Network Rail has now confirmed that funding is not yet in place for work to provide step free access at the station reports David Floyd

Mill Hill Broadway station, platform with sign and seating area, in semi-dark — Mill Hill Broadway station

Conservative councillors have expressed their disappointment after Network Rail confirmed that it does not have funding in place to provide step free access at Mill Hill Broadway Station.

Following correspondence with the organisation responsible for national rail infrastructure earlier this month, Mill Hill ward councillors Val Duschinsky and Elliot Simberg believed they had confirmation that long awaited works at the station, originally announced in 2019, would be completed in summer 2026.

When they announced the good news on 10th November, Network Rail contacted Barnet Post to clarify that it was design work that would go ahead next year rather than building work.

However, their statement at the time: “The status is that the project has been confirmed and summer 2026 is when outline design work will be taking place” did not reveal the fact that funding for works themselves remained unconfirmed.

Earlier this week, Barnet Post was contacted by the family of Priscilla Tropp, who died in 2018 after falling down the stairs at the station. They told us that funding was only in place to deliver the design phases of step free access at the station.

Priscilla’s daughter, Sara Sherrard, will be outside the station between 4pm and 7pm this afternoon talking to members of the local community about the need for funding for the work.

After Barnet Post contacted Network Rail to clarify the situation, a spokesperson confirmed that only the design phase is currently certain to go ahead. They said: “We understand how important accessibility at Mill Hill Broadway station is for passengers and the community. Funding has been secured for the Approval in Principle (AiP) design stage for step free access.”

“The contract for these design works will be awarded shortly, with completion of the AiP designs expected by summer 2026. Once the AiP designs are complete, we remain committed to working with industry partners in seeking further funding for subsequent stages of the project, including detailed design and construction.”

Responding to the news, Cllr Duschinsky and Cllr Simberg told Barnet Post: “We are deeply disappointed by this update from Network Rail. We were led to believe through earlier correspondence that works to deliver step-free access would commence, and we communicated that in good faith to our residents. It is upsetting to now learn that only the initial design stage is funded, and that full delivery of the project remains uncertain.

“We are grateful for the clarification, but the community deserves better than mixed messages and further delays. Mill Hill Broadway has waited far too long for accessibility improvements.

“We will continue working for the community to put as much pressure as we can on Network Rail and all relevant partners to secure full funding and ensure that physical works do indeed begin. Our priority is, and always will be, achieving genuine step-free access for everyone who relies on this station.”

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else. £84 annual supporters get a print copy by post and a digital copy of each month's before anyone else.