Stephen Furley wrote:

Until fairly recent times Brick Lane was not somewhere that most people
wanted to go. In recent years that has changed; if it wasn't for the
extension it might hae been worth extending the opening hours of the
station.

I still think Aldgate East is a better stop for Brick Lane (and for most
traffic it is quicker). It's good to walk the full length, not pop up two
thirds of the way down. Maybe extending the opening hours would have done
something, but I've rarely seen massive traffic at the station line even
when it was open.

Is it really necessary to close it quite so soon; four years seems a
long time for the construction work.

If they're going to get that link built, which is a key part of the
extension, they need the track free for a good while.