Work to Resume on Making Northolt Tube Station Step-free

Design work will also be started on North Acton

Northolt station platform is currently not fully accessible Picture: Marathon

February 21, 2024

Transport for London (TfL) has announced that it is to resume work next year on the project to make Northolt tube station step-free. Design work is also set to begin on a similar project for North Acton station.

This follows TfL confirming in summer 2023 that it would be reviewing ten Underground stations, spread across the capital, for potential step-free access.

TfL says the ten stations, which included Northolt, North Acton as well as West Hampstead, were identified using an approach focused on benefits, costs, funding opportunities and impact on customers. The approach was also influenced by feedback from accessibility campaigners and TfL’s consultation on step-free access, which attracted 5,500 responses.

Construction work was about to start at Northolt Tube station to make it step-free when the pandemic hit. Work has now been completed to re-analyse the design, construction and costing and TfL is able to confirm that this scheme will go ahead, with a construction start date of early 2025 following awarding of contracts for the next phase, completion of remaining design activities and site mobilisation. Northolt is also on the Superloop SL9 route, linking Heathrow to Harrow.

Making Northolt step-free will open up new journey options for those travelling to Heathrow Airport using Superloop services.

Alex Williams, TfL’s Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, said, “Reducing the journey time difference for those who rely on step-free access is a key goal of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy. This will help create a fairer, more accessible and inclusive transport network, opening up more of London to everyone. We’ve been working hard to identify which Tube stations will be prioritised next for step-free access which is a critical component of delivering a more equitable customer experience for everyone who uses our services. I’m really pleased that we’re now able to confirm that work will resume at Northolt and that we’re starting design work at North Acton and West Hampstead as the next stations to be upgraded, building on feasibility work that started last year.”

Cllr Bassam Mahfouz, Labour’s London Assembly candidate for Ealing & Hillingdon, said, "I am thrilled to see TfL and the Mayor’s commitment to enhancing accessibility across London's transport infrastructure. Step-free access is not just about convenience; it's about ensuring equal opportunities for all members of our community to travel independently and with dignity.

“The upgrades at North Acton and Northolt stations will undoubtedly improve the daily lives of countless individuals, including those with disabilities, parents with young children, and elderly passengers."

TfL says it will provide a full overview of the London Underground step-free access programme later this year, once the feasibility work is completed and discussions with key stakeholders have concluded, including funding partners. TfL will make recommendations on which of the other current schemes progress and which additional stations have been selected for feasibility work in 2024/25.