Transport for London
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Step-free station boost for London
More than half of our rail and Underground stations will be step-free by 2018 under new plans set out by Mayor Boris Johnson.
So far, we have made 45 per cent of our rail and Tube stations step-free.
This means there are no steps between street and platform level, making them fully accessible to people who are unable to use stairs.
This new target comes as it was announced that Brent Cross Tube station will be the next to gain a lift, which will make travelling at the station easier for anyone with mobility difficulties and those travelling with luggage or small children.
The station, which opened in 1923, was originally built with more than 30 steps between the street and platform.
Commenting on the plans, Boris Johnson said: 'London has one of the most accessible public transport networks of any major city, but while we may be ahead of Paris and New York there is much more to be done to enable more people to get around the Capital more easily.
'Brent Cross Tube station is the latest to benefit from our step-free programme and is a great example of how City Hall, TfL and the private sector can deliver improvements together.'
In October 2014, the Mayor announced an extra £76m for step-free access schemes.
The fund is expected to help around a dozen more stations become step-free and the Mayor is writing to all London boroughs to seek their nominations for stations that could be made more accessible.
Step-free stations in numbers
- Sixty-six Tube stations are currently step-free
- Around 40 more Tube and Overground stations will become step-free over the next decade
- When Crossrail fully opens in 2019, all of its 40 stations will be step-free
