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Why you stand on the right on London escalators

On the London Underground you stand on the right and walk on the left. Where the rule came from, the trial that tested it and what other cities do.

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6 min read

Crowded escalators at Piccadilly Circus station on the London Underground
Photo by Damian Kamp on Unsplash

On the London Underground, you stand on the right and walk on the left. The signs say so, the announcements say so, and at rush hour anyone standing on the wrong side soon hears an “excuse me” from behind. It’s an odd rule for a country that drives on the left.

The reason is mechanical, not cultural. The Tube’s first escalators, installed in 1911, were built so that passengers stepped off to the left at the top. Standing on the right kept the way clear for people walking up. The machines changed long ago; the habit didn’t.

An escalator that pushed you sideways

The Underground’s first escalators opened on 4 October 1911 at Earl’s Court, supplied by Otis. They didn’t have the comb plate you see at the end of modern steps. Instead there was a diagonal partition, a kind of wedge, that pushed riders off to one side as the steps slid underneath it.

The generally accepted explanation is that the exit side was the left. People standing on the right had time to shuffle across, while those walking up the left could step straight off without cutting through the standing queue. The strange machine made plenty of people nervous: accounts from the first week mention torn dresses, a pinched finger and a passenger who fell off his crutches.

The longest escalators on the Tube

The rule matters most at deep stations, where the escalator is long and walking up really saves time. The record-holder is Angel, on the Northern line. Rebuilt between 1989 and 1992 to end chronic overcrowding, it got escalators about 60 metres long with a vertical rise of around 27 metres, the longest on the London Underground and in the United Kingdom. Angel is also one of 14 stations on the network where escalators are the only way to reach the platforms.

Before that, the record belonged to Leicester Square. Its escalators down to the Piccadilly line, opened in 1935, were 54 metres long and, at the time, the longest in the world.

The Holborn trial

In 2015, London Underground decided to test whether the rule still made sense. Holborn has some of the tallest escalators on the network. The theory was that on a climb that long, few people walk, so the left side stays half empty while a queue for the right side builds at the bottom.

For three weeks at the end of 2015, staff with megaphones asked everyone to stand on both sides. On one escalator, throughput went up by around 30 percent. A second, six-month trial followed in 2016. Data later obtained by Gizmodo through a freedom of information request showed 151 passengers a minute on the standing-only escalators, against 115 on the one still running the old rule.

So why didn’t the rule change? Two reasons. First, the gain depends on height: a study at Canary Wharf, where the escalators are shorter, found that making everyone stand would cut capacity by 10 percent, because more people choose to walk. Second, behaviour snapped back as soon as the staff left. Posting someone at every escalator all day wasn’t realistic, and no permanent policy was adopted.

Every city picks a side

London spread the habit, but there’s no global standard. Hong Kong and Osaka follow London and stand on the right. Tokyo and most of Japan, along with Singapore and Australia, do the opposite: stand on the left, walk on the right.

Japan is now trying to get rid of the walking lane altogether. Saitama Prefecture introduced an ordinance in 2021 asking people to stand still on escalators, and Nagoya followed in 2023. Neither has fines; both rely on campaigns and signs.

Riding it like a local

  • In London, stand on the right. Even if the escalator looks empty, someone will come walking up.
  • Don’t stop at the top or bottom. Pausing to check the map as you step off blocks everyone behind you.
  • Keep your bag on your side. A suitcase on the step next to you takes up the walking lane.
  • In Japan, watch first. Tokyo stands on the left, Osaka on the right, and Nagoya and Saitama ask you to stand still.
  • Hold the handrail. It’s what safety campaigns ask, on either side.

London’s rule is a good example of a custom outliving the reason for it. The 1911 machine is long gone, and crowds still squeeze to the right every day because of it.

FAQ

Which side do you stand on London escalators?

The right. The left is kept free for people walking.

Why do Londoners stand on the right?

Because the Tube’s first escalators, from 1911, made riders step off to the left. Standing on the right meant people walking didn’t have to cut across those standing.

Is standing on both sides faster?

On very tall, crowded escalators, yes: the Holborn trial moved more people a minute. On short ones the effect reverses and capacity drops.

Which side do you stand on in Japan?

It depends on the city. Left in Tokyo, right in Osaka. Saitama and Nagoya ask everyone to stand still.

What is the longest escalator on the London Underground?

The one at Angel station, on the Northern line, at about 60 metres long. It’s also the longest in the United Kingdom.

Sources

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