A trial asking Tube commuters to break with convention and stand on the left of escalators as well as the right resulted in a massive speed boost, it has been revealed.
The three-week trial of standing-only escalators, held at Holborn station late last year, saw staff with megaphones telling passengers to ignore the usual protocol and stand on both sides.
It prompted confusion and frustration for many commuters, with some unhappy about not being able to walk up the escalator and or simply being robbed of the choice.
But it has now been revealed that far more people were carried up the escalators each hour during the experiment, helping to ease congestion at the busy station.
The standing-only policy led to a 27 per cent increase in capacity, according to figures cited by the Guardian.
The paper reported that 12,745 passengers were taken up an escalator between 8.30am and 9.30am in a normal week, while the figure shot up to 16,220 when it was standing only.
TfL bosses are now planning another trial to gather more data – which may involve a “hologram” telling people to stand on both sides.
