Transport for London (TfL) says that a third of London’s Underground stations are now step-free, following works at Harrow-on-the-Hill station on the Metropolitan Line.
Four lifts have been installed at the station to provide a step-free route between the street and Metropolitan Line trains, and signage has also been enhanced to assist with wayfinding. Boarding ramps will continue to be offered for customers boarding or alighting Chiltern Trains services at the station.
The works follow the completion of step-free access schemes at Sudbury Hill, Osterley, Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms on the Northern Line Extension, Wimbledon Park, Ickenham, Debden, Amersham, Ealing Broadway (in preparation for the Elizabeth line), and Whitechapel during 2021.
Harrow-on-the-Hill has become the latest step-free Underground station.
This year TfL will deliver step-free access to the Northern Line at Moorgate, and says it is “progressing step-free access work that will make busy Zone 1 stations partially step-free in 2022”, including at Bank (Northern line and DLR Interchange only), and Paddington (Bakerloo line only).
TfL said that the average additional journey time required for step-free journeys across the TfL network had been reduced from 9.5 minutes in 2016, to around 6.7 minutes currently.
Commenting on the news Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said:
“I want all Londoners to feel comfortable and confident when using our transport system, and improving accessibility is a top priority. Harrow-on-the-Hill station becoming step-free will make a huge difference to passengers with mobility needs and the wider public, making journeys quicker and easier.
“It’s great news that a third of stations on the Tube network are now step-free, with more to come during 2022 – but unless Government provides TfL with the longer-term capital funding it needs, further step-free improvements are at risk.
“Such investment is vital to ensure public transport is an attractive, reliable option for all, and help London and the wider country recover from the pandemic.”
Travellers can download the free TfL Go app, which details information including which stations are fully step-free, as well as where accessible journeys can be made within stations to specific platforms, including interchanging between lines.
