Request ID: FOI-3883-2324 Date published: 28 February 2024
You asked
Please list the dates, length of closure and the name of the Underground Stations for which any lift was out of service solely due to an absence of trained members of staff during (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-3883-2324
Thank you for your request received on 1 February 2024 asking for information about incidents of lifts being out of service solely due to an absence of trained members of staff.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold the information you require.
Like all of our assets such as trains and track, we have a continual programme of maintenance and renewal of our lifts across our networks to ensure they are reliable and safe to use for our customers. Our lifts receive a routine maintenance check every two weeks, a full MOT every six months, and a partial refurbishment every five years. Lifts are due to be fully replaced every 10 to 20 years, depending on the type of machine. Due to the nature of the work and confined working space, replacement and refurbishment can take a number of months to complete.
We continue to look at ways to reduce the amount of disruption to our customers while we undertake lift works. For example, we will sometimes replace more than one lift at a time (when resources permit) to reduce the overall time they are unavailable when removing one lift makes the other asset redundant. We also continue to invest in vital improvements to the transport network including making more stations fully accessible across London.
We aim to minimise station closures as much as possible and strive to always exhaust all avenues before making the decision to close a station. However, on some occasions it is unavoidable, and due to safety regulations require some of our stations to have a minimum number of staff; therefore, we are legally obligated to close a station if the numbers of available staff fall below this. When there are shortages, staff are often moved to ensure that stations with higher usage, step-free access, or interchange with other lines and services are prioritised.
We always work to reinstate the lift as soon as possible.
You asked:
Please list the dates, length of closure and the name of the Underground Stations for which any lift was out of service solely due to an absence of trained members of staff during (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.
The information for 2021 and 2022 was published as part of a previous FOI response:
Under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act, we are not obliged to provide you with information which is reasonably accessible by other means.
The information for 2023 is attached. Please note the following:
• Time period: 01/01/2023 - 31/12/2023 • The data shows instances when stations are open but step-free access is unavailable • This is based on the London Underground Control Centre (LUCC) Service Status when they publish “No Step Free access at XX station” • Where the station is already advertised as closed, we do not additionally record that step-free access is unavailable, therefore these instances are not included • Stations included for both those that have lifts, and those stations which only require boarding ramps • The same station may appear more than once for the same date if: o Step free access was unavailable more than once during the day, or o The advertised message that was published was changed • Staff are trained to operate lifts manually in case the automatic system fails while in customer service • When staff are not available, the lift must be taken out of service for safety reasons • Lifts are also taken out of service when staff are unavailable to support wheelchair users to board and alight trains using a manual boarding ramp
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. Yours sincerely
Gemma Jacob Senior FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
