Media centre

Thursday 18 Apr 2013

Accessible rail travel in south London gets a lift - or rather 15

Region & Route:

| Southern

Rail travel into, out of, and around the capital has become possible for many more people with the completion by Network Rail of work at three south London stations to install lifts and other accessibility facilities.

Transport minister Norman Baker, together with local member of Parliament Sadiq Khan, Wandsworth Council’s cabinet member for transport Russell King, and London Assembly member Richard Tracey, conducted the formal opening of the new lift facilities at Earlsfield station in south London, part of the £370 million Access for All scheme, funded by the Government to improve the accessibility at almost 150 stations nationwide.

Norman Baker said:

“Earlsfield joins Clapham Junction and Vauxhall on the lengthening list of stations where the industry has completed work to open up the railway to be more accessible than ever before.

“With step free access from street to platform at all three stations, and interchange available with National Rail and London Overground’s ‘outer circle’ at Clapham Junction and with the Tube and buses too at Vauxhall, large numbers of people will be able, many for the very first time, to access public transport.

“That’s good news for those with mobility issues but its good news too for leisure travellers with bags or those with small children, many of whom might otherwise choose to travel by road – that means a potential reduction in congestion and sensible use of off peak rail capacity too.”

Tooting MP Sadiq Khan said:

“The campaign for a complete refurbishment of Earlsfield station has been a long one and I am delighted that the work to improve access and facilities at the station is finally complete.

“The improvements brighten the station up and make it much more fit for the 21^st century. It will also be accessible to commuters who may have reduced mobility or had difficulty using the station with push chairs and buggies.

“It is good news that Earlsfield residents finally have the access and station facilities they need and deserve.”

Cllr Russell King said:

“We were delighted when this Government announced in 2011 the funding of the improvements to Earlsfield station after so many years of campaigning by the council. The bright, modern facilities have come as a real boost to Earlsfield town centre and the remodelled entrance has brought welcome relief to rush hour overcrowding.

“The lifts are particularly important at Earlsfield as the long flights of stairs up to the platforms are a major barrier to people with limited mobility or those with heavy bags or buggies. Now at last the whole local community can make use of the local station.”

Richard Tracey AM, GLA member for Wandsworth and Merton

"This is a great improvement in accessibility at a key commuter station for the capital. I hope it leads to more and more people finding it possible to use the rail network not just for their journeys to work but at other times too through step-free access elsewhere to other services.

"That's important to help reduce congestion on the system and to ensure the best possible use of available capacity."

Alistair Wright, head of estate for the South West Trains - Network Rail Alliance said:

“The rail network is becoming more accessible than ever before and the completion of these three stations on a busy and important line of route fills in another big piece of the jigsaw.

“With the work at Clapham Junction completed last year and with Earlsfield and Vauxhall’s lifts now in service too this gives a real boost to very many current and prospective customers.

“All three stations are well served by trains throughout the whole day which not only means good news for mobility impaired commuters but also that almost everyone can now use the network at its less busy times for shopping and leisure travel too.

Notes for editors

Earlsfield station

Earlsfield station saw the completion of its two new station lifts in September 2012 with a new station entrance also now open forming part of a £5.6 million scheme to improve the facilities and accessibility of the station.

Some work is still ongoing to upgrade other station facilities.

Wandsworth Council made a financial contribution to the station improvements using funding from an adjoining development, and is undertaking environmental improvements to the street outside the station entrance.

Clapham Junction station

The £14.5 million works at Clapham Junction were completed in mid 2011 with a range of facilities including a new station entrance and nine lifts providing step-free access to every platform at one of Europe’s busiest railway stations.

The facilities provided a boost to interchange with both existing services and with the London Overground ‘outer circle’ services when that route came into operation in late 2012.

Vauxhall station

Vauxhall station provides interchange facilities both with London Underground’s Victoria Line (NB - Step-free to the ticket hall only) and with London Buses at Vauxhall Cross.

Station improvement works in recent months include better station canopies and 4 new lifts providing step-free access from street to each platform. The lifts were built in 2012 and, after completion of the canopy installations, were brought into service in early 2013.

Waterloo station

Step free access to the Tube and to services via Waterloo East is available at Waterloo station