Future step-free access on the London Underground

The request was successful.

Dear Transport for London,

Would you be able to provide a comprehensive list of stations which TfL plans to make step-free in the next ten to fifteen years? Thousands of Londoners find certain tube stations partly or wholly inaccessible and are hugely encouraged by the admirable strides TfL is making to improve accessibility. With the opening of Crossrail, various Overground extensions and numerous station refurbishments on the horizon, at what stage can we expect to see more stations (especially in Central London) become step-free?

Moreover, does TfL have a target for making more stations accessible - if so, could this be made public? This information will give hope to the thousands of Londoners with mobility issues.

With thanks for all the great work TfL is already doing on this.

Yours faithfully,

George Hames

FOI, Transport for London

Dear Mr Hames

 

Our Ref:         FOI-1816-1516

 

Thank you for your e-mail received on 23 December 2015 asking for
information about future step-free access on the London Underground.

 

Your request will be processed in accordance with the requirements of the
Freedom of Information Act and TfL’s information access policy. 

 

A response will be provided to you by 26 January 2016. We publish a
substantial range of information on our website on subjects including
operational performance, contracts, expenditure, journey data, governance
and our financial performance. This includes data which is frequently
asked for in FOI requests or other public queries. Please check
[1]http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transpar... to see if this helps you.

 

In the meantime, if you would like to discuss this matter further, please
feel free to contact me.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Gemma Jacob

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

 

[2][TfL request email]

 

 

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FOI, Transport for London

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Hames

 

Our Ref:         FOI-1816-1516

 

Thank you for your e-mail received on 23 December 2015 asking for
information about future step-free access on the London Underground.

 

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of
the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can
confirm we do hold the information you require.

 

Accessible transport is a critical factor in determining the quality of
life of many people living in and visiting London. The majority of the
Tube network was built at a time when accessibility was not considered in
the design of the stations, so we are constantly making improvements to
enable everyone to access our services. We have made great strides over
recent years, installing new lifts, rebuilding stations, and introducing
boarding ramps to make life easier for customers. This has benefitted
disabled people, as well as older people with reduced mobility, families
with prams and pregnant women who, together, account for one in every
eight journeys made on the Tube.

 

Currently, 195 rail and Underground platforms are step-free from street to
platform, including 67 London Underground stations, a quarter of those on
the whole of the Tube network. Major schemes to provide step-free access
have been completed at Green Park, Blackfriars, Farringdon, King’s Cross
St. Pancras and Paddington, as well as smaller stations. Trains are also
being modernised to comply with new accessibility regulations which come
into force by 2020. The new fleet features low floors and wider doors,
wheelchair spaces and priority seats.

 

The 'Your Accessible Transport Network' document available on our website
sets out what we have done to improve accessibility and what is planned
for further improvement:

 

[1]www.tfl.gov.uk/transport-accessibility/equality-policy-and-future-plans

 

We also operate a turn-up-and-go assistance service that means that
disabled people who need assistance can arrive at stations and have staff
help them with boarding and alighting without having to book in advance.

 

A lot of lessons were learnt from the London 2012 Games and, as a result,
we have introduced improved signage and wayfinding showing clearer routes
to lifts and accessible entrances across the Tube network. In addition,
more platform humps have been introduced in order to remove the gap
between the train and the platform as well as more manual boarding ramps
at stations in order to assist disabled customers on and off trains. Our
[2]Step Free Tube guide explains which stations have ramps, lifts,
accessible toilets, car parking spaces, as well as the approximate size of
the step and gap between the train and the platform.

 

Around half of London Overground stations have step-free access, as does
the whole of the Docklands Light Railway. All London's taxis, trams, the
Emirates Air Line, many boats and some private hire vehicles are fully
accessible. London has the most accessible bus fleet in the world with
each of its 8,600 buses being low floor, wheelchair accessible and fitted
with a ramp. While we work to upgrade and improve access to the Tube, the
accessible bus fleet provides vital links between step-free stations.

 

Crossrail will be step-free at every station and bring step-free access to
the West End for the first time. 50 per cent of stations across the Tube,
London Overground and Rail networks will be step-free by 2018. We will
continue to look for opportunities to make more stations step-free when
carrying out major station upgrades (like we are currently doing at
Victoria and Vauxhall), through the building of new lines (if we get
permission to build Crossrail 2 all stations on the line will include
step-free access).

 

We hope to make around 40 more stations step-free by 2023/24:

 

Tube

·         2015/16: Tower Hill, Vauxhall

·         2016/17: Ealing Broadway, Tottenham Court Road

·         2017/18: Bank (Waterloo & City only), Bond Street,
Bromley-by-Bow, Whitechapel

·         2018/19: Barbican, Finsbury Park, Moorgate, Paddington (to
Bakerloo line only via the Crossrail station), Victoria

·         2019/20: Elephant & Castle (Northern line only), Queen’s Park,
Cassiobridge, Watford Junction, Watford Vicarage Road

·         2020/21: Battersea, Nine Elms

·         2021/22: Bank (Northern line added, DLR enhanced)

·         2023/24: Camden Town, Holborn

 

Total stations made step-free by 2023/24: 19 fully, four partially

 

London Overground

·         2015/16: South Tottenham

·         By 2019: Blackhorse Road, Brondesbury, Peckham Rye, Queen’s
Park, Seven Sisters

 

Total stations made step-free by 2019/20: Six

 

In October 2014 the Mayor announced an extra £76 million fund for
step-free access schemes where contributions can be found from developers
and other third parties, including the boroughs. The fund is expected to
help around a dozen more stations become step-free, and we are
particularly interested in stations that serve locations such as local
town centres, or provide good interchanges for onward step-free travel.
They will also need to be affordable, inclusive in design, easy to build
and have partnership funding contributions. Discussions are ongoing as to
which stations will benefit from this fund.

 

We are carrying out a review of all accessible information, and will be
working with disabled people, and the organisations that represent them,
to ensure their feedback is incorporated into any improvements.

 

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable
to access it for some reason, please feel free to contact me.

 

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to
appeal.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Gemma Jacob

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

 

[3][TfL request email]

 

 

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