The chief operating officer of London Underground responds to criticism of station overhauls
Last week, a blog on Left Foot Forward claimed that our Fit for the Future plans for London Underground (LU) would make it harder for disabled Londoners to access the Tube. In fact, the opposite is true. From the start, our plans have been based around people – our staff and customers – and are designed to improve the service for everyone. There are now 43 LU stations operating without a ticket window and customers are starting to see improvements across the network.
This includes more of our staff visible to help customers in ticket halls, at gate lines and on platforms. We already have, and will always have, staff at every station whenever trains are running. Together with London Overground we are the only UK railway to offer a ‘turn-up-and-go’ assistance service for people who need help from staff, with no need to pre-book. Having more staff in the public areas of the station makes it easier for people to access this service. We’re also making sure that every ticket hall has a ‘help point’, fitted with a hearing aid induction loop, so customers can contact staff whenever they need to.
In addition a new and comprehensive training programme being rolled out to all our station teams this year, to prepare them for their new roles. One of our key aims is to help staff support our disabled customers and, importantly, we are involving disabled people’s organisations in the design and delivery of that training. By next year, every LU station staff member will have had disability equality training, delivered by a disabled trainer.
In stations, we are changing our ticket machines to allow customers to make all the transactions they previously made at ticket offices – including refunds – and our staff will be there to support anyone who needs help using the machines. But, moving with the times, we’re also helping people use our services without any cash transaction, using contactless bank cards, Oyster cards and telephone and online services.
The other significant change people will see at stations is an improvement to information, with dedicated areas in stations for customer information, such as maps and leaflets, as well as improvements to signage. All of this will make the Tube simpler and more consistent to navigate. This helps everyone, but particularly those who find the network challenging or confusing at present. Staff are also being equipped with mobile devices loaded with information including maps, real-time service updates, our Journey Planner, ticket options and much more – so they’ll always have information at their fingertips to help customers.
Dozens of ticket halls are now operating without a ticket office, and early signs show that the new arrangements are working well. Our passengers using stations without tickets offices are telling us they are more satisfied with the experience than they were before the changes. In particular, staff have been proven to be more available and more helpful at stations operating our new customer service model.
As our changes roll out across the network this year, we will keep focused on our core promises to customers: more staff on hand to help, better information to help plan and make journeys, and a range of ways to pay to suit all needs.
Disabled Londoners wanting to start using London Underground (or any other type of transport in the city) can be helped by TfL’s travel mentoring service. It works across the Capital to build the knowledge and confidence people need to make the most of the transport network. Contact travelmentor@tfl.gov.uk or 020 3054 4361 for more information, or visit the TfL website.
Nick Brown is the chief operating officer of London Underground
To reach hundreds of thousands of new readers and to make the biggest impact we can in the next general election, we need to grow our donor base substantially.
That's why in 2024, we are seeking to generate 150 additional regular donors to support Left Foot Forward's work.
We still need another 124 people to donate to hit the target. You can help. Donate today.
15 Responses to “How London Underground is helping disabled customers”
sam
Your comments made false accusations against me, simply returning the favor.
how is it that someone that supports Isreal, and Jews, and is fighting to keep Sharia law from ever taking hold in America, and would gladly give his life to protect any ones freedom, has to deel with you crap. Guess it goes along with the territory of being an American. Help us, help us, but don’t occupy our holly land while doing it, and don’t kill an one by accident, and leave us your wepons when you do leave so we can give them to the enemy, and you better build us new schools and hospitals while your at it. and then when your children’s children’s children are finished paying for all that, mabee you could start over, because nobody learned to get along while you were gone.
Get off my ass. 47 % of what I make goes to helping you. Starting to think ww2 generals had the perfect plan. Drop nukes to create a radiation fence between all the different neanderthal tribes, and call it a day.
Leon Wolfeson
No. I’m not American, so what the heck are you talking about?
I’ve said nothing untrue, you’re just here to attack me for being Jewish. Your ranting really does show you up – genocide by nuke, no less. And fake whining about tax.
(Oh, and you don’t understand fiat currency. What a surprise!)
sam
Lol, who said anything about killing anyone? You brought up genocide, I brought up 47% of my pay going to help you, and offering my own life for others freedom. Read what I wrote. I don’t mind talking to people, even when we have vast differences in our views, but when someones agenda is to just twist words in order to try to piss the other off, and not try to understand why they might think the way they do. It just becomes a exercise in futility. So, clear slate, what are you so pissed off about?
Leon Wolfeson
No, I’m not the one who started talking about nuclear weapons.
As you make up crap about tax again, and claim I’m American. You evidently don’t mind talking to people, you hate it and are determined to deny your own posts.
I’m not you, I’m not the one pissed off here, you’re pissing in a thread about London Underground, because you’re a standard right wing troll.
sam
I talked about ” nukes, to create a radiation fence ” , taxes not made up, ” UK ” is where I guessed you lived not the US, never said I hated anyone, directly quote my post without adding your twisted predisposed inaccurate meaning of them and prove that I deny my own posts, I ” pissed in a thread ” not related because you pissed in several threads I posted in. I thought we were buddies, interested in each others thoughts. Mine at this point are purely thoughts of your inability to read something without the need to twist it into an abortion For some sort of sadistic pleasure.