Indeed, had it not been for the high cost of replacing those lifts, or had they built the Waterloo extension or the jubilee line extension (the one planned in the 1970s, not the one built in the 1990s), it probably would still be open. It really was it's awkward service that was within easy walking distance

Yes it was eerily quiet, but I was probably not alone - isn't this station haunted?? !! btw, Essex Road station on the Great Northern Moorgate - Drayton Park section is often also very quiet like Aldwych was.

@@CitytransportInfoplushow was it haunted

I recall knowing in advance that the station was going to close and feeling that this was a shame* ... so I went to 'get some memories'. In those days the Internet barely existed and KZfaq would have been seen as futuristic science fiction! I was (still am) especially pleased to film that lift in action, this footage in itself acts as fantastic historic resource. *I still feel that way, and would wish to see it reopened, complete with the planned Piccadilly line extension to Waterloo and DLR extension to the now disused platforms at Charing Cross via this station built.

kzbxvz if you add, “mind the gap” at the end, you are American

Actually it was very heavily used in BR days, but primarily in the rush hours.

@@CitytransportInfoplus Ah ok I was young at that time, as a tourist I don't usually take part in rush hours. I went last year to Waterloo and City line for nostalgic reasons, I found it to be busy all the time regardless of rush hour or not. London has changed a lot in character since I last went, English is heard less and foriegn language is spoken more. London of 1990 is a different place from London in 2017.

Just come back from London last week and took the opportunity to visit the station as part of a tour, its pretty much as I remembered it, I'm amazed at how little it has changed, from other KZfaq vdeos Holborn platform 5 has changed a lot and some of the iconic tiles is covered over with breeze block buildings.

my film is like a window on the past - a form of time travel. The station still exists and sometimes can even be visited, but the lifts no longer work, which is a shame as they really are something special.

At least one person did ask first (and I said OK) but I suspect that many people have used my footage without even asking.

@@CitytransportInfoplus Probably quite a few KZfaqrs who have done videos about the station have not asked for permission in that case as I’ve also seen footage from this video in quite a few videos about abandoned Underground stations in London! :)

Yes there are

Aldwych didn't have enough passengers to carry it's own costs. Never had. In early 90:s the elevators where deemed no longer compliant with the safteyregulations back then. L:U decided to run the elevators 'till they broke down and then shut down the station. In the summer of 1994 the lifts broke down, a few years after the safteyinspection, and in late september 1994 Aldwych shut down.

Otis

That be replaced with stupid generic accord lifts if it didn't shut

Technically, there is no reason the station cannot be reopened, because all the connections with the main piccalilli lifts e are still in place. It was just cost a lot of money to bring it up to modern safety standards, such as replacing those 1907, which would cost a lot anyway, so that's why they can't make a business case, but it would be Technically and physically possible.

a short while before the station closed - yes, it had become a time capsule, partly caused by low passenger numbers making it not financially viable to invest in newer technologies. In the end the need to update the life-expired lifts caused its closure.

I've seen this discussed, the people who know more than me were saying that it would be very expensive as the station would need new lives and making fully accessible.

As far as I recall, the last few stations with the 1906/1907-style lifts left in use was Aldwych, Mornington Crescent, and Edgware Road (Bakerloo).