Tooting station in south London is to get step-free access, with work starting on adding two new lifts this Spring.
Tooting station runs underneath a road bridge, with the ticket hall at the road level and then stairs down to two platforms. The station is mainly served by Thameslink trains.
Tooting Station (c) Network Rail / Planning Application
It’s fortunate that there’s some space on either side of the platforms to slip two lifts into, although it’s quite a constrained site to build in which will add to the complexity of adding the lifts.
The London bound platform will be served by an 8-person lift, while the other platform will be served by a 16-person lift. Ideally, both platforms would have 16-person lifts, but the space available on the London bound side is just not large enough to fit one in.
The design will see the two lifts added next to the existing stairs, and then there will be short links at the street and platform levels. The design allows for lifts with double-sided doors, which is the preferred design as it allows people to walk in and walk out without having to reverse backwards to leave.
Schematic (c) Network Rail / Planning Application
The construction works are due to start in Spring 2023 and are scheduled for completion by Winter 2024.
Network Rail doesn’t expect to need to close the station during the construction works, although the platform widths will be slightly reduced when they add hoarding on both platforms to segregate the building site from the passengers.
Tooting station is slightly unusual as it spans two boroughs with the station located on their common boundary thus the station is located in the London Borough of Merton but the station entrance fronts onto the London Borough of Wandsworth.
The planning application for the step-free access was filed with Merton council.
I’ve often wondered how they could make use of the random empty yards on either side of the steps. It’s great that they’re going to put lifts in there but I wonder why it’s taken so long to have this brainwave? The yards look like something from Steptoe. Maybe they had some essential purpose at one point.
I really like Tooting Station. If you don’t have to be anywhere on time, the 2tph works quite well.
Great that lifts are being added to a Tooting station… with access to the Elizabeth Line at Farringdon it opens up things substantially for users who need stair-free access. But the platform/train gap at Tooting can be awkward so not fully accessible. And a shame the service is so infrequent…
Several years ago they did investigative digging at Tooting Broadway to see if they could add a lift there- which would be really helpful for access to St George’s hospital, but the ground was found to be “difficult” (which is also put/puts in doubt a Tooting Cross Rail 2 station)