Hammersmith Station Update: No Anthrax Found
Safety checks give the all clear
Transport for London has confirmed that tests on samples of material removed from Hammersmith Station show no trace of anthrax.
This material led to a row between TfL and the RMT trade union, which was insisting that Hammersmith Station should be closed to the public because of a risk of anthrax and asbestos being found in the building.
In response, TfL accused the union of scaremongering.
The station bar, formerly El Metro, is currently being refurbished and in the process, the old plaster was found to contain horsehair - a constituent that in rare cases can carry anthrax spores.
TfL sent off samples for further examination, and sealed off the area as a precaution. Meanwhile the station, which is the western end of the Hammersmith and City Line, remained open.
RMT leader Bob Crow claimed TfL's response was inadequate, and called for the entire station to be shut down, calling it a potentially "extremely dangerous situation".
TfL dismissed this claim. A spokesman said: " Anthrax has not been found at Hammersmith station, we have simply sent some very old horse hair building materials off for testing. This is standard industry practice and is a requirement of building regulations.
" Nonetheless we are being very cautious and the premises have been sealed off to staff and the public. To suggest that this site represents a risk to customers or staff is simply scaremongering."
Work at the station involves moving the area where the trains stop slightly to the west. The TfL spokesman explains: " This is because, by July 2011, we’ll be introducing a fleet of brand new longer trains on the Hammersmith and City Line, so we need to extend the platform area.
" This has a knock-on effect on the ticket hall area, so some retails units will be moved as well."
November 26, 2009
