Farringdon becomes the 66th step-free Tube station

London Underground’s (LU) Farringdon station is now the 66th Tube station to become step-free from street to platform level.

Five new lifts have been installed to provide direct access to all four platforms at the station both for wheelchair users and passengers with heavy luggage and buggies.

The new lifts follow the opening of a brand new ticket hall in December 2011 and are the latest in a raft of improvements at Farringdon, part of a Network Rail redevelopment that has transformed the entire station.

Howard Collins, LU’s Chief Operating Officer said: ‘This is tremendous news for our customers who have already benefited from additional entrances and a more spacious ticket hall. The lifts will make it far easier for customers with mobility impairments or heavy luggage or buggies to use the station.’

Network Rail improvements have also provided 36 new ticket gates, 20 new staircases, one new footbridge, two new ticket offices and nine new ticket machines spread over the newly restored original entrance and two brand new entrances.

Mike Brown, Network Rail’s Senior Project Manager said: ‘Completion of these lifts marks a key milestone for us as we near the end of our work at Farringdon. The lifts allow for step-free access onto both London Underground and Thameslink platforms, two of the five lifts are also ready for the arrival of Crossrail in 2018.’

Customers using the station will also have benefited from the new eight car air-conditioned Tube trains that are now operating on the Metropolitan line.

A new fully walk-through train which allows better access for customers has begun to run between Hammersmith and Moorgate as a preview service. These seven car trains, which when delivered will form a total fleet of 191, will eventually roll out on the Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines.