Request for a Step-free version of the London's 'Rail & Tube Services' map.
Request ID: FOI-1629-2223 Date published: 20 October 2022
You asked
đź‘‹ Hey TfL,
As you might be aware, our TfL's Tube Map has shown accessibility symbols (white & a blue ♿️ wheelchair blobs) since 2006 in order to boost accessibility around London. Additionally, TfL also prints out Step-free Tube Guides (in a large & pocket-size versions) as well.
However the Tube Map (& the step-free guides) are only limited to showing the 5 TfL-operated Railways (Tube, Overground, DLR, Elizabeth Line, Tramlink) & the Thameslink line since 2020 however there are an additional 13 Lines operated by National Rail companies that are shown on the larger London's Rail & Tube Services maps with hundreds of more stations. However, they do not show any accessibility symbols to help with travels.
Hence, I just wanted to request you if you can kindly share me a map of London's Tube & Rail Services showing which stations have step-free accessibility if you don't mind please?
Although there are online websites we can check to see accessibility at stations, it just makes lives so much easier having just a 1 glance on a single map which can highlight immediately all the stations which don't & do have step-free access and accordingly plan journeys (which is why TfL makes an effort at producing accurate Tube maps & accessibility guides to help us travel) & so, would be great to see a step-free map of all London's stations as shown on the Rail Services map.
We answered
TfL Ref: 1629-2223
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 10 October 2022 asking for information about the tube and rail map. Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Unfortunately we do not hold the information you have requested. Please be aware that, under the FOI Act, we do not have to answer a request if it would require the creation of new information or the provision of a judgement, explanation, advice or opinion that was not already recorded at the time of the request.
The London Rail and Tube map is a co-copyright between TfL and the Rail Delivery Group (RDG). It was produced to show the potential for the Greater London transport network, however it was never envisaged that it would be used to show accessibility information across London and including stations owned and managed by other Train Operating Companies (TOCS). Accessibility classifications used by TfL are different to those used by the other TOCs and there would have to be a common design language developed to show these on a singular map which doesn’t exist at present.
There is however a National Rail Accessibility map website you might be interested in – it is managed by Network Rail and can be accessed using the following link:
