Another dreaded ‘blue blob’ will appear on the tube map after today making it harder to read, but bringing with it the excellent news that another Zone 1 station now has step free-access with the addition of two news lifts at Tower Hill tube station, meaning that you can now access both platforms without using steps.

Read the full TfL Press Release here

Are the lifts at the new Tottenham Court Road almost ready? It would seem to be that way, as a brand new wide barrier gate has been installed and is on view in the ticketing area at the station, to allow access down to what we think is the Northern line platforms.

We haven’t worked out yet where the lift is down to the Central line.  There’s also (obviously) another lift still currently behind blue hoardings next to escalators to take you from street level down to the ticketing area.   Looks like it could open soon though, and the Tube will get another step-free station added to its list.

Wide gate by the new lift

The new January 2016 Tube Map brought with it a few changes, but one of the more subtle ones was that Vauxhall now got a connector blob – sorry! I mean a ‘blue wheelchair blob’ (making it impossible to distinguish whether stations marked as such are interchange stations or not).

Vauxhall Blue Blob

This should have meant that the accessibility count for step-free stations should have gone up to 70, except for the small matter … that the lift is not operational yet.  Down at platform level the corridor between the two platforms at the southern end is where they’re building it, and up in the ticket hall area, all there is is a big blue door (below) where it’s not finished.  We’re just wondering how long it will be in terms of time between the Tube Map saying it’s accessible, and it actually being a reality…

Lift not finished at Vauxhall

We’re a bit confused about the step free arrangements at London Bridge station.  They recently finished building a new ‘side entrance’ into the station along with a shopping parade, and next to it, what must have cost a lot of money to build, an ‘S-bend’ style ramp with a wide guide .. for, wheelchair users right?  Uh, no.

Step free London Bridge

This is the sign that greets you by the entrance to the new ramp indicating that it’s for people with luggage and pushchairs only – because there’s no lift here, only escalators.

For complete step-free access at London Bridge you have to use the entrance/exit round on Borough High Street, and here’s where we spotted something else unusual – the lifts are inside their respective gatelines – meaning that if you’re a wheelchair user changing between the Jubilee and Northern you have to exit through one gateline, and then enter back through another!

This is fine if you’re on a travelcard or Freedom pass, but if you’re on Pay As You Go Oyster (or Contactless) then it will sting you for two fares, so you have to make sure that you ask the station staff to let you out of one barrier, and back into another.