News

Two Barnet tube stations set to become step-free

Colindale and Burn Oak have been placed on a priority list for accessibility improvements by Transport for London, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

Burnt Oak (top) and Colindale (bottom) are both set to be made step-free stations
Burnt Oak (top) and Colindale (bottom) are both set to be made step-free stations

Two Barnet tube stations are included in Transport for London’s (TfL’s) latest plans to provide step-free access to help people with mobility issues.

Burnt Oak Station has been shortlisted for the next set of works to improve accessibility by providing lifts, ramps or a combination of both as an alternative to stairs and escalators.

Step-free access could also be provided at Colindale Station if TfL secures money from the government’s Levelling Up Fund.

An accelerated programme to boost accessibility at tube stations was announced by London mayor Sadiq Khan in 2016. Since then, TfL claims to have slashed average journey times for people who need accessible routes by 40%

More than a third of tube stations, including eight in Barnet and more than 60 London Overground stations, already have step-free access. All 41 Elizabeth Line stations are step-free.

TfL says the tube stations shortlisted for the next phase of works will be “assessed to understand the scope of work involved and the best way to deliver step-free upgrades, including costs, benefits, funding opportunities and impact on customers”.

While it has pledged to spend around £20million each year to boost accessibility, the transport body will also work with developers and boroughs to attract investment.

Works to make the first of the shortlisted stations step-free are due to begin this year and could be completed in 2026, subject to funding being identified and the outcome of feasibility studies.

Caroline Stickland, chief executive of Transport for All, a charity that campaigns for better transport access, said: “We are extremely pleased to see more stations being made step-free, bringing us one step closer to an equitable, accessible transport system for all.

“Currently, only one-in-three London Underground stations has step-free access. This shuts disabled people out of vast swathes of the network, forcing us to take long and convoluted routes, and even preventing us from travelling entirely.

“By offering more targeted investment to prioritise areas that will have the widest impact, this policy can make a meaningful difference to the lives of disabled Londoners.”


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