TfL Ref: 1212-1819

Thank you for your email received by us on 1 August 2018 asking for information about the status of step free access at various stations serving the London Underground and London Overground.

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

We are committed to increasing the amount of step-free stations across the network to make the Tube and London Overground stations more accessible. In December 2016, the Mayor announced a £200m programme to provide step-free access at around 30 London Underground stations over the next five years. This is in addition to investment in step-free access at some of our biggest stations such as Victoria and a fully accessible Crossrail, which will be known as the Elizabeth line. By 2022 around 40% of London Underground owned stations will have step-free access.

For Network Rail owned stations, we are able to recommend stations for funding from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Access for All programme.
London Underground stations Seven Sisters, Manor House, Turnpike Lane and Finsbury Park

For the current £200m step-free programme for London Underground stations, we have certain criteria when considering stations for inclusion in the programme. These criteria include cost or opportunity for example availability of third party funding, how challenging or otherwise construction will be, and the strategic importance in delivering benefits to our customers at a particular location such as where there are currently limited accessible transport options.

Seven Sisters, Manor House and Turnpike Lane did not meet our initial criteria for step-free access funding under this programme as they are deep underground and would require technically challenging tunnelling that would result in a high cost to provide step free access. We do envisage, however that the current £200m investment will in future be followed by further phases of investment in improving the accessibility of the Underground. We are now in the early stages of planning the next phase of the project that will start delivery in 2022. As part of this planning we will be in contact with the local authorities and other stakeholders so that we can discuss their priorities.

At Finsbury Park we are in the construction phase for a station enhancement project, which includes a new entrance and step-free access to the London Underground platforms. We worked closely with a neighbouring redevelopment that created the opportunity to provide these improvements. The step-free access route will be open by March 2019. Network Rail are also investing in step-free access to their platforms as part of their Access for all programme; this will result in a fully step-free interchange.

London Overground Stations (Seven Sisters, Stamford Hill)

At Seven Sisters London Overground, there was a step-free access scheme planned but it was deferred from the Control Period Five (2014 to 2019) works programme to the Control Period Six (2019 to 2024) works programme as the Department for Transport (DfT) and Network Rail‎ responded to increasing cost pressures. Control Periods are in reference to Network Rail planning its activity in five-year periods. The
DfT will consider further whether or not to undertake this scheme during Control Period Six.

At Stamford Hill there are no current plans to deliver step-free access. The DfT has now invited recommendations for step-free access schemes to be implemented during Control Period Six as part of their ongoing Access for All programme. We are in the process of examining the case for step-free access at all stations in London where this is not currently provided to formulate our recommendations for Control Period Six; this review will include Stamford Hill. Ultimately the DfT will determine which step-free access schemes are undertaken during Control Period Six; TfL’s role in this is purely advisory.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely

Jasmine Howard
FOI Case Officer
Information Governance
Transport For London