Bus passengers have been forced to stand on the top deck and stairs due to “infrequent” Northern line replacement services during a station closure.

There has been an uproar from many who rely on the Tube line on the Edgware branch due to rebuilding work at Colindale station, which officially shut on June 7.

Even before the station closed, six stations on the Northern line were shut for several periods this year.

A sign saying Colindale station will be closedA sign saying Colindale station will be closed (Image: Joseph Reaidi)

Stations between Golders Green and Edgware were first closed from April 2 to 11, leaving hundreds of people waiting for long periods for replacement buses.

And then when Colindale did close, with its reopening scheduled for December, it was claimed that travel times doubled, and morning commuters were crammed.

It seemed that later in the summer things had calmed down, but since the start of September traveling on these replacement buses have been as chaotic as ever.

‘It’s even more frustrating’

One picture shared on X shows at least four people standing on the top deck of a crowded 186 bus from Hendon Central to Colindale.

Lottie Nightingale, who shared the image, said: “This is the only bus people can use at weekends while Colindale station is closed.

“TfL [is] putting people’s lives at risk. This is illegal and people will get hurt’.”

In one community WhatsApp group, which has more than 650 members, commuters are constantly updating each other of their struggles to get on a bus.

In one instance on September 16, it was reported that a 186 bus was too full and the driver had to turn off the engine, with an image of an overcrowded bus and many waiting outside late at night.

On September 17, people were unable to board a bus with another image showing the entire vehicle full.

It is understood that the overcrowding of buses this month, including people having to stand on the stairs or upper deck as the bus moves, is not an isolated incident.

People on the upper deck in another instancePeople on the upper deck in another instance (Image: UGC)

Lisa Lu, who has lived opposite the station since 2020, said: “It’s not got much better since Colindale closed, it’s even more frustrating because it’s been all this time.”

She added: “At June and end of the school year people were initially grumpy, but settled into a pattern that they can do this.

“But now there’s the increase, everybody has to start getting serious now, putting in their hours at work and putting their kids into school.

“There’s been an increase of people using the buses, absolutely.”

She added: “I know it [standing on the upper deck] is dangerous. On a normal basis if you stand up there a bus driver will yell at you to come down.

“People are worried if they don’t get on to the bus they’re going to have to wait another 20 minutes. They’ve already added another half-hour to the commute, they don’t have an extra 20 minutes.”

Calls for bus improvements

Ms Lu has repeated calls for improved bus replacements, something many have been doing throughout the year.

When Colindale closed, Transport for London (TfL) offered some alternative services – including an additional NL6 bus route running every 15 minutes at peak times on weekdays between Colindale and Hendon Central.

Journeys on that route are free of charge, while any journeys taken on the 186 between Mill Hill Broadway and Hendon Central are automatically refunded.

Crowds waiting for a bus in SeptemberCrowds waiting for a bus in September (Image: UGC)

But Ms Lu says that more needs to be done – including auto refunds on additional bus routes in the area and making the NL6 an all-day service including at weekends.

A pregnant woman passenger, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “The bus is so crowded, I’ve had to stand on the stairs. It’s illegal, but there’s no choice – people just push.”

‘Looking into enhancing service’

TfL says it is looking into more improvements, noting that the NL6 now runs every 10 minutes in the peak mornings and 12 minutes in the evening.

A TfL spokesperson said: “We are looking into further enhancing bus services as a matter of priority after reviewing our own monitoring data and customer feedback.

“In the meantime, we would encourage those with flexibility to travel earlier or later in the morning peak period if they can."