the small underground.

"The message kept playing out loud that passengers should leave the station but none of the attendants knew what was happening."

He managed to reschedule the in interview for a later day.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/TfL" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/TfL" data-vars-event-id="c23">@tfl</a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/victorialine" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/victorialine" data-vars-event-id="c23">@victorialine</a> Not one to complain, but terrible and dangerous handling of the situation at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SevenSisters?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/hashtag/SevenSisters?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#SevenSisters</a> — Rachael Pinnock (@rpinnock22) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/rpinnock22/status/699160224989630464" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/rpinnock22/status/699160224989630464" data-vars-event-id="c23">February 15, 2016</a>

There were similar scenes at Highbury & Islington station, which was described as "utter madness."

Commuters described similar overcrowding, while others said they were forced to endure long wait on trains between stations.

Highbury and Islington was evacuated, and commuters battled for seats on buses outside the station.

There was further chaos for passengers who attempted to continue their journey by bus - one City-bound bus collided with a van and was itself evacuated.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Absolute madness at Highbury and Islington this morning.Buses impossible to get on too <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://t.co/JyuAZbiu3O" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://t.co/JyuAZbiu3O" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/JyuAZbiu3O</a> — Danny Mitchell (@dannyj_mitchell) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/dannyj_mitchell/status/699155001705373696" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/dannyj_mitchell/status/699155001705373696" data-vars-event-id="c23">February 15, 2016</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">What a horrendous morning. Stuck in a tunnel for 30 odd minutes between Highbury and Islington and Kings X <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://t.co/pqfro8uXOu" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://t.co/pqfro8uXOu" data-vars-event-id="c23">https://t.co/pqfro8uXOu</a> — Daniel Petrie (@dpetrieldn) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/dpetrieldn/status/699175637320364032" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/dpetrieldn/status/699175637320364032" data-vars-event-id="c23">February 15, 2016</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Stuck on a train at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Finsburypark?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/hashtag/Finsburypark?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#Finsburypark</a> start work right about now. That's in Pimlico. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/happymonday?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/hashtag/happymonday?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#happymonday</a> — Charlie (@charliepidge) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/charliepidge/status/699157275827703808" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/charliepidge/status/699157275827703808" data-vars-event-id="c23">February 15, 2016</a>

Developer David Haywood Smith, 28, who lives in Walthamstow, was forced off a train at Seven Sisters, and made his way onto a bus, only for the bus to crash en route to Stoke Newington.

He managed to get on a second bus, but his one hour commute took a total of two-and-a-half hours.

He told the Standard: "Usually I get Victoria line from Walthamstow to Stockwell then Northern Line from Stockwell to Clapham South.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Regarding <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SevenSisters?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/hashtag/SevenSisters?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#SevenSisters</a> tube station.. Overcrowded &amp; just like an overload of ants sprawling everywhere.. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://t.co/83BXfbIWO7" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://t.co/83BXfbIWO7" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/83BXfbIWO7</a> — ....S e z z e r a... (@sezzera) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/sezzera/status/699173510204289024" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/sezzera/status/699173510204289024" data-vars-event-id="c23">February 15, 2016</a>

"The train was held at Seven Sisters due to points and signal failure at Victoria, then the train was evacuated due to being taken back to the depot.

"The next train to arrive on platform had been stuck in tunnel so some pretty unhappy people got off onto an already very busy platform.

Read More

Walthamstow station evacuated at rush hour amid fire alert

Walthamstow station evacuated at rush hour amid fire alert

Victoria line part suspended due to track failure

Victoria line part suspended due to track failure

Victoria, District line and London Overground hit by severe delays

Victoria, District line and London Overground hit by severe delays

"I tried to get the overground to Liverpool Street but the escalators were not working, and there were long queues just to get out.

"Then station was closed and evacuated!

"On the bus to Stoke Newington, to get train to Liverpool Street, a white van pulled out of a side road into the side of the bus as we were going along.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gridlock?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/hashtag/gridlock?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#gridlock</a> in <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sevensisters?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sevensisters?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#Sevensisters</a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/station?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/hashtag/station?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#station</a> no <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/victoria?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/hashtag/victoria?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#victoria</a> line <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/massive?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/hashtag/massive?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#massive</a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/delays?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/hashtag/delays?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#delays</a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://t.co/1g3BcqPFaY" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://t.co/1g3BcqPFaY" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/1g3BcqPFaY</a> — Rebekah Ubuntu (@RebekahUbuntu) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/RebekahUbuntu/status/699149480843673601" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3180321-https://twitter.com/RebekahUbuntu/status/699149480843673601" data-vars-event-id="c23">February 15, 2016</a>

"It made a loud bang and people screamed and swore. Nobody was hurt and the bus and van both stopped."

Victoria station was also closed to prevent overcrowding, and the entire line was suspended between Brixton and Victoria.

TfL warned other stations may be shut without warning, but has said the line is now subject to only minor delays.

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Highbury & Islington station
Victoria station