Transport for London (TfL) announced today that efforts are commencing to expand the number of step-free stations within the London Underground network.

Design work is set to begin shortly on three additional Tube stations to achieve step-free status, bringing the total to five Underground stations with allocated funding for this stage.

Additionally, seven more Tube stations are slated for evaluation to determine the feasibility of step-free access.

The 12 stations on the priority step-free access list include the following:

• Aplerton (Piccadilly Line)
• Arnos Grove (Piccadilly Line)
• Colliers Wood (Northern Line)
• Croxley (Metropolitan Line)
• Eastcote (Metropolitan & Piccadilly Line Interchange)
• East Finchley (Northern Line)
• Neasden (Jubilee Line)
• North Acton (Central Line)
• Northwood (Metropolitan Line)
• Tooting Broadway (Northern Line)
• Turnham Green (District & Piccadilly Line Interchange)
• West Hampstead (Jubilee Line)

Each of the 12 stations are at varying stages in the funding, design, planning, and installation of the new facilities.

At the time of the announcement by TFL, design work is commencing on the project to provide step-free access at three Piccadilly line stations: Alperton, Arnos Grove, and Eastcote, which is also served by the Metropolitan line.

This initiative builds upon the feasibility studies initiated last year.

The new step free access stations on the Piccadilly line will complement the lines new Tube stock which is to be introduced within the coming year.

This comes after TfL’s earlier confirmation that work would commence at Northolt tube station on the Central line to introduce step-free access, and that design work would begin at North Acton station on the Central line and West Hampstead (Jubilee line).

An additional seven Tube stations are set to be evaluated for the feasibility of step-free access. These include Croxley on the Metropolitan line, East Finchley on the Northern line, Neasden on the Jubilee line, Northwood on the Metropolitan line, and Turnham Green on the District and Piccadilly lines, along with Colliers Wood and Tooting Broadway, both on the Northern line.     

Feasibility studies for Colliers Wood and Tooting Broadway follow a review of stations on the Northern line’s southern end. Transport for London will evaluate the benefits, costs, funding opportunities, and customer impact.

The southern stretch of the Northern line is the longest segment of the tube network with no step-free access stations, except for the terminus at Morden, which offers step-free access from the street to the train.

Currently, over a third of the Underground stations in the city offer step-free access, aligning with the Mayor of London’s goal to achieve 50% step-free Tube stations by 2030.

The expansion of step-free access at Underground stations is part of TfL’s ongoing efforts to enhance the accessibility of London’s transport network. However, the progress of these initiatives will hinge on their feasibility and TfL’s financial outlook, with priority given to projects that have secured third-party funding.

“London is for everyone, and the Mayor and I are committed to making London’s transport network as accessible as possible, to enable everyone to enjoy all that London has to offer. I’m pleased that work will begin soon to give three more stations step-free access, and I will continue to work with TfL to keep increasing this number, and build a better, fairer and more accessible London for everyone.”

The Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance