DfT and TfL publish report setting out options for step free Crossrail
4 Jun 2014 02:26 PM
The joint sponsors of Crossrail,
the Department for Transport (DfT) and Transport for London (TfL), have
reaffirmed their aim of making the entire route accessible and published
options to make the remaining seven stations step free.
The route will serve 40 stations
from Reading and Maidenhead in the west and Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the
east.
Eight stations are already step
free and work is underway to upgrade or build 25 more to give step free access
for the first time. The joint sponsors are working on plans for the remaining
seven.
The report sets out practical,
workable solutions that could be implemented at Seven Kings, Maryland, Manor
Park, Hanwell, Iver, Taplow and Langley.
Further work will be undertaken
to verify technical and engineering assumptions as well as further develop the
plans. TfL and the DfT are currently looking at funding options to pay for
these improvements.
The Mayor of London, Boris
Johnson, said: “London now has one of the most accessible public
transport networks in the world, with further improvements underway at
stations, bus stops and on our trains.
It is therefore only right that
Crossrail is also part of that accessible future. This report sets out workable
solutions for step-free access at all Crossrail stations and I will continue
working alongside the DfT and TfL to help deliver that.”
Transport Minister Stephen
Hammond said: “World class transport networks are a vital part in the
national economic plan but they have to be accessible to all. This is why
everyone in the Crossrail family supports the aim of making all of the route
accessible. The publication of this study is a step in the right
direction.”
Mike Brown MVO, the Managing
Director of London Underground and London Rail, said: “Crossrail is going
to transform how people travel in and across London and we are committed to
making the entire railway open to everyone. Providing an accessible
transport network is a priority for TfL and we have already made significant
improvements to make travelling in London easier for customers with
disabilities. The provision of 40 step free stations for Crossrail is an
important part of that work so that London can continue to deliver greater
accessibility.”
The new Crossrail train fleet
will be built to the latest standards of accessibility. Crossrail trains will
have dedicated, clearly distinguished priority seats and space for wheelchairs.
Each carriage will provide both visual and audio information about the
train’s journey.
Crossrail will be fully
operational by the end of 2019. The line will boost London’s rail-based
capacity by 10 per cent connecting Reading and Heathrow in the west and
Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. It is connecting people and places,
providing faster journey times and up to 24 trains per hour between
Paddington and Whitechapel during the peak.
It is estimated that Crossrail
will generate at least 75,000 business opportunities and support the equivalent
of 55,000 full time jobs right around the UK. Three out of five businesses
currently winning work on the project are based outside London and over half
are small and medium-size companies (SMEs).
Accessibility at Crossrail stations – Summary of preferred
optionsPDF 586KB
The preferred option at each
location is
- Seven Kings: A new footbridge
with three lifts and stairs, accessed from a walkway on the embankment south of
platform one
- Maryland: Three lifts inside the
existing building
- Manor Park: A new footbridge
with three lifts and stairs
- Hanwell: Lifts to both platforms
with the final scheme under review with Ealing and English
Heritage
- Iver: Two new lifts on existing
footbridge with a long ramp to platform one which is occasionally used by
Crossrail services
- Langley: A new footbridge with
three lifts and stairs
- Taplow: A new footbridge with
two lifts and stairs