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Accessibility plans for Tube and Overground stations

Transport for All

There are accessibility improvements in the pipeline for both Underground and Overground stations in London, with several station...

There are accessibility improvements in the pipeline for both Underground and Overground stations in London, with several stations scheduled for upgrade to step-free status in the next six years.

These planned improvements are good news for older and disabled Londoners, as currently less than a quarter of Tube stations have some degree of step-free access. This is in addition to the New Tube for London project, which you can read about here.

Amongst the stations to be upgraded are several key transport hubs, including Bank, Victoria, Finsbury Park and Tottenham Court Road.

 

Here is the full list of planned upgrades and timescales for Tube Stations.

  • 2015: Bank (Waterloo & City line only), Greenford
  • 2016: Bromley-by-Bo, Tottenham Court Road, Tower Hill, Vauxhall, Whitechapel
  • 2017: Bond Street
  • 2018: Ealing Broadway, Finsbury Park, Victoria
  • 2019: Blackhorse Road, Queen’s Park
  • 2021: Bank (Northern line only, Elephant & Castle (Northern line)

 

The table below shows planned upgrades and timescales for Overground Stations.

  • 2015: Kensal Rise, New Cross Gate, South Tottenham
  • 2016: West Hampstead, Whitechapel
  • 2019: Blackhorse Road, Peckham Rye, Queen’s Park

 

In addition to the above lists, there are some further initiatives to improve accessibility across London’s transport network:

  • The Northern Line extension stations Nine Elms and Battersea are expected be step-free and could be open by 2020, subject to funding and permission to build and operate the extension. You can read more about the Northern Line extension here.
  • On 2nd October 2014 TfL announced that £75m funding was confirmed for installation of new lifts at around a dozen new stations over the next ten years. The stations earmarked for upgrade have not been agreed yet, but it has been suggested that the list could include Mill Hill East, Newbury Park, Osterley, West Brompton and White City. You can see TfL’s press release here.
  • 75% of all London bus stops have been fully accessible since April 2014 and TfL say they are on track to reach 95% by the end of 2016.
  • 5% of London’s pedestrian crossings have yet to be brought up to accessibility standards. These will be upgraded with tactile paving, rotating cones or audible alerts. 39 sites will be upgraded by March 2015, and it is planned that 100% will be accessible by 2016.
  • The Department for Transport announced in April 2014 that its Access for All funding scheme has committed to making the following stations fully accessible by 2019: Battersea Park, Blackhorse Road, Chatham, Goldalming, Hither Green, Peckham Rye, Petts Wood, Queen’s Park, Seven Sisters, St Mary Cray, Streatham, Theale and Barnes, Tottenham Hale, Virginia Water, Walton-on-Thames, West Hampstead, Whitton.

 

This is all great for disabled and older Londoners, but it’s only a modest step forward, and there’s still much to do. Transport for All continues to campaign for improvements to this situation with the help of its members – click here to find out how to become a member – it’s free!

You can see the full text of TfL’s announcement here, and Network Rail’s nationwide timetable for accessibility upgrades is here.

You can also visit TfL’s own webpage about step-free upgrade plans here.

A man standing in front of a painted brick wall smiling at the camera. He is holding a cane and is wearing glasses, a black jacket and a grey t-shirt. A man standing in front of a painted brick wall smiling at the camera. He is holding a cane and is wearing glasses, a black jacket and a grey t-shirt.

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