Minister confirms final three Crossrail stations will be step free
Transport for All
Fantastic news! This morning, Transport...
Fantastic news! This morning, Transport Minister Baroness Kramer announced that all Crossrail stations will be stepfree from the day that Crossrail opens.
Last month, TfA activists celebrated TfL’s announcement to make all London stations stepfree. But this Tuesday 18th November, for the first time, DfT has stated that it is investing another £14m to make the outside London stations – Iver, Langley and Taplow – stepfree. So when Crossrail starts running in 2019, every single station will have stepfree access.
We have been campaigning for over a year-and-a-half for this and are delighted.
As Transport for All director Faryal Velmi said to the BBC: “It was scandalous to think a new rail line was to be built that was not going to be fully accessible […]Common sense prevailed.“
Together, we showed the Government that never again should a new rail line be planned without stepfree access from the outset!
We thank everyone who participated in the campaign for a stepfree Crossrail. When, over two years ago, we realised that Crossrail plans included seven stations planned to be out of bounds to older and disabled people, we were appalled. TfA members sprung into action: you wrote to your MPs; you raised this in meetings and with your local papers; you publicised this on social media ; you demonstrated outside Crossrail offices and by the Department for Transport . You were incredible.
Crossrail’s central underground section will be entirely stepfree with level access from street-to-platform; the outer, above ground section will be stepfree to platform with ramps available on a turn-up-and-go basis onto the train.
This campaign victory is a step towards a world where disabled and older people are able to use transport with the same freedom as everyone else. We look forward to a celebration ride along Crossrail when it opens in four year’s time!
